Grand Siècle
Recreating
the perfect year
- Three exceptional years are selected for their unique character and their ability to guide the blend toward the expression of the perfect year.
- A majority of Chardonnay complemented by Pinot Noir from a maximum of 11 Grands Crus out of the 319 Crus in the Champagne region.
- Aged for 10 years on the lees for the bottle format and a few more years for the magnum format.
- Three exceptional years are selected for their unique character and their ability to guide the blend toward the expression of the perfect year.
- A majority of Chardonnay complemented by Pinot Noir from a maximum of 11 Grands Crus out of the 319 Crus in the Champagne region.
- Aged for 10 years on the lees for the bottle format and a few more years for the magnum format.
Recreating the perfect year
While vintage in Champagne is generally seen as a synonym for excellence in prestige cuvées, at Laurent-Perrier, we believe that the art of blending can achieve a level of perfection greater than any single year can offer.
The expression of the perfect year is that of a great Champagne wine that has developed deep aromatic intensity, while successfully preserving its freshness and acidity over time, ensuring remarkable aging potential.
Due to the format, Grand Siècle in Magnum (150 cl) is deliberately aged for a longer time on lees. This additional maturation leads to a further expression of Grand Siècle displaying greater aromatic depth, density and a silkier texture. Since 1959, Grand Siècle has been revealed only 27 times in bottle format and 24 times in Magnum.
The origin of the name
The « Grand Siècle » (Great Century) is the name given to one of the most prosperous periods (17th century) in the history of France known for the capacity of man, through his works, to create what nature cannot. Louis XIVth, known as the « Sun King », by creating the « Château de Versailles » and its gardens, was the architect of this model of harmony, balance and perfection.
The symmetry and perspective of the « Jardins à la française », the capacity to grow Mediterranean fruits (especially Oranges inside the « Orangerie ») in such a Northern climate, creating the Grand Canal, the fountains and ponds with no nearby rivers are many illustrations of this ability of man to sublimate natural elements. The name of Grand Siècle was chosen for Laurent‑Perrier’s Prestige Cuvée based on this common vision to reach a perfection that Nature, on its own, cannot provide.
