Jérôme Prévost La Closerie Les Béguines LC19 Extra Brut NV

2019 base with 20% reserve wine from 2018. Prévost’s 2.2-hectare vineyard, Les Béguines, is in Gueux, 10km west of Reims in the north of the region. The soil of Les Béguines is a layer-cake of calcareous (Thanetian) sand, over clay, over more calcareous sand. Inherited from Jérôme’s grandmother, the site was planted in the 1960s with an old, slow-growing, less productive rootstock that descends deeply. Les Béguines is close to 100% Pinot Meunier, although there is now a small amount of 10-year-old Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc that has been planted next to the Pinot Meunier parcel (these vines represent roughly 6% of the blend). The vineyard management is organic, with the soils cultivated and yields kept at balanced levels. As always, the wine was vinified without any additions, in large-format used barrels for 10 months, and bottled unfiltered. Prévost disgorged this release after 18 months on lees and added three grams per litre dosage. Historically this wine was always from the same vintage, however the last two releases have seen a significant change and reserve wine is now included. It’s a game changer—the wines are now even more complex and far more approachable from an early age. This is already stunning. We’ll leave the detailed description to William Kelley but let’s just say that it’s a deep, layered Les Béguines with the base coming from a truly great vintage. Without doubt it’s one of the finest releases of this wine to date. The NV Extra Brut Les Béguines LC 19 showed brilliantly once again, bursting with aromas of orange rind, orchard fruit, red berries and peach, mingled with notions of walnuts and marzipan, as well as telltale hints of warm spices and fenugreek. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s deep and complete, with huge reserves of fruit and structure, enlivened by a pillowy mousse. Concluding with a long, sapid finish, I continue to think this is one of Prévost’s finest releases of the decade. In style, it’s reminiscent of a somewhat riper version of the 2012.- William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, 97 points The Finer Details Style – Champagne Varietal – Pinot Meunier Country – France Region – Champagne Vintage – LC 19, Disgorged October 2021 Bottle Size – 750ml ABV – 12.5%