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Pierre Peters

2005 Pierre Peters, Les Chetillons Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Speciale Grand Cru, Le Mesnil 1.5L

France Chardonnay Champagne Le Mesnil Grand Cru 1.5L

Wine Advocate

91

Vinous

92
/
2005 Pierre Peters, Les Chetillons Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Speciale Grand Cru, Le Mesnil 1.5L
Pierre Peters

2005 Pierre Peters, Les Chetillons Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Speciale Grand Cru, Le Mesnil 1.5L

France Chardonnay Champagne Le Mesnil Grand Cru 1.5L

Wine Advocate

91

Vinous

92
/
0 In Stock

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Pierre Peters

Perhaps the most globally recognized ‘grower champagne’ producer, the house is now run by the gregarious, eternally grinning Rodolphe Peters, but has been producing wine since 1919 out of Mesnil. The trademark here is pristine - but not sharp - examples of Chardonnay. Rodolphe has a masterful touch with the grape, and is open to experimentation, an example being his willingness to remove some of his very best barrels over the years to create a new project in which he blended a single vintage of Chetillons with a solera of the very same, a style which has only worked for very few, namely Anselme Selosse, but Rodolphe pulled it off without creating a wine of any noticeable oxidation, rather just perfect balance of maturity and youthful zest. The solera originated as a solution for a tough vintage, and became a backbone of the house’s success. Furthermore, the solera is stored in three different types of vessel - stainless, concrete egg, and a large cask. Peters owns vineyards in several small parcels throughout the Côte des Blancs villages of Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Cramant, with a small Pinot Noir vineyard in the Aube that he leases out - he admits he has more talent with Chardonnay than the black grapes.

Cuvée de Reserve is the flagship of the house, a combination of a single vintage with half the wine originating from the perpetual reserve/solera. Classic Mesnil precision at first opening, with the aid of Oger, Cramant and Avize fruit that help comprise the blend aiding in a rich, broad feel as the wine unfurls. Large format versions of CDR are comprised of a single vintage and can be transcendent. L'Esprit is produced in great vintages - a similar blend of villages to the CDR but a single vintage without the aid of the reserve wine. Oubliée is essentially the Cuvée de Reserve, but aged in barrel longer at Terry Theise’s suggestion, to allow a bit more development. Rosé for Albane is based on a single vintage of Chardonnay, with around 45% of saignée rosé (PN/PM) from Geoffroy added to the blend for color and depth; Albane is Rodolphe’s daughter.

On to the big boys, Les Chetillons it blend of 3 very old parcels in the eponymous section of Mesnil-sur-Oger, and is one of the greatest Blanc-de-Blanc wines in Champagne, even in tough vintages like 2005 and 2006. The three parcels are vinified separately then blended to the best combination possible. This can be taut, but spectacular within even a few seconds in the glass - yet rewards the patient who can age it. Rodolphe has started an Oenotheque program to release older vintages he feels are superb at the moment. Further, L'Etonnant Monsieur Victor is a newer experiment, wherein Rodolphe takes half of the best cask of Chetillons from the current vintage and blends it with a different solera comprised solely of Chetillons from vintages past. The labels are drawn by his son Victor as somewhat an homage to different famous artist he found inspiration in. Les Montjolys is a terroir inside of Mesnil-sur-Oger that has deeper, more clay-based soils than the rest of the village, resulting in a deeper flavor, fuller texture and more profound aromatics.

Meet the Producer

Pierre Peters

Perhaps the most globally recognized ‘grower champagne’ producer, the house is now run by the gregarious, eternally grinning Rodolphe Peters, but has been producing wine since 1919 out of Mesnil. The trademark here is pristine - but not sharp - examples of Chardonnay. Rodolphe has a masterful touch with the grape, and is open to experimentation, an example being his willingness to remove some of his very best barrels over the years to create a new project in which he blended a single vintage of Chetillons with a solera of the very same, a style which has only worked for very few, namely Anselme Selosse, but Rodolphe pulled it off without creating a wine of any noticeable oxidation, rather just perfect balance of maturity and youthful zest. The solera originated as a solution for a tough vintage, and became a backbone of the house’s success. Furthermore, the solera is stored in three different types of vessel - stainless, concrete egg, and a large cask. Peters owns vineyards in several small parcels throughout the Côte des Blancs villages of Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Cramant, with a small Pinot Noir vineyard in the Aube that he leases out - he admits he has more talent with Chardonnay than the black grapes.

Cuvée de Reserve is the flagship of the house, a combination of a single vintage with half the wine originating from the perpetual reserve/solera. Classic Mesnil precision at first opening, with the aid of Oger, Cramant and Avize fruit that help comprise the blend aiding in a rich, broad feel as the wine unfurls. Large format versions of CDR are comprised of a single vintage and can be transcendent. L'Esprit is produced in great vintages - a similar blend of villages to the CDR but a single vintage without the aid of the reserve wine. Oubliée is essentially the Cuvée de Reserve, but aged in barrel longer at Terry Theise’s suggestion, to allow a bit more development. Rosé for Albane is based on a single vintage of Chardonnay, with around 45% of saignée rosé (PN/PM) from Geoffroy added to the blend for color and depth; Albane is Rodolphe’s daughter.

On to the big boys, Les Chetillons it blend of 3 very old parcels in the eponymous section of Mesnil-sur-Oger, and is one of the greatest Blanc-de-Blanc wines in Champagne, even in tough vintages like 2005 and 2006. The three parcels are vinified separately then blended to the best combination possible. This can be taut, but spectacular within even a few seconds in the glass - yet rewards the patient who can age it. Rodolphe has started an Oenotheque program to release older vintages he feels are superb at the moment. Further, L'Etonnant Monsieur Victor is a newer experiment, wherein Rodolphe takes half of the best cask of Chetillons from the current vintage and blends it with a different solera comprised solely of Chetillons from vintages past. The labels are drawn by his son Victor as somewhat an homage to different famous artist he found inspiration in. Les Montjolys is a terroir inside of Mesnil-sur-Oger that has deeper, more clay-based soils than the rest of the village, resulting in a deeper flavor, fuller texture and more profound aromatics.

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

91

Peters' 2005 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons - based on parcels of old selection massale vines in a single lieu-dit - reflects a vintage that, as he puts it, "was on the limit of burnt (brulee) fruit." The nose here strikingly suggests sauteed mushrooms on toast, along with hints of citrus oils, Latakia tobacco, smoky black tea, and the salinity that happily, mouthwateringly infiltrates the palate. Nutty piquancy adds to the savor of a sustained and intriguingly fungal, smoky and toasty finish. I would be inclined to enjoy this over the coming year or two. It should reveal fascinating potential at table. Rodolphe Peters - who was just finishing an impressive cellar expansion when I visited him this June - has perpetuated a tradition at his family's house of letting all of their wines go through malo-lactic transformation, and they thus offer an especially vivid reminder that - regardless of what one hears from many a well-intentioned grower, not to mention wine critic - this transformation is entirely compatible with consistently achieving wines of vivid relief, refreshing acidity, and utmost clarity. (Not that anyone should really need reminding of this given the example of White Burgundy, and in particular of Chablis.) Interestingly, though, Peters has run a few recent experiments with very small non-malo lots. And speaking of what for him is also an experiment, there are now three Stockinger foudres in his cellar, informing a new "Oubliee" cuvee reviewed as part of this report. He associates quite specific characteristics with Chardonnay from each of the grand cru-rated villages whose vineyards he farms - Le Mesnil; Oger; Avize; and Cramant - and deploys them in blends, from 30-40 annual lots, with these traits in mind, not to mention with masterful results. (All but nine of his 47 acres are in the aforementioned communes: two are in Vertus; five in the Sezanne and two more represent un-utilized Pinot. I'll report in further detail next year on what Peters has to say about village terroirs as reflected in wine.) Especially in ripe vintages, Peters explains, "I'd rather harvest a bit larger crop and then be more selective of juice" retained from the press. One upshot of this approach is sometimes, with seeming paradox, to achieve slightly less natural alcohol in warmer and more obviously ripe years. In 2010, for example, Peters let fruit hang longer and ended up with higher must weight than in 2009, the sort of year in which he felt it important not to accentuate through higher alcohol the already ripe nature of the fruit. "It's important," he emphasizes, "to retain in the wine not just acidity and minerality, but also bitter elements of the right sort, in order to supply structure and balance the fruit." The non-vintage bottlings here always incorporate a significant measure - up to 40% - of reserve wine that has been accumulating for decades by holding back a portion of each year-s blend and adding it to a solera.

Vinous

Vinous

92

(50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay; 8 g/l dosage): Light yellow-gold. Intensely perfumed bouquet of honeysuckle, yellow apple, pear and quinine, plus a smoky mineral overtone. Spicy orchard and citrus fruit flavors are complemented by deeper notes of sweet butter and brioche and gain power with air. Impressively focused Champagne, with nervy mineral cut and lingering spiciness on the finish. This bottling, which is aged on its lees for seven years before disgorgement, is made exclusively for importer Kermit Lynch.

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

91

Peters' 2005 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons - based on parcels of old selection massale vines in a single lieu-dit - reflects a vintage that, as he puts it, "was on the limit of burnt (brulee) fruit." The nose here strikingly suggests sauteed mushrooms on toast, along with hints of citrus oils, Latakia tobacco, smoky black tea, and the salinity that happily, mouthwateringly infiltrates the palate. Nutty piquancy adds to the savor of a sustained and intriguingly fungal, smoky and toasty finish. I would be inclined to enjoy this over the coming year or two. It should reveal fascinating potential at table. Rodolphe Peters - who was just finishing an impressive cellar expansion when I visited him this June - has perpetuated a tradition at his family's house of letting all of their wines go through malo-lactic transformation, and they thus offer an especially vivid reminder that - regardless of what one hears from many a well-intentioned grower, not to mention wine critic - this transformation is entirely compatible with consistently achieving wines of vivid relief, refreshing acidity, and utmost clarity. (Not that anyone should really need reminding of this given the example of White Burgundy, and in particular of Chablis.) Interestingly, though, Peters has run a few recent experiments with very small non-malo lots. And speaking of what for him is also an experiment, there are now three Stockinger foudres in his cellar, informing a new "Oubliee" cuvee reviewed as part of this report. He associates quite specific characteristics with Chardonnay from each of the grand cru-rated villages whose vineyards he farms - Le Mesnil; Oger; Avize; and Cramant - and deploys them in blends, from 30-40 annual lots, with these traits in mind, not to mention with masterful results. (All but nine of his 47 acres are in the aforementioned communes: two are in Vertus; five in the Sezanne and two more represent un-utilized Pinot. I'll report in further detail next year on what Peters has to say about village terroirs as reflected in wine.) Especially in ripe vintages, Peters explains, "I'd rather harvest a bit larger crop and then be more selective of juice" retained from the press. One upshot of this approach is sometimes, with seeming paradox, to achieve slightly less natural alcohol in warmer and more obviously ripe years. In 2010, for example, Peters let fruit hang longer and ended up with higher must weight than in 2009, the sort of year in which he felt it important not to accentuate through higher alcohol the already ripe nature of the fruit. "It's important," he emphasizes, "to retain in the wine not just acidity and minerality, but also bitter elements of the right sort, in order to supply structure and balance the fruit." The non-vintage bottlings here always incorporate a significant measure - up to 40% - of reserve wine that has been accumulating for decades by holding back a portion of each year-s blend and adding it to a solera.

Vinous

Vinous

92

(50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay; 8 g/l dosage): Light yellow-gold. Intensely perfumed bouquet of honeysuckle, yellow apple, pear and quinine, plus a smoky mineral overtone. Spicy orchard and citrus fruit flavors are complemented by deeper notes of sweet butter and brioche and gain power with air. Impressively focused Champagne, with nervy mineral cut and lingering spiciness on the finish. This bottling, which is aged on its lees for seven years before disgorgement, is made exclusively for importer Kermit Lynch.