Laurent Perrier
Summary
Laurent-Perrier is a family-controlled champagne house based in Tours-sur-Marne, producing over 7 million bottles annually from 43 owned hectares and contracted vineyards across Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne, with a distinctive focus on Chardonnay-driven elegance. The house balances tradition with innovation through their pioneering zero-dosage Ultra Brut, maceration-method Cuvée Rosé, and signature Grand Siècle—a unique multi-vintage prestige cuvée that blends three exceptional years to create their vision of perfect champagne.
Heritage & Leadership
Laurent-Perrier traces its origins to 1812 when Alphonse Pierlot, a former cooper and bottler, purchased two parcels of land in Tours-sur-Marne. Upon his death, Pierlot bequeathed the house to his cellar master, Eugene Laurent, who ran it with his wife Mathilde Emilie Perrier. Following Eugene's death in 1887, Mathilde combined their surnames and established "Veuve Laurent-Perrier & Cie."
A pivotal moment in the house's history came in 1939 when Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt purchased the struggling company, which at the time produced only 80,000 bottles annually. Her son Bernard de Nonancourt, after serving in the French Resistance during World War II, took control in 1948 and transformed Laurent-Perrier into a major champagne house over the following decades. Under his leadership until his death in 2010, annual production grew to over 7 million bottles.
Today, Laurent-Perrier remains family-controlled, led by Bernard's daughters Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt. The company maintains its headquarters in Tours-sur-Marne, a Grand Cru village strategically positioned between the Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte des Blancs growing regions.
Vineyards & Wines
Laurent-Perrier sources grapes from approximately 150 hectares of vineyards, with about 43 hectares under direct ownership. Their vineyards span key areas of Champagne including the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. The house maintains long-term contracts with growers across nearly 1,200 individual plots throughout the region, allowing access to diverse terroirs.
The house style emphasizes Chardonnay, which features prominently in their signature cuvées. Laurent-Perrier's flagship wine, Grand Siècle, represents a distinctive approach to prestige champagne by blending three exceptional vintage years rather than focusing on a single vintage. This multi-vintage assemblage aims to consistently reproduce the ideal champagne year.
Laurent-Perrier's portfolio includes several distinctive wines: the Cuvée Rosé (produced using the maceration method rather than blending), Ultra Brut (a zero-dosage champagne), Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature (made exclusively from Chardonnay with no added sugar), and vintage offerings. The house's non-vintage Brut, "La Cuvée," typically contains 50-55% Chardonnay, 35-40% Pinot Noir, and 10-15% Pinot Meunier, with reserve wines comprising 15-30% of the blend.
Philosophy & Practice
Laurent-Perrier's winemaking philosophy centers on freshness, purity, and elegance. The house pioneered several significant innovations in Champagne, including the reintroduction of the traditional wooden aging cask for fermentation of select wines and the development of Ultra Brut in 1981, the first modern zero-dosage champagne.
The production process at Laurent-Perrier involves extended aging beyond the legal minimums. Their non-vintage La Cuvée ages for a minimum of four years before release (exceeding the legal requirement of 15 months), while Grand Siècle matures for at least 10 years. The house employs stainless steel tanks for primary fermentation of most wines, maintaining temperature control to preserve aromatic freshness.
For their Cuvée Rosé, Laurent-Perrier uses 100% Pinot Noir grapes that undergo 48-72 hours of maceration, followed by fermentation and aging in stainless steel. This technique, less common in Champagne, produces the wine's distinctive salmon-pink color and red fruit character.
Laurent-Perrier implements sustainable viticulture practices across their vineyards, focusing on reduced chemical interventions and water conservation. Their cellars in Tours-sur-Marne include 11 kilometers of underground tunnels carved into chalk, providing natural temperature regulation for aging wines. These cellars, some dating to the 11th century, maintain a constant temperature of 10-12°C and humidity levels of 85-95%, creating optimal conditions for the slow maturation essential to champagne production.