From: Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Taste & Critical Acclaim:
WA92 Wine Advocate
Péters’s vintage brut is blended from the four grand cru villages of Le Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Cramant, although Le Mesnil always accounts for the largest percentage. Each vineyard contributes its own distinctive flavors to the wonderfully complex Champagne. White fruit and floral notes, zestly citrus and minerality, white spice and a touch of licorice all come together.
91 Vinous Media, Antonio Galloni
The L'Esprit de 2018 is a very pretty wine that shows the natural complexity of a Champagne that has spent a few years in bottle. Floral and light on its feet, the 2018 also reflects a vintage with higher yields in its mid-weight structure. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint, sage, and almond are all nicely layered. The 2018 is not terribly complex or deep, but it is immensely charming. Disgorged: November 2022. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
About: The Péters family has been growing grapes in Les Mesnil-sur-Oger since 1858. In 1919 Camille Péters, started to bottle his own wines under the Camille Péters label and a new estate was born. In the 1930s, Camille’s then 12 year old son, Pierre, got involved in the business, showing the wines at exhibitions in Paris. Camille passed away in 1944 and Pierre took over the estate at the age of 24. Pierre dedicated himself to the estate, acquiring more vineyards, improving the wines, and through these efforts gained a reputation for quality in Champagne. It was in 1946 that Pierre changed the name of the domaine and released the first Pierre Péters Champagne.
Pierre had three sons, and two of them became involved in the wine business: Jacques, the eldest, and François, the middle child. Jacques graduated with a degree in Oenology and his first job was at Champagne Jacquart before he joined Veuve Cliquot in the early 1960s. In 1969, when Pierre was ready to pass the estate to the next generation, Jacques declined, preferring to continue his career as Oenologist-Cellar Master for Cliquot. In 1979 Jacques was promoted to Chef de Cave at Cliquot, one of the most prestigious positions in Champagne, which he held until 2006.
In 1988 François’ eldest son, Rodolphe was studying science in Reims: “First I studied Biology because I wanted to be Jacques Cousteau! Even if I was interested in both Enology and Marine Biology, unable to make a choice until a good friend of mine told me I was crazy! He said ‘Your family has something amazing that will allow you to follow your own path.’ So, I studied oenology.” After finishing his Masters in Enology, Rodolphe studied business in Reims, receiving his MBA in 1994.
In 2007, François Péters decided to step down and asked Rodolphe if he would take his place.
“Yes, it is my dream, but only if Jacques, a shareholder and respected Cellar Master, is behind me as well. You both must agree to what I will propose,” Rodolphe said. In July of 2007, Rodolphe brought the brothers together; at this point they had not exchanged more than pleasantries in almost two decades. Rodolphe explained that he was interested in taking over the domain if he could consolidate the family business. This meant buying most of the shares from the other family members and putting one person in control.