From: Champagne, France
Blend: 62% Chardonnay, 16% Pinot Noir, and 22% Pinot Meunier
Critical Acclaim: "The NV Champagne Intuition Brut is based on the 2019 vintage, with 60% Chardonnay and equal parts Pinot Noir and Meunier. The nose is fragrant with ripe peach, lemon merengue, and white flowers. Its airy mousse gives it a weightless feel, and it is juicy with primary notes of pear, candied apple, and candied citrus. This crowd pleaser wine would be perfect as an aperitif. Drink now or over the next ten years. Best after 2022." –Jeb Dunnuck, 92 points
"An elegant Champagne, with pretty hints of elderflower and graphite on the nose accenting ripe nectarine, salted almond and star fruit flavors on the palate. Mouthwatering and well-balanced, with a finely detailed mousse. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier." –Wine Spectator, 92 points
"A flavorful Champagne with aromas of spiced apple, brioche, lemon zest and hazelnut. It’s medium-bodied with creamy bubbles and crisp acidity. Lightly toasty with a gentle finish. Drink now." –James Suckling, 90 points
Taste: With a delicate, chiseled profile, this Champagne opens with a fragrant bouquet of ripe peach, lemon merengue, and white flowers. The palate is refreshingly airy, teeming with juicy primary notes of pear, candied apple, and citrus, underpinned by subtle undercurrents of spiced apple, brioche, lemon zest, and hazelnut. Its mouthfeel is marked by an ethereal mousse and perfectly balanced acidity.
Pairing: The versatility of the NV Champagne Legras & Haas Intuition Brut also lends itself to an impressive array of food pairings. Whether it's endives with oranges and almonds, a hearty steak, fried chicken, heartier fish like salmon or tuna, Asian dishes (see below for recipe), or a myriad of cheeses including brie, camembert, goat cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, and halloumi - this Champagne is a match. It pairs equally well with white truffle, fried potato, and crisps and can elevate a simple beef burger or shellfish dish to a gourmet experience.
Salmon Cakes With Thai Basil Yogurt
By Yotam Ottolenghi
About. From the vine-enriched terroirs of Champagne, France emerges a symphony of grape varieties intermingled in harmony as old as time itself - the NV Champagne Legras & Haas Intuition Brut.
It is no understatement to say that winemaking is in the very DNA of the Legras & Haas family. François Legras, born in 1937, was a child of the vineyards. Raised amidst four centuries of grape growing wisdom in Chouilly, François coalesced this heritage with a sense of innovation, founding Legras et Haas in 1991. Today, his children - Rémi, Olivier, and Jérôme Legras - carry the baton, continuing their father's mission to create sincere and balanced wines from the same soil that has nurtured their family's vines for generations.
This unique blend of 62% Chardonnay, 16% Pinot Noir, and 22% Meunier encapsulate the rich essence of their home. Their vineyards stretch over 18 hectares across Chouilly, the northernmost Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs and the heart of the Legras-Haas family's winemaking tradition. Their extensive estate, comprising 35 parcels, offers an exquisite variety of Chardonnay expressions, meticulously crafted by this négociant-manipulate house through a blend of estate fruit and purchased grapes.
The cuvée Intuition represents the zenith of their endeavors, capturing their vision of the ultimate Champagne. The production of this blend is a creative act as much as a meticulous science. The Chardonnay imparts a sense of finesse, elegance, and ethereal citrus notes, accented with flavors of white stone fruits. The Pinot Meunier, meanwhile, lends a smooth and exotic aura, striking a perfect balance with the Chardonnay.
The estate takes immense pride in this, their most classic wine, sourcing fruit not only from their Chouilly Grand Cru estate vineyards but also from Vitry, Les Riceys, and Epernay, extending their reach to the left bank of Valée de la Marne in the village of Leuvrigny for the Meunier. This diverse mix of regions enriches the palate, offering an assortment of flavors that only serves to amplify the wine's complexity.
Delving into a tasting session, one is immediately struck by its fresh, chiseled, and aromatically precise profile. The winemaking process is attentive to preserving the best expression of the grapes, with a careful selection of must, utilizing only the first 20 hl of each press. A very low-temperature fermentation in primarily stainless steel enhances the wine's aromatic qualities, ensuring a balance between the house style and the natural grace of the grapes.
Renowned critics have sung praises for this remarkable blend. Jeb Dunnuck describes it as a crowd pleaser, perfect as an aperitif, highlighting the fragrant nose of ripe peach, lemon meringue, and white flowers. The Wine Spectator is equally impressed, lauding its elegant balance and finely detailed mousse. On the other hand, James Suckling is captivated by its spiced apple, brioche, lemon zest, and hazelnut aromas, alongside its creamy bubbles and crisp acidity.
