TN: 2 Pierre Péters and 2 Xavier Monnot

I bought some Pierre Péters Champagne last year based on this board’s recommendation (Cuvée de Réserve, Grande Réserve and Les Chétillons 2013). They’re hard to come by over here (allocation only) and I had to check in on them before deciding to renew my allocation for this year. Last night was the 2 NVs.

NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (9/17/2021)
Base year of blend: 2017, 40% reserve wines, disgorged: May 2020, dosage: 6-7g/l.
First time with a Péters Champagne. We had this side-by-side with a Grande Réserve from the same disgorgement. Initially, this was relatively closed. It left me wanting and was mostly showing fruit with a tad of sweetness. After about 1h of air this became enjoyable. The nose still showed a lot of fruit (citrus, green apple and unripe pear) with some roasted nuts, toasted bread and chalk dust. The palate is quite balanced, not too taught. Although less creamy than the Grande Réserve, it still feels pretty smooth before showing an edge with more minerality (chalk) and salinity on the finish. The more air this saw, the more the salinity and chalk would show. Good but on the pricey side over here.

I’ll wait a couple of years before drinking the other bottles.

NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Grande Réserve - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (9/17/2021)
Base year of blend: 2016, 20% perpetual reserve, disgorged: May 2020, dosage: 5g/l.
First time with a Péters Champagne. We had this side-by-side with a Cuvée de Réserve from the same disgorgement. This started out more open than its brethren. The nose is quite nice with some florals, citrus, white peach and praline. The palate is rather full, creamy with generous amounts of fruit and praline. It finishes neatly on salted nuts and chalk dust. Very nice and our favorite between the two at this point. Again, a little pricey over here.

2017 Xavier Monnot Meursault Les Chevalières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (9/17/2021)
I was surprised by this wine. This is my first Monnot Meursault. This showed nice aromas of pear, citrus and white flowers with either flint or a tad of reduction (?). The palate is where I was surprised. This showed very little Meursault richness (nuts, butter, etc.). The palate is quite taught and precise mostly on citrus and flowers. The vintage is probably at play here but this feels like it had yet to find its stride. I’ll revisit this in a few years.

2016 Xavier Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Fussière - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Maranges 1er Cru (9/17/2021)
Not quite there yet. This is dominated by ripe red fruits (mostly cherry) and is rather lively with nice acidic structure and nice mâche (chewiness). There is some spice on the nose and enough tanins that lead me to believe this should improve with age. There is a savoury streak to this that shows up on the finish. I’ll wait a while before opening another one.

Clarification on the 2 PP cuvées:

  • Cuvée de réserve: 40% 2017 Blend + 60% current vintage, 24 to 36 months on lees.
  • Grande réserve: 80% 2016 Blend + 20% Réserve Oubliée blend (going back to 1988), 36 to 48 months on lees.

I am a huge Peters fan, and my wife likes the wines even more than I do. Sorry they didn’t quite hit the right notes for you.

And yes, they are getting pricier in the US, so I can imagine Quebec prices are quite high.

I liked the Grande Réserve quite a bit and will most likely purchase my 2021 allocation for this cuvée. I had the feeling the Cuvée de réserve was still evolving in our glasses when the bottle was emptied. Too young maybe?

I still have the Chétillons to try soon.