The cork code does suggest a 2022 disgorgement, but I don’t think any of the iterations were disgorged in that year. In 750 format, these are aged on the lees for 12 years, so it can’t be the 26. IIRC, the 25 was disgorged in 2019 or 2020. Also, both of those as well as 24 have the iteration on the neck label. I’m guessing you had a 23 or earlier.
Paging @Brad_Baker for the answer to this mystery.
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You’d think we were past this bs. I wonder how the producers try to justify this sort lack of transparency. I am sure they are told customers want the info and they are just saying no?
Not a practice I would support
I am going to agree that this bottle is a bit of mystery, but it does make sense for a late 2022 disgorgement to be iteration 26. In general, Grand Siecle is disgorged 10-12 years after the base vintage, but it has seen some releases disgorged when the base vintage was only 8-9 years old. While I don’t know 100% what is in the bottle, I agree with Matti that the cork codes signal that this is likely an Iteration 26 (2012/08/07 blend)
The fact the Matti’s bottle doesn’t have an iteration number on it is interesting, but you aren’t going to dress the bottles until after disgorgement. This means that Laurent-Perrier purposely left the iteration off of it. I could see many reasons for this - especially in the restaurant business or airline business where you just want to serve the wine and not change the wine list. By the glass or airline lounge serving also could come into play . The thought process is that the non-wine geek world could care less about the iteration and just wants to drink Grand Siecle.
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Thanks, that’s along the lines of what I was thinking. The champagne didn’t show any oxidative notes whatsoever in colour or taste so it would have been hard to believe in several years of aging post disgorgement. But it’s always hard to say for certain.
If this was the 26 I have to say it’s a great champagne, even compared to some older versions I had. Incredibly complex, weightless, elegant and balanced. So a recommendation from me if one can find it at a decent price!
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Paging @Brad_Baker ,
I’m drinking a magnum at this very moment. I bought it on auction a while back. It was listed as Iteration 22. However, it seems older to me than ‘99-‘02-‘04. The cork was really compressed and compact. It’s fresh like all Grand Siecles, but has a lot of old wine character, and the bead of a wine from the 90’s. The cork code is C50E, which would be a disgorgement during the third quarter of 2005. Thanks for any information.
Cheers
Warren
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Warren,
This is going to be tough to nail down 100% since it was a magnum and I don’t know exactly how Laurent-Perrier was releasing their magnums vs. bottles in the mid-2000s. Today, the magnums are often released much later than the bottles by 2-3 iterations, but it wasn’t always that way. I believe the magnums were much closer in age at release to the 750 mLs when your bottle came out. 2005 disgorgements of the 750 mL bottles were the 93/95/96 blend (Iteration 18). Based on the capsule design, it looks like your bottle also has the updated label design that first came out on the 93/95/96 bottles and I believe the 90/93/95 magnums.
My guess as to what you had is the 90/93/95 blend (Iteration 17) although there is a chance it may also be the 93/95/96 blend (Iteration 18).
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