Legras & Haas

Over the past 10 years I have visited Champagne innumerable times. Much to Sarah’s frustration, I always try and fit as many producer visits as I possibly can. This means positioning myself in a pretty central location; Epernay/Pierry/Chouilly.
So I have found myself driving through the centre of Chouilly hundreds of times and looking at the names of those hilarious Champagne plaques, and the name Legras jumps out because it doesn’t come up once, not twice, not three times in fact I don’t know how many times. Shall we say several.
Anyway, many years ago, I found myself knocking on the door of Legras et Haas. The delightful Brigitte greeted me and sat me down with her husband Francois. We discussed Chouilly, in my broken French, and the delights that it brings to the glass. At this visit, albeit brief, I met one of their three sons, Jerome, who I now call a good friend. I had mentioned in an email previously that I was interested in older vintage wines. Along with a tasting of their full range Brigitte returned from the cellar with an 1983. I sat with the family for over 2 hours letting the joys of that delightful wine wash over me. Rich, buttery, layered. Everything you could ever want in a mature Champagne. Absolutely delicious and one of those great moments in learning about wine. Good old Chouilly is amazing. Fact.
The history of Legras et Haas is not that old. Francois left the house of R&L Legras in December 1990 and started Legras et Haas with his wife Brigitte who had run a small Champagne house since the 80s called Brigitte Haas. He started with a very small selection of parcels, roughly 4 hectares, but has been buying over the last 25 years and has now over 38 hectares in vineyards ranging from Ay to Leuvrigny and all the way down to Les Riceys. Along with the transition from R&L Legras, including vineyards, machinery etc, a large chunck of older stock was transitioned and my guess would be that the 1983 that I tasted was in fact an R&L Legras made under that hand of Francois when he ran that house. The reason for the split with R&L? Well that can be left to another time, and perhaps another bottle!?
The house is now run by the three sons; Remy, Olivier and Jerome. Each taking responsibility for different aspects of the show. It is clear from watching closely (and tasting what this house has to offer) that it is going not only in the right direction but seems to be doing all the exciting added bits that make smile when I open a bottle.
The cuvees are devided into three very distinct tiers, well four actually:
Tradition is a fleshy, nicely weighted blend with just enough smoke and salinity to deliver some excitement but not make you ask too many questions.
The Rose, made using red wine from Les Riceys, is brilliantly put together. Superbly balanced, beautifully smooth and elegant with that faint hint of tannin that reminds you of it’s heritage.
The next step up is their Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut. Made from a selection of vineyards in Chouilly it is a beautifully elegant wine and a perfect introduction to the village.
The Extra Brut of the same name however is a cut above. A further year on the lees and only 2g/ltr gives you a smokey front end, oodles of minerality, a hint of toast and a texture and length to die for.
As I type this the Millesime 2008 is on release. What can I say!? A hint of highland toffee, a beautifully juicy palate with apple and white pepper and impressive length. This wine has not even woken up yet…oh for another decade or two!
Exigence has always puzzled me. A 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir from Ay and Chardonnay from Chouilly. The Chardonnay coming from solera. If the rest of the range demonstrate a beautiful linearity this really is the right angle to it’s ruler. Pear, spice, sweet toast and dough. There is a delightful sweetness to the maturity but I’m always left scratching my head a touch. I always thought that the Prestige Cuvee should be the ultimate expression of what a producer could create. A culmination of all their skills and although Exigence is delightful it is too much of a right turn for me. Until now…
I first come in contact with it back in the early months of 2013. Tasted in cask it showed monstrous oak undertones but something beneath this dripping smoked vanilla awoke my interest and I have been tentatively waiting ever since. And so it was in April 2016 that I got the chance to try Les Sillons 2012 for the first time (well second time really the other been a rather rushed bottle a la volee). Made from 100% Partelaines (the Chetillons of Chouilly) and disgorged merely a week before with 6g/ltr. Amazingly the oak had almost disappeared and delivered a beautiful palate. Very precise and clean. The oak then layers deliciously and then you are reminded that it is incredibly young. Bracing green acidity, citrus and salt. Layers upon layers, incredible texture and complexity and a mousse that stops you in your tracks. Now this does not puzzle me. Not one bit.