Champagne Benoît Lahaye

Bouzy, Champagne

Benoît Lahaye is without a doubt one of the most sought-after grower champagnes today. The global rarity of their wines is exacerbated by the fact that they farm only 4.8 hectares of low yielding vines.

Benoît studied viticulture rather than oenology (winemaking). This explains why the emphasis has always been on the vineyard for Benoît. He took over the family domaine in 1993, gradually converting to natural and low-intervention farming and production, becoming certified organic in 2007 and certified biodynamic in 2009. Benoit eschews toxic herbicide and pesticide treatments and he leads Tamise, an Auxois draft horse, to plough most of his fields in order to minimise soil compaction.

The wine making is very simple by Champagne standards. All parcels are kept separate, with barrel fermentation, natural yeasts, no added sugar and aged on lees for 10 months. The wine also sees full malolactic fermentation, uncommon in this part of Champagne. Benoit has also dramatically scaled back his use of sulphur and today the wines have less than 20mg/l (ppm) added, and some have no additions at all – truly natural Champagne! Dosages are low at between 0-6 gms/l depending on the cuvee, essentially making the whole range ‘extra brut’. Benoit says since converting to organics the sheer concentration of flavour and the natural acidity retained in the fruit, despite the level of ripeness, makes this possible.

Benoît runs this small domaine with his wife Valérie and their two sons. The vineyards consist of Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites spread across 3 villages, with the vines being 88% Pinot Noir with the balance in Chardonnay. Vine age averages around 35-40 years of age with a few nice old vine parcels.

Benoît’s wines have a captivating balance between power and elegance, ripe fruit and expression of terroir, concentration and lightness of being, intensity and detail. They are richly fruited with a firm but fine mineral backbone surrounded by layers of nuance and texture. They will offer deep satisfaction to both novice and expert alike. Considering their quality, rarity and hype the wines offer great value for their price point.