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Lanson creates restaurant Champagne
Lanson has created a new version of its Black Label Brut NV just for the UK on-trade called Lanson Père et Fils.
Lanson Père et Fils will have a 20% price premium on the brand’s Black Label Brut NV
The Champagne has a different look, and does away with the gold elements to the packaging found on the Black Label (pictured, bottom), while the new product spends a year longer on the lees and comes with a dosage of 6g/l, at least 3g/l lower than the Black Label.
Explaining the decision to bring out a Brut NV exclusively for UK restaurants, Paul Beavis, Lanson’s managing director in the UK, told the drinks business on Wednesday this week that the on-trade preferred to serve something that’s unique to their sector.
“The on-trade do want things that are slightly different from the off-trade, and Lanson Père et Fils helps them overcome that,” he commented, adding that sommeliers in the UK had specifically asked Lanson for a product to prove the brand’s commitment to their businesses.
Beavis also told db that the extended period that Lanson Père et Fils spends maturing on its lees was important for reinforcing the message of the long ageing potential of Lanson Champagnes due to the producer’s decision not to allow its wines undergo the malo-lactic fermentation.
This means that Lanson retains the crisp apple tasting malic acid, rather than enabling it to convert to the softer lactic acid form.
“Lanson Père et Fils shows the ageing potential of our non-malo Champagnes, and we haven’t talked enough about the ageing potential of our house style,” he explained.
The decision to lower the dosage on Lanson Père et Fils was done in part because the longer ageing period creates a richer, softer sparkling wine with “honey notes”, but also because the on-trade customers prefer a drier style according to Beavis.
The new Champagne is named after the first bottle of Champagne Lanson ever produced in 1760, and comes with a 20% price premium on Lanson’s Black Label Brut NV.
It has been launched specifically for the UK market, but Beavis would not rule out taking the new product to other countries in the future.
Key attributes: Lanson Père et Fils
Ageing: A minimum of four years, including 40 months on lees.
Blend: 35% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier
Number of crus: 60
ABV: 12.5%
Dosage: 6g/L