Pierre Péters Extra Brut NV – 95 Points James Suckling

95 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING! 100% GRAND CRU CHARDONNAY! FOUR LEGENDARY GRAND CRU VILLAGES! JUST 2g/L DOSAGE! THE EXTRAORDINARY PIERRE PÉTERS EXTRA BRUT – ONE OF CHAMPAGNE'S GREAT BLANC DE BLANCS FOR JUST $180!

95 Points – JamesSuckling.com

Pierre Péters Extra Brut NV – Champagne, France

RRP $180 per bottle

NOW THIS IS CHAMPAGNE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TRULY GREAT CHARDONNAY!

There are Champagnes made to be rich, generous and immediately approachable.

There are Champagnes made with a little more dosage to soften the palate.

And then there are Champagnes made to express the extraordinary purity of their vineyards.

Champagnes where the fruit, the chalk soils and the remarkable character of Chardonnay do all the talking.

PIERRE PÉTERS EXTRA BRUT IS FIRMLY IN THAT FINAL CATEGORY!

From the legendary Côte des Blancs comes one of Champagne's most exciting expressions of Grand Cru Chardonnay.

Not Pinot Noir.

Not Pinot Meunier.

100% CHARDONNAY!

And not just any Chardonnay.

100% GRAND CRU CHARDONNAY!

From four of the most celebrated Chardonnay villages in the entire Champagne region.

LE MESNIL-SUR-OGER!

AVIZE!

CRAMANT!

OGER!

But here's where this wine becomes particularly exciting.

JUST 2 GRAMS PER LITRE DOSAGE!

A beautifully restrained addition that allows the remarkable purity and mineral character of these extraordinary vineyards to shine.

Think fresh lemon.

White grapefruit.

Green apple.

Ripe pear.

White flowers.

Freshly baked brioche.

Roasted almonds.

And a magnificent chalky, saline finish.

All wrapped together in a Champagne with fine bubbles, beautiful texture and extraordinary freshness.

95 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING!

100% GRAND CRU CHARDONNAY!

FOUR LEGENDARY GRAND CRU VILLAGES!

AT LEAST 36 MONTHS ON LEES!

JUST 2g/L DOSAGE!

JUST $180 A BOTTLE!

For anyone who loves great Chardonnay, this is an extraordinary Champagne to discover.

Pierre Péters – One of Champagne's Greatest Chardonnay Specialists

The story of Pierre Péters is one of the most fascinating in the world of grower Champagne.

Based in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the Péters family has cultivated vineyards in the Côte des Blancs for generations.

The family established its Champagne label in the early twentieth century, building a reputation around the extraordinary quality of its Chardonnay vineyards.

Today, Rodolphe Péters represents the sixth generation of the family.

His approach is centred on one fundamental philosophy.

LET THE VINEYARDS DO THE TALKING!

Rather than producing Champagnes dominated by heavy winemaking or excessive richness, Pierre Péters focuses on purity.

Precision.

Freshness.

And extraordinary mineral expression.

The wines are celebrated for their tension, elegance and remarkable ability to age.

And the Extra Brut is one of the clearest expressions of that philosophy.

Four Grand Cru Villages – Some of the World's Greatest Chardonnay Terroirs

Now here's where this Champagne becomes particularly exciting.

The Extra Brut draws its Chardonnay from four exceptional Grand Cru villages in the Côte des Blancs.

LE MESNIL-SUR-OGER GRAND CRU

One of the most celebrated Chardonnay villages in the world.

Le Mesnil is renowned for extraordinary mineral precision, vibrant acidity and remarkable longevity.

Its chalk-rich soils produce wines with tension, purity and a distinctive saline character.

AVIZE GRAND CRU

Another legendary village, known for combining mineral intensity with impressive depth and texture.

Avize Chardonnay can deliver exceptional complexity while retaining beautiful freshness.

CRAMANT GRAND CRU

Famous for elegance, finesse and beautifully refined Chardonnay.

Cramant often contributes a delicate floral character and a wonderfully fine palate.

OGER GRAND CRU

Celebrated for Chardonnay with generosity, ripe orchard fruit and a beautifully rounded texture.

Together, these four villages create something extraordinary.

MINERAL PRECISION!

ELEGANCE!

TEXTURE!

DEPTH!

FOUR GRAND CRU VILLAGES – ONE MAGNIFICENT CHAMPAGNE!

100% Grand Cru Chardonnay – The Beauty of Blanc de Blancs

One of the most important details about this wine is its grape variety.

100% CHARDONNAY!

That makes Pierre Péters Extra Brut a Blanc de Blancs Champagne.

Blanc de Blancs means a white Champagne made entirely from white grapes.

And in this case, the grape is Chardonnay.

Chardonnay is prized in Champagne for its freshness, elegance and ability to express the remarkable character of the region's chalk soils.

Fresh citrus.

Green apple.

White flowers.

And a beautifully defined mineral structure.

But the finest examples also possess remarkable texture and depth.

And that is exactly what makes this wine so compelling.

PURE GRAND CRU CHARDONNAY – WITH EXTRAORDINARY MINERAL PRECISION!

Extra Brut – Just 2 Grams Per Litre Dosage

Now here's the most important detail of all.

JUST 2g/L DOSAGE!

In Champagne production, a small amount of sugar may be added after disgorgement to balance the wine.

This is known as the dosage.

It influences the final sweetness and balance of the Champagne.

But Pierre Péters Extra Brut takes a beautifully restrained approach.

JUST TWO GRAMS PER LITRE!

That is an exceptionally low dosage.

It allows the natural fruit character, acidity and mineral structure to remain at the forefront.

And that is precisely what makes this Champagne so exciting.

There is no excessive sweetness.

No attempt to disguise the character of the vineyards.

Instead, the wine delivers wonderful freshness.

Remarkable precision.

And a beautifully dry finish.

But this isn't simply a lean or austere Champagne.

The quality of the Grand Cru Chardonnay provides wonderful fruit concentration.

And the lees ageing contributes a beautifully creamy texture.

PURE, MINERAL AND BEAUTIFULLY DRY – WITHOUT SACRIFICING RICHNESS OR COMPLEXITY!

A Selective Cuvée – Made Only in the Best Years

Another fascinating aspect of Pierre Péters Extra Brut is its production philosophy.

The producer describes this as a Champagne made only in the best years.

Although labelled non-vintage, it is built around a particularly successful harvest.

That means the character of the base vintage plays an important role in the finished wine.

The 2019-base release reviewed by James Suckling, for example, was composed of approximately 75% wine from 2019 and 25% perpetual reserve wine.

Other releases may have different proportions.

But the philosophy remains the same.

SELECT EXCEPTIONAL CHARDONNAY FROM EXCEPTIONAL VINEYARDS AND ALLOW ITS NATURAL CHARACTER TO SHINE!

The Perpetual Reserve – Extraordinary Depth and Complexity

One of the defining features of Pierre Péters is its remarkable reserve-wine programme.

The house maintains a perpetual reserve incorporating wines from multiple harvests.

The reserve system draws on a history extending back to the late 1980s.

Rather than replacing the entire reserve each year, a portion of mature wine is retained as newer wine is introduced.

This creates a remarkable combination of freshness and maturity.

Younger wines contribute energy.

Vibrant citrus.

And beautifully defined fruit.

Older wines contribute depth.

Texture.

And subtle savoury complexity.

In the documented 2019-base Extra Brut, approximately 25% of the blend came from the perpetual reserve.

The result is a Champagne with both freshness and extraordinary depth.

THE PRECISION OF GRAND CRU CHARDONNAY WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF MATURE RESERVE WINES!

At Least 36 Months on Lees – Beautiful Texture and Complexity

Another impressive detail is the maturation.

AT LEAST 36 MONTHS ON LEES!

Published technical information describes a minimum of three years ageing on lees before disgorgement.

During this time, the Champagne develops additional complexity.

Fresh citrus becomes more integrated.

The bubbles become finer.

And subtle savoury characters begin to emerge.

Fresh brioche.

Toasted almonds.

And delicate pastry.

The texture becomes beautifully creamy.

And the combination with the wine's vibrant acidity is magnificent.

THREE YEARS OF PATIENT MATURATION – AND JUST 2g/L DOSAGE!

95 Points – James Suckling

A magnificent endorsement of this extraordinary Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs.

Fresh Lemon, White Flowers, Brioche and Extraordinary Chalky Minerality

Now this is where Pierre Péters Extra Brut really comes into its own.

In the glass, it displays a beautiful pale-gold colour.

The bubbles are fine and persistent.

And the aromas are wonderfully elegant.

Fresh lemon.

White grapefruit.

Green apple.

Ripe pear.

And delicate white flowers.

Then come the more complex characters.

Fresh brioche.

Roasted almonds.

And subtle pastry.

On the palate, the wine is wonderfully precise.

There is beautiful Chardonnay fruit.

A fine, creamy mousse.

And a magnificent balance between texture and freshness.

But the real excitement is the mineral structure.

Chalk.

Salinity.

And a beautifully persistent finish.

PURE, PRECISE AND EXTRAORDINARILY MINERAL – WITH THE TEXTURE OF A GREAT BLANC DE BLANCS!

This is exactly what serious Côte des Blancs Champagne should be.

A Magnificent Champagne for Food

One of the great attractions of Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs is its versatility at the table.

The low dosage and mineral precision make it particularly appealing with seafood.

Freshly Shucked Oysters

A magnificent pairing with the wine's chalky, saline finish.

Kingfish Crudo

Beautiful with citrus, olive oil and delicate herbs.

Sashimi

The purity and precision make this a wonderful match.

Pan-Seared Scallops

Excellent with browned butter.

Blue Swimmer Crab

The wine's freshness complements the sweetness of fresh crab.

Lobster with Lemon Butter

A beautiful match for the Champagne's creamy texture.

Roast Chicken

The brioche characters complement golden roast chicken.

Aged Comté

A wonderful pairing with the wine's nutty complexity.

Serve in a proper white-wine glass at approximately 9–11°C to appreciate the complexity.

Why We Love This Wine at Liquid Vibe

At Liquid Vibe, we love Champagnes that demonstrate the extraordinary quality of their vineyards.

And Pierre Péters Extra Brut is exactly that sort of wine.

First, there is the producer.

ONE OF CHAMPAGNE'S GREATEST CHARDONNAY SPECIALISTS!

Then there are the vineyards.

FOUR GRAND CRU VILLAGES!

Then there is the grape variety.

100% CHARDONNAY!

Then there is the style.

EXTRA BRUT – JUST 2g/L DOSAGE!

Then there is the maturation.

AT LEAST 36 MONTHS ON LEES!

Then comes the score.

95 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING!

And finally, there is the price.

JUST $180 A BOTTLE!

For anyone who loves serious Chardonnay, this is an extraordinary Champagne to discover.

A wine with pedigree.

A wine with character.

And a wine that expresses the magnificent chalk-rich terroirs of the Côte des Blancs.

95 POINTS. 100% GRAND CRU CHARDONNAY. FOUR GRAND CRU VILLAGES. JUST 2g/L DOSAGE. JUST $180.

Pierre Péters Extra Brut NV – one of Champagne's most exciting grower Blanc de Blancs and a magnificent addition to the Liquid Vibe collection.

Wine Details

• Producer: Pierre Péters

• Wine: Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru

• Vintage: Non-Vintage, generally based on a selected harvest

• Region: Champagne, France

• Subregion: Côte des Blancs

• Villages: Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize, Cramant and Oger

• Classification: Grand Cru

• Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay

• Style: Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Champagne

• Production: Traditional-method bottle fermentation

• Reserve Wines: Perpetual reserve; approximately 25% in the reviewed 2019-base release

• Lees Ageing: At least 36 months according to published technical information

• Dosage: 2 g/L

• Alcohol: Approximately 12%

• Aromas: Lemon, grapefruit, apple, pear, white flowers, brioche and almond

• Palate: Fresh, creamy and beautifully precise, with fine bubbles and a long chalky finish

• Critic Score: 95 Points – James Suckling (2019-base release)

• RRP: $180 per bottle

• Food Pairing: Oysters, kingfish, sashimi, scallops, crab, lobster and aged cheese

• Serving Temperature: 9–11°C

• Drinking: Enjoy now or cellar carefully for further development