A Champagne Club exclusive to kick things off! Lelarge-Pugeot’s ‘Quintessence’ is the estate’s long-aged, vintage Champagne, drawn from vines over 50 years old in the Premier Cru village of Vrigny, on the western side of the Montagne de Reims. The blend is 70% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, and 10% Meunier — a distinctly Chardonnay-led take on a village better known for Meunier. Fermentation is spontaneous with native yeasts, followed by six months of élevage in a combination of large French oak foudre and stainless steel. The wine then undergoes its second fermentation in bottle and spends roughly a decade or more on the lees before disgorgement, with a very low dosage; the current 2010 release, for example, rested 12 years on its lees and was finished at just 2 grams/liter of dosage. All that time gives Quintessence impressive depth without sacrificing the briskness that makes great Champagne so compelling. Golden apple, ripe pear, preserved lemon, and apricot lead into toasted almond, hazelnut, brioche, and a subtle savory note. The palate is broad and vinous, with very fine bubbles and a creamy, lees-driven texture, but the fruit remains remarkably fresh. Bright citrus acidity and a steely mineral edge tighten everything up through the mile-long finish, where lemon peel, chalk, and roasted nuts linger. This is mature and complex but emphatically dry and energetic, a Champagne with more than enough substance to carry an entire meal, rather than simply start one.