Staff Pick

Henri Billiot "Cuvée Laetitia" Brut - NV

Name: Henri Billiot "Cuvée Laetitia" Brut
Brand: Henri Billiot
SKU: 11569
Price: 119.96 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Item # 11569 750mL

A solera-style blend that was started in the year Laetitia was born. The estate is now run by Laetitia herself and she has worked hard to uphold the legacy of these incredible Champagnes.

This item is currently out of stock.

Send me an email when this is back in stock.

Notify Me

Free shipping on first web orders over $299

Color

White

Vintage

Country

France

Region

Champagne

Sub-Region

Montagne de Reims

Producer

Henri Billiot

Grape Variety

Chardonnay

Pinot Noir

Need Help Deciding? Get personal recommendations from our staff

Staff Pick Notes

This is a Champagne for nerds. It's an extremely unusual wine that is just as beguiling on the tongue as the story behind its production. Made solera-style with vintages dating from 1983-2013 and disgorged in 2016, it has changed hands from father to daughter. As with so many family matters (even ones without real estate involved), the transition was not smooth. Laetitia, the eponymous daughter, has worked hard to steward this wine to be its best self after her father abandoned the estate. Paradoxically, this is a wine that is at once feminine and rustic, holding a light core that has been layered upon and built over for years and years. When I think about this wine, I think about the things left unsaid. I'm not sure if it's suitable for a celebration, but I don't think it's trying to be, either.

- GWN

About the Producer

Ambonnay, Montagne de Reims, Champagne, France Ambonnay, a quaint town with medieval architecture, is one of the oldest Grand Cru villages in Champagne. The vines are situated on the southerly slopes of the Montagne de Reims. Champagne Billiot has existed since 1937. Eugène Billiot, a miller, decided to purchase a plot of vines, for the benefit of his descendants. This parcel was initially...

Read more about Henri Billiot

Glossary

Pinot Noir

The Burgundy region of northeastern France is the historic home of the Pinot Noir grape, and is the source of the world’s greatest examples. Here one finds renditions of Pinot Noir that deliver power with finesse and grace, wines that have unimaginable depth of flavor, yet are perfectly balanced and ephemeral in the mouth - in short, wines that deliver all that Pinot Noir has to offer. Terroir, the concept that wines from a specific region have unique and identifiable traits, is intricately...

Champagne

Champagne is finally getting the recognition it deserves as a brilliant food wine. For consistency and quality, turn to the big Champagne brands and you’ll never go wrong. Remember that “Non-Vintage” (NV) is not a dirty word here: NV Champagnes are blends of wines from the best growing seasons. But if you can find one, try a Champagne made by a Grower-Producer. These winemakers control every aspect of grape cultivation and vinification, from the vine to the finished bottle, which is...

Chardonnay

From Champagne to Chablis, it's hard (not to mention unpleasant) to avoid this famous white variety. During a huge popularity surge beginning in the late 1980s, Chardonnay plantings have increased dramatically -- not only in California's wine country, with which the variety is nearly synonymous, but also in Burgundy (its original, Old World home) and just about everywhere else in the winemaking world. It is a flexible, eager-to-please grape, responding well to just about anything a winemaker...