May 08, 2017
257 Years

Hold out your glasses Cream customers as we are now serving you 257 years of Champagne history and expertise! Bring out the Champagne Lanson!

[Owner Philippe Baijot in Clos Lanson in Reims]

Founded 16 years before our very own country, Champagne Lanson is one of the oldest, family-run Champagne houses. Over the years, the winemakers behind this famous label have carefully perfected their art, passing down the secrets of their craft from one generation to the next. Today’s owners, Philippe Baijot with his son Enguerrand Baijot (Sales Director), have invested in Lanson’s infrastructure while adhering to the unique history and style of the house. The quality has never been better.

VINES: Negociant Or Grower
While technically a negociant, Champange Lanson owns a fair amount of vines—125 hectares of vines to be exact. This land makes up 1/3 of their production needs. Did you know that not every Grandes Marques owns vineyard land? Owning land is favorable as it allows for better quality control year after year.

Included in the 125 hectares is the prestigious Clos Lanson, which dates back to the 18th century and is the only remaining vineyard within the walled city of Reims. Clos Lanson is a one-hectare plot of Chardonnay that sits above the Lanson cellar (House of Lanson is located in central Reims). The land is farmed organically.

The remaining grapes are carefully selected from over 400 hectares of vines located in the best Champagne crus. More than 50% of all the grapes come from Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages.

WINEMAKING: Reserves Bring Depth
As you know, champagne is about the art of blending. Lanson has 400 tanks in the cellar. Each tank represents a different wine to use for blending! Large oak casks are used to age the reserve wines. The micro-oxygenation brought by the wood allows for rounder and richer wines. Very rare in Champagne, Lanson uses a minimum of 30% reserve wines from at least 10 different harvests in their NV blends! Not only that, but roughly 50% of Grand Cru and Premier Cru wine is going into the NV blends. The resulting depth and complexity is remarkable. Also helping depth is the length of aging. The NV wines are aged for a minimum of three years before bottle aging. This is a lot longer than the law requires (15 months).

STYLE: Freshness & Energy
For over 250 years, Champagne Lanson has made wines without malolactic fermentation. This decision is key to the unique Lanson Style. It also places Lanson in a select category of few Champagne houses (Krug, Gosset, Salon to name a few). Lactic acid gives a yeasty, buttery brioche flavor on the palate. By excluding malolactic fermentation, the wine keeps its natural, mouth-watering flavors and freshness. Wines are cleaner, richer and fruiter with an outstanding aging ability.

FUN FACT: The Brits Adore Lanson
The Champagne house has a long history with England. Queen Victoria awarded a Royal Warrant to Lanson in 1900; this made it an official supplier to the Court of England. Champagne Lanson was the first Champagne house to be awarded the honor. As the official champagne supplier since 1977, Lanson is the only Champagne poured throughout the tournament. 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of Lanson’s partnership with Wimbledon.