Philippe Lancelot Champagne Les Hauts d'Epernay Extra Brut 2017

Philippe Lancelot Champagne Les Hauts d'Epernay Extra Brut 2017 is a precise, terroir-driven cuvée crafted from Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir grown on the hills above Épernay. This is a Champagne for those who value tension, minerality and genuine vineyard expression over overt sweetness. The extra-brut dosage, single-vintage character and meticulously farmed parcels combine to deliver a wine that feels both artisanal and deeply refined. Les Hauts d’Epernay highlights one of the most prized slopes in the Champagne region, where chalk-rich soils bring lift and energy to the blend. In a vintage like 2017, the wine captures a beautiful balance between ripe orchard fruit and cool, saline freshness. Philippe Lancelot’s low-intervention approach in the cellar allows the nuances of this site to shine through clearly in the glass.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this Champagne shows a luminous pale straw color with fine, persistent bubbles forming a delicate, creamy mousse. The bead is tight and lively, underscoring the wine’s finesse and freshness. The nose opens with notes of green and yellow apple, pear, and lemon zest, followed by hints of white flowers, fresh almonds and a subtle chalky minerality. With a bit of air, you may find nuances of brioche, hazelnut and a faint touch of stone fruit. On the palate, Les Hauts d’Epernay is tense and vibrant, with a linear, mineral-driven core wrapped in precise orchard and citrus fruit. The extra-brut dosage keeps the wine dry and focused, allowing its saline, chalky character to shine, while the red varieties add discreet structure and a gentle, vinous depth. The finish is long, clean and mouthwatering, with lingering notes of citrus peel, crushed stone and pastry. This 2017 vintage Champagne is already showing beautifully, offering both clarity and complexity. It has the structure and acidity to evolve gracefully for several more years under proper cellaring, developing more autolytic and nutty nuances while retaining its mineral spine.

Production
Les Hauts d’Epernay comes from vineyards situated on the heights overlooking the town of Épernay in the heart of the Champagne region in France. Here, the vines grow on classic Champagne terroir: predominantly chalk and limestone soils with thin topsoils, providing excellent drainage and imparting a signature saline, mineral character to the wines. The cool continental climate, moderated by the slopes’ exposure, allows Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir to ripen slowly while preserving bright acidity. Grapes are typically harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, with careful sorting in the vineyard to ensure only healthy, concentrated fruit is used. In the cellar, Philippe Lancelot favors a gentle pressing of whole clusters to extract pure, fine juice. Fermentation is carried out with a focus on preserving freshness and terroir character, often with minimal intervention. The base wine then spends time on its lees before secondary fermentation in bottle. After that, the Champagne matures sur lattes for an extended period, allowing the autolytic complexity and texture to build before being disgorged with an extra-brut dosage to keep the style dry and incisive.

Food & Serving
This Extra Brut Champagne is an excellent partner for refined, subtly flavored dishes that echo its precision and minerality. Think fresh oysters, scallop carpaccio, sushi and sashimi, or a simple plate of prawns with lemon and sea salt. It also pairs beautifully with delicate white fish, tempura, tartares, or young goat’s cheese and mild bloomy-rind cheeses. For something a bit richer, try it alongside poultry in a light cream sauce or a mushroom-based risotto. Serve well chilled, ideally at 8–10°C (46–50°F), to highlight its tension and aromatic lift. A white wine glass or tulip-shaped Champagne glass will allow the aromas to unfold more fully than a narrow flute. While decanting is not essential, opening the bottle 10–15 minutes before serving, or letting it warm just slightly in the glass, will help reveal additional layers of fruit, brioche and minerality.

Producer
Philippe Lancelot is part of the new generation of grower-producers helping to redefine Champagne through a strong focus on terroir, precision and sustainable viticulture. Working primarily with family-owned parcels in the heart of the Champagne region, the domaine emphasizes careful vineyard work, low yields and practices that respect the environment, allowing each site to speak clearly in the glass. As a small, quality-driven producer, Philippe Lancelot has built a reputation among Champagne enthusiasts for expressive, characterful cuvées that showcase specific villages and lieux-dits rather than anonymous blends. By championing low-intervention winemaking and judicious use of dosage, the estate has contributed to the movement toward drier, more transparent styles of Champagne that highlight origin and vintage. Les Hauts d’Epernay Extra Brut 2017 is a fine example of this philosophy, delivering both precision and a strong sense of place.

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