J. Lassalle Champagne 1er Cru Brut Cuvée Spéciale 2005
We have 4 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Chigny-les-Roses faces north, an exposure that would be a liability in most wine regions and is exactly what keeps its Champagne fresh. The village sits on the northern flank of the Montagne de Reims, a few kilometers south of Reims between Rilly-la-Montagne and Ludes, classified premier cru. The Montagne here is less a mountain than a forested plateau, and the vineyards below the tree line are clay and limestone. The northern aspect slows ripening, which lets Pinot Noir and Chardonnay hang longer while holding acidity. In a warm year like 2005, that cooler exposure is an advantage, tempering ripeness rather than chasing it.
The Wine
The J. Lassalle Cuvée Spéciale 2005 is equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from premier cru Chigny-les-Roses, made by the traditional method with malolactic, and aged at least seven years on lees before disgorgement. The 2005 season brought a cold, dry winter, flowering in mid-June, a warm but wet July and a cooler, dry August, then a sharp heat spike from August 26 that pushed ripening fast. September harvest days were sunny with cool nights. The vintage produced ripe, broad-shouldered wines with lower acidity, and Pinot Noir was the standout, which suits a half-Pinot blend from the Montagne. At release the wine showed ripe fruit, rich toast, a nutty edge and citrus freshness. Now two decades on, expect golden apple, browned butter, toasted hazelnut, dried citrus peel and a honeyed, savory depth, with a softer, creamier bead and a long, mellow finish.
The People
Jules Lassalle founded the house in Chigny-les-Roses in 1942. After his death in 1982, his wife Olga and daughter Chantal Decelle-Lassalle took over, and in 2006 Chantal's daughter Angéline Templier joined as winemaker, putting three successive generations of women in charge. The house motto, "une femme, un esprit, un style," says the rest. The 2005 belongs to Chantal's era, made the year before Angéline came into the cellar. Vineyards are farmed under lutte raisonnée, and long cellar aging before release is house policy. Kermit Lynch has imported Lassalle since 1981, a relationship of more than four decades that speaks to how consistent this house has been.
Food Pairing
A 20-year-old Champagne trades raw power for depth, so pair it with dishes that reward savory complexity. Butter-poached lobster with a little lemon picks up the browned-butter character while the acidity keeps it from feeling heavy. Roast guinea hen with chanterelles and a splash of cream matches the wine's earthy, nutty side. Thin slices of jamón ibérico bring salt and fat that the bead lifts away. A wedge of aged Gouda, with its butterscotch crunch, mirrors the honeyed finish. Open this one for the people who have been with you since 2005, and tell them what year it is.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
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Champagne is the northernmost major wine region in France, defined by its cool climate, chalky soils, and centuries-old tradition of sparkling wine production. Centered around the towns of Reims and Épernay, the region is divided into key subzones like the Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte des Blancs, each favoring different grapes—Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay respectively. The region’s signature chalk and limestone soils provide excellent drainage and impart a distinctive mineral character to the wines. While méthode champenoise was refined here in the 17th century, Champagne’s global prestige grew through the 19th and 20th centuries, cementing its role as the benchmark for sparkling wine worldwide.
