READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Laurent-Perrier: The three vintages blended in Grand Siècle
Laurent-Perrier is a Champagne house. Its signature cuvée, Grand Siècle, combines wines from three harvests. Here, using the technical sheet for Edition 26, we'll analyze the blend from the perspectives of vintage, variety, and village.
The 26th edition includes three vintages. Using the edition number as entry point, confirm year, variety, village, and bottle size in order.
Questions for this course
Which vintage was used to make 'Edition 26'?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
To applied practice using the material ↓
To explanation task notes ↓Laurent-Perrier / Learn by producer
France / Champagne
Aliases & spellings: Laurent-Perrier
Update date: 2026-09-25
Edition number and harvest year are separate pieces of information.
Grand Siècle Edition No. 26 is a blend of 65% 2012, 25% 2008, and 10% 2007. The ‘26’ is not from the harvest year ending, but the edition number of the cuvée. The construction of this wine cannot be fully explained just by focusing on the taste from the main harvest year.
Do not mix the proportion of grape varieties with the proportion by vintage.
Technical notes for the 26th edition indicate 58% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir, and a total of 8 Grand Cru villages. The proportion by year and variety represent different breakdowns of the same wine. It is not possible to infer, for example, that the entire 2012 component is Chardonnay from these two tables.
Add bottle conditions to the maturation period.
This document defines 10 years of maturation together with the lees in a 75cl bottle. When quoting the period, also specify the bottle size. Do not apply the same figure to all products, large bottles, or different editions, but compare only with documents matching both edition number and volume.
What to align and what to compare.
Structure of the vintage (year)
- Conditions to standardize
- Grand Siècle Edition No. 26
- Conditions for comparison.
- 65% from 2012, 25% from 2008, 10% from 2007
- Additional points to confirm
- Are you confusing the edition number with the harvest year?
Grapes
- Conditions to standardize
- Same 26th edition
- Conditions for comparison.
- Chardonnay 58%, Pinot Noir 42%
- Additional points to confirm
- Are the grape variety proportions for each vintage published separately?
Aging
- Conditions to standardize
- 75cl bottles of the 26th edition
- Conditions for comparison.
- 10 years spent on the lees
- Additional points to confirm
- When comparing with different volumes, check if materials or data exist for that volume
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Reading Laurent-Perrier's technical sheet: The three vintages blended in Grand Siècle
Compare the stated conditions in the documentation. Numbers specifying vintages should be treated as information for that specific year.
This summarizes materials published by producers, regional groups, and importers. Each source includes the publisher and the date the material was checked.
| Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|
| Vintage year | 65% from 2012, 25% from 2008, 10% from 2007 | 26 is not a harvest year but an edition number |
| Variety and village. | Chardonnay 58%, Pinot Noir 42%, 8 villages | The figures alone do not reveal breakdown of varieties by vintage. |
| Aging | A 75 cl bottle matured with lees for 10 years | Do not generalize to different volumes or other editions |
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Read the explanation for each question
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What is the principal vintage of the 26th edition?
The technical sheet shows the composition: 65% is from 2012, followed by 2008 and 2007. The number 26 identifies the cuvée version. Do not read bottle numbers as vintages—verify actual harvest years in the documentation.
What does the 58% figure represent?
58% is the overall proportion of Chardonnay in the entire 26th edition. The aggregation axis differs from the vintage composition figures. It is not possible to determine the proportion of Chardonnay in 2012 from the presented year-by-variety totals.
What are the conditions added when describing 10 years of aging?
The data shows the period that the 75cl bottle of the 26th edition spends on its lees. If you extract only the number of years, it may seem like a general rule for other bottle sizes or editions. Be sure to note the process being measured and which product it applies to.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Please explain differences in raw materials and winemaking by reading the table and sources.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage year | 65% from 2012, 25% from 2008, 10% from 2007 | 26 is not a harvest year but an edition number | |
| Variety and village. | Chardonnay 58%, Pinot Noir 42%, 8 villages | The figures alone do not reveal breakdown of varieties by vintage. | |
| Aging | A 75 cl bottle matured with lees for 10 years | Do not generalize to different volumes or other editions |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Present the 26th edition using the three axes of vintage, variety, and maturation.
Check after writing
- The technical sheet shows the composition: 65% is from 2012, followed by 2008 and 2007. The number 26 identifies the cuvée version. Do not read bottle numbers as vintages—verify actual harvest years in the documentation.
- 58% is the overall proportion of Chardonnay in the entire 26th edition. The aggregation axis differs from the vintage composition figures. It is not possible to determine the proportion of Chardonnay in 2012 from the presented year-by-variety totals.
- The data shows the period that the 75cl bottle of the 26th edition spends on its lees. If you extract only the number of years, it may seem like a general rule for other bottle sizes or editions. Be sure to note the process being measured and which product it applies to.
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