Cult Champagne Rarity - Sharp Pricing
2008 Léclapart L’Apôtre
Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
"Having known David Léclapart and tasted with him since the beginning of his career, I feel confident in saying that this is one of the most thrilling wines that he’s ever made" -Peter Liem
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We've been waiting to get our hands on this bottle for some time.
Peter Liem's note above sums up why. Léclapart produces some of the most original and captivating Champagnes. The '08 L’Apôtre seems destined to stand as the magnum opus of Léclapart's singular style.
L'Apôtre is Léclapart's top wine. It's sourced from a single vineyard - La Pierre St-Martin. The vines here were planted in 1946. (Check out Peter Liem's profile on Léclapart to learn more). L’Apôtre really amplifies his style into something ruthlessly mineral and unmistakable in intensity.
Léclapart is based in Trépail, a Premier Cru village just north of Ambonnay and Bouzy. But unlike those villages (which specialize in Pinot Noir) Trépail is all about Chardonnay. More specifically, a razor sharp and saline tinged expression of Chardonnay.
He's fanatical in the vineyard. The wines boldly show the results of this hard work in their layered complexity and beautiful articulation of terroir. Trepail's electric Chardonnay is on bold display, but Léclapart is able to match the richness of complexity to the village's piercing quality. Out of the line-up, L’Apôtre always stands out as the pinnacle.
It's become clear that 2008 is a very special vintage in Champagne. What makes us love 2008 is the way it combines a beautifully high acid structure with good ripeness and concentration. It’s a vintage about purity, harmony and sleek energy. 2008's brightness and punch delivers a combination that we haven't seen since the 1988 vintage.
The 2008 L’Apôtre boasts a crazy complicated and nuanced minerality. There's a tension and length that's just heartbreaking. It possesses a tactile, gripping chalky minerality that dances across the palate.
Léclapart is a mere 3ha and his conscientiousness keeps yields low. L'Apôtre accounts for only a tiny slice of the already small production. In a vintage like 2008, this is a wine that will disappear quickly. Please give us your ideal order and we'll try out best.
To order, reply to this email or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits