Lancelot Pienne-Cuvee Perceval 2012

Cramant is one of the most celebrated Grand Cru villages in Champagne’s Cote des Blancs, the style of its wines tending towards elegance and finesse in pleasing counterpoint to more steely examples further south. Representing the fourth generation, Gilles Lancelot is a trained oenologist, who farms a fairly modest eight hectares, half of which are in Cramant itself, the other half in the Vall矇e de la Marne, the latter an excellent source for Pinot Meunier, which pays a key role in the Cuv矇e Tradition. The house philosophy, apart from the somewhat inevitable borrowing from Arthurian legend in the naming of its wines, favours relatively late picking, low dosage and several interesting innovations, such as the use of a Solera in one or two of its senior wines. Whilst, somewhat unsurprisingly, there is a focus on Grand Cru and high quality Chardonnay in the range, Pinot Noir is far from forgotten, making up half the blend in the Cuv矇e Perceval, which underlines both the skill and the versatility of this exemplary house.