Champagne Gounel Lassalle Le Haut Belai 1er Cru Brut Nature
Champagne 12.5% ABV ABV Gounel LassalleGood but maybe not £60 good
Had this at a friend's house and really enjoyed it — very clean, almost austere but in a good way. Lovely long finish too. That said, when I looked up the price I thought it was a bit steep. You can get some solid champagne for £40 that I'd probably reach for more often.
Birthday treat that delivered
Bought this for my 40th and wow, it did not disappoint. Really clean and crisp with no sweetness at all — my wife said it tasted "serious" which I think was a compliment. The bubbles are fine and it just keeps giving you more to think about with every sip. At sixty quid it's not cheap but honestly felt worth it for a special occasion.
Zero dosage convert
I'd never tried a brut nature before and now I get what all the fuss is about. There's nothing hiding behind sugar here, it's just pure and precise. Had it with some oysters and salty snacks and it was perfect. Really elegant stuff from a producer I'd never heard of.
Stole the show at our dinner party
Opened this alongside a much more famous champagne and everyone preferred the Gounel Lassalle. It's got this lovely balance where nothing overpowers anything else, and the finish just goes on and on. Premier Cru quality really shows. Already ordered more.
Proper grown-up champagne
The guy at my local wine shop recommended this when I said I wanted something dry and interesting. He wasn't wrong — it's bone dry with no dosage and you can really taste the difference. Loads of layers that kind of unfold as you drink it. Would definitely buy again for a nice dinner.
Interesting but not for everyone
I can see why people rate this but it's very dry — like VERY dry. My partner couldn't get on with it at all. I liked the purity of it and the way the flavours slowly revealed themselves, but if you prefer your fizz a bit sweeter this probably isn't for you. Well made though, no question.
Saw it on a menu, tracked it down
Tried this at a restaurant and spent the next week hunting for a bottle. It's so clean and fresh, no heaviness at all at 12.5%. The kind of champagne where you keep going back for another sip because the finish is so nice. Not the cheapest but it's genuinely a cut above the usual suspects.