Cellar Favorite:
1990 Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle Lumière du Millénaire 

BY NEAL
MARTIN | AUGUST 4, 2025

I am
not really a Champagne aficionado, so when a sparkler does stop me in my tracks, it tends to make a deep impression. The 1990 Grand Siècle Lumière du Millénaire
from Laurent Perrier is a rare one-off cuvée that was generously opened by a
friend in London before a raft of 1990 clarets. This cuvée was created in 1999
to celebrate the millennium, designed to give an idea of how Grand Siècle would
taste from a single vintage. Laurent Perrier selected the 1990 vintage, as the
maison felt it to be the most complete. The wine spent nine years on the lees
like the Grand Siècle, albeit without the blending of two other vintages. It
was disgorged between June and August 1999 with 7 grams per litre of dosage. Production
totalled fewer than 9,000 bottles and magnums, distributed predominantly to airlines
such as British Airways, Japan Airlines (my former employer), duty-free outlets
and a handful of retailers. (In case you are wondering, the cuvée name is
printed on a small, round neck label that is just out of frame in the
photograph.)<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1754314770782-grand+siecle+1990_Vinous.JPG">The
1990 Lumière du Millénaire has an instantly appealing nose of grilled hazelnut,
brioche and touches of dried apricot that, a quarter-century after release,
appears to have retained plenty of vitality and delineation. The palate has
wonderful weight and presence, with a thread of acidity neatly offsetting the
wine’s inherent richness. A little fumé in style, the Millénaire boasts a
very subtle interwoven bitter orange rind note that imparts simmering
background tension. After a few minutes of air, a gentle malty tincture emerges,
lending more complexity. This Champagne is irresistible. Your glass will be
empty sooner than you think. Bottles do crop up occasionally, and they are well
worth seeking out. 94/Drink 2025-2040. © 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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