Bubbling Up

A man with a modern vision, Hervé Dantan has helped Champagne Lanson become more widely appreciated, writes 

- Andrew Dembina

IT’S BEEN A well-established champagne house for centuries (since 1760 to be precise). But when you note Lanson’s unusually wide range of styles and are told by Chef de Caves Hervé Dantan that the house sells 4.5 million bottles annually, the winemaker’s very 21st-century yet unassuming influence on the house’s popularity soon becomes obvious.

Several big-marque champagnes that are readily available in Hong Kong’s top-tier bottle shops are uncomfortable talking production figures, as many a wine insider will know. But at Lanson, according to Dantan, transparency appears to be high on the list.

Dantan ought to know, having assumed his duties at Lanson in 2013 – assisting 25-year veteran winemaker Jean-Paul Gandon – after a career in other premium French wine regions, as well as California. He took charge two years later.

The just-launched Noble Cuveé 2002 that arrives in Hong Kong this year sees Dantan maintain the house’s tradition of not offering vintages until it deems them good and ready. “This is something special – the ’02 is a mythical vintage, and we’re proud to say that we’re maybe the last big brand to sell it,” he says.

“For each vintage of Noble Cuveé, we always wait 13, 14 or even 15 years to age it, so its full maturity is balanced with its freshness.” As larger bottles take longer to mature, 2002 Magnums of this delicate prestige label – which debuted in the late 1980s with the 1979 vintage – will only be released in two to three years’ time.