Georges Laval 2018 Cumieres 1er Cru Les Chenes Brut Nature Champagne

Grower Champagne. Blanc de Blancs. 100% Chardonnay Les Chênes is located on the east side of the village of Cumières just below the famous Abbey. Ideally situated mid-slope, a thin layer of crushed limestone and clay cover the sturdy limestone bedrock, ideal for growing grapes for Champagne. Farmed organically for as long as anyone living can remember, this plot produces grapes with remarkable concentration, harmony and elegance. Always vinified Brut Nature, with no added sugar at any stage, this wine reveals a sumptuous mid-palate range of fruit that leans towards citrus and honeyed notes, but the durable mineral core informs us of its unique ability to age gracefully. Importer Notes

This tiny, impeccably-run estate in Cumières is known only to a select few connoisseurs of champagne. You could drive through the village a hundred times without knowing it was there, and in fact, aside from a well-worn, barely legible placard with the words “Champagne Georges Laval” written in about three millimeter-high script just above the doorbell, there is no marking whatsoever to indicate its presence. Behind these simple, unassuming wooden doors, however, lies one of Champagne’s great treasures.

While the Laval family has been growing vines for four generations, Georges Laval began producing estate-bottled champagne in 1971. His son Vincent (pictured) joined the estate after finishing his studies in 1991, and has been in charge of the cellars since 1996. Laval’s vineyard holdings comprise just 2.5 hectares, including a half-hectare of meunier in Chambrecy, in the Vallée de l’Ardre in the western Montagne de Reims, that is sold to the négoce. The other two hectares are all in the premier cru village of Cumières, spread over seven parcels. Average vine age is over 30 years, and the oldest vines of the estate are over 70 years of age. Importer Notes