Cumières Premier Cru Brut Nature LBC23

A Champagne made from Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, bottled as Brut Nature, meaning with no dosage and therefore no sugar added after disgorgement. The bead stays fine and restrained; structure and acidity carry the wine.

Cumières lies on the right bank of the Marne, a few kilometres northwest of Épernay; the south-facing slopes above the river are classified Premier Cru. The Laval family has lived in the village since 1694 and farms 2.5 hectares across seven parcels, each with its own name: Les Chênes, Les Hautes Chèvres, Les Longues Violes. The average vine age exceeds 30 years, with the oldest vines in the ground for more than seventy years. The estate's annual production runs between 8,000 and 10,000 bottles.

Pressing takes place in a traditional Coquard vertical press with a 2,000-kilogram capacity, the legal minimum for Champagne houses. The grapes are pressed slowly, with the juice running off without pressure. Fermentation is carried out by wild yeasts in used barrels; bottling follows ten months later, with no fining, no filtration, no cold stabilisation. Sulphur levels generally stay below 20 milligrams per litre. Vincent Laval has run the cellar since 1996. 12.0% ABV.

Dry and focused, with yellow apple and pear, alongside brioche from the long lees ageing and a smoky, chalky edge. The finish stays saline and long.

Oysters and scallops in a light butter sauce, pan-fried turbot or sashimi, as well as aged Comté.

Georges Laval converted the estate to organic farming in 1971, after reading about pesticide residues found in Arctic ice. In Les Hautes Chèvres the vines are ploughed with horses, while Les Longues Violes is planted via massal selection.