"Les Longues Violes" Cumières Premier Cru Brut Nature 2016

A Champagne that draws its structure from the parcel rather than from sugar: complex and age-worthy, with ripe red berries, dark cherry and a hint of brioche from the extended time on lees.

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 for Pinot Noir. The Laval family has lived in the village since 1694 and today farms 2.5 hectares across seven parcels, each with its own name. Les Longues Violes, "the long path", is planted with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The average vine age at the estate exceeds 30 years. The estate has been farmed organically since 1971, ever since Georges Laval read about pesticide traces found in Arctic ice.

The Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier come from massal selection. Pressing takes place in a traditional vertical Coquard press with a capacity of 2,000 kilograms, the legal minimum for Champagne houses: the grapes are pressed slowly, and the must flows without pressure. This is followed by wild-yeast fermentation in used barrels, then bottling ten months later, without fining, filtration or cold stabilisation. Sulphur levels typically remain below 20 milligrams per litre, and the single-vineyard cuvées age 50 months and longer on the lees. Here, Brut Nature means: no dosage at all.

Juicy fruit, vibrant acidity, fine bubbles, a long and precise finish. 12.5% Vol.

The estate's annual production ranges between 8,000 and 10,000 bottles. Vincent Laval has run the cellar since 1996.