"Les Chênes" Cumières Premier Cru Brut Nature 2020

The "Les Chênes" Cumières Premier Cru Brut Nature 2020 is a single-varietal Chardonnay Champagne from Georges Laval, sourced from a single parcel on the right bank of the Marne. It relies on salinity, tension and length, with the perlage taking a back seat to origin. In the glass, an intense golden yellow with a broad, extremely fine mousse.

Les Chênes lies in the eastern part of Cumières, between the roads to Ay and Hautvillers, below the abbey. The parcel sits midway up the slope with a south-facing aspect; beneath a thin layer of clay-silt soil lies chalk. The Laval family has lived in the village since 1694 and today farms 2.5 hectares of Premier Cru across seven parcels, each with its own name.

Pure Chardonnay. Pressing takes place in a traditional vertical Coquard press with a 2,000-kilogram capacity, the legal minimum for Champagne houses: the grapes are crushed slowly, and the must flows off without pressure. Fermentation is carried out by wild yeasts in used barrels, with bottling ten months later — no fining, no filtration, no cold stabilisation. Brut Nature here means: no dosage.

The absence of dosage makes it taut, distinctive and unusually refreshing, with salinity driving salivation. There's plenty of power alongside it. Fine citrus notes and salty accents linger for a long time, the finish is pure umami.

Anything from the sea: oysters, sole, ceviche or sardines on toasted bread. Also a fine choice with aged Comté.

Georges Laval converted the estate to organic farming in 1971. The 2.5 hectares yield 8,000 to 10,000 bottles a year, with sulphur levels generally below 20 milligrams per litre.