Veuve Fourny & Fils : Les Grands Terroirs Brut Premier Cru

Tasting Characteristics and Recommendations for "Les Grands Terroirs" Brut Premier Cru by Veuve Fourny & Fils

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine reveals a pale, luminous yellow colour, with straw and lemon highlights. The effervescence stands out for its great finesse and remarkable consistency.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet is marked by great mineral and fruity freshness. It expresses citrus notes, such as lemon and grapefruit, intertwined with aromas of green apple and pear. The whole is delicately underscored by chalky nuances, a touch of hazelnut and a subtle hint of vanilla.

Palate
The attack is lively and invigorating, carried by crisp acidity and a delicate mousse. The texture then becomes creamy and enveloping, revealing flavours of white fruits, citrus and wet stone. Perfectly balanced between roundness and tension, the tasting concludes on a long, mouth-watering finish, delightfully marked by citrus zest.

Food and Wine Pairings

Designed for special occasions, this champagne shines from the aperitif onwards. It pairs wonderfully with a seafood platter, oysters or white fish. Its unctuous texture and subtly vanilla notes also allow it to enhance roasted poultry, a shellfish risotto or soft, bloomy-rind cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring

It is recommended to serve the non-vintage "Les Grands Terroirs" Brut Premier Cru cuvée at a temperature of around 8°C. Decanting is not advised; simply let the wine open up naturally in the glass. While it is perfectly ready to enjoy today, this champagne has the ageing potential to develop favourably in the cellar until around 2030 (that is, five to eight years after disgorgement).

The Elegance of a Premier Cru Champagne from Veuve Fourny & Fils

The Estate

The Fourny family's winemaking history began in 1856 in Vertus, but it was in 1993 that the current brand was born, driven by the fifth generation. Today, brothers Charles-Henry and Emmanuel Fourny run this Champagne House. The Veuve Fourny & Fils estate farms around ten hectares of vines of its own, complemented by targeted grape purchases, exclusively from the Vertus terroir. Renowned for its environmental rigour and plot-by-plot approach, the estate stands out for its wines of great precision, faithfully reflecting the identity of the Côte des Blancs.

The Vineyard

The grapes come mainly from the Champagne terroir of Vertus, classified as Premier Cru, as well as from other Premier and Grand Cru plots in the Côte des Blancs. Around 30 years old, the vines thrive on poor, well-drained soils, made up of a thin layer of brown earth resting directly on chalk. The estate is certified High Environmental Value (HVE) level 3, an approach reflected in the preservation of biodiversity, the absence of insecticides and the exclusive use of organic fertilisers.

The Blend

This cuvée is the result of a meticulous blend bringing together three consecutive harvests. To add complexity and a consistent signature, the composition includes around 40% reserve wines from previous vintages.

Winemaking and Ageing

Following an entirely hand-picked harvest, the non-vintage "Les Grands Terroirs" Brut Premier Cru cuvée is vinified jointly in stainless steel tanks and old oak barrels, with partial malolactic fermentation. The young wines undergo regular lees stirring (bâtonnage) and rest for seven months on lees before bottling. The reserve wines, meanwhile, are kept in small oak barrels. Finally, the wine ages on staves in the historic 19th-century cellars for at least two and a half years, at a low and constant temperature.

Grape Varieties

This wine is made up of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.