Characteristics and Tasting Tips for La Vigne à Alfred Blanc de Noirs 2019 Minière F&R

Tasting

Colour

The colour is a deep gold with slightly coppery glints, reflecting the wine's extended maturation. The effervescence is fine and steady, marked by a persistent string of delicate small bubbles.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable aromatic intensity, with notes of crisp red fruit, particularly redcurrant and raspberry. These fruity aromas are complemented by elegant floral nuances reminiscent of peony and violet. Delicately citrusy touches, recalling fresh orange zest and candied lemon, bring brightness and freshness to the bouquet.

Palate

The attack is powerful and direct, immediately revealing a remarkably well-controlled acidity despite its palpable intensity. The red fruit flavours continue on the palate with striking purity, while a subtly floral and citrusy thread balances the dominant fruity profile. The finish is extraordinarily long and fresh, lingering considerably after swallowing. A distinct mineral power emerges at the end of the palate, a direct expression of the chalk-free terroir and the mineral soils characteristic of Hermonville, lending a lithe tension that is absolutely defining of the wine. The texture combines breadth and finesse with a distinct underlying grace, creating a complete sensory harmony.

Food and wine pairing

La Vigne à Alfred Blanc de Noirs 2019 pairs particularly harmoniously with crab, whose delicate flesh is enhanced by the champagne's vibrant acidity and citrus notes. Lobster, especially served plain or with a light beurre blanc sauce, finds an ideal partner in this wine, whose structuring acidity balances the richness of the shellfish. Fine oysters also make a classic pairing, where their natural iodine notes converge with the terroir's distinctive minerality. More broadly, molluscs and shellfish in general, including mussels, scallops, prawns and langoustines, as well as delicate fish such as turbot, sole, halibut and wild sea bass, all find a refined and harmonious accompaniment in this champagne.

Other characteristics

Dosage: 2.5 g/l

A grower champagne from Hermonville with a distinctly mineral character

The estate

Founded in 1919 by great-grandfather Alfred Minière, the Minière F&R house has been run since 2005 by brothers Frédéric and Rodolphe, representing the fourth generation of winegrowers. Established in Hermonville, at the gateway to the Massif de Saint-Thierry near Reims in Champagne, the estate covers nearly eight hectares. The only grower-producer operating in Hermonville, Minière F&R stands out for its commitment to environmentally friendly viticultural practices and exclusive vinification in old oak barrels. Frédéric Minière trained under Anselme Selosse, developing his commitment to barrel ageing and organic farming. The estate produces grower champagnes marked by remarkable depth and elegance, expressing the uniqueness of their singular terroir.

The vineyard

La Vigne à Alfred Blanc de Noirs 2019 comes from a historic plot of twenty-six point seventy ares located in the Les Voirmissa lieu-dit in Hermonville, planted in 1947 by Alfred Minière. This plot benefits from an ideal south-south-east exposure on a magnificent hillside. The soils are silty-clay-sandy, resting on lacustrine limestone. The terroir of Hermonville has a remarkable geological feature that sets it apart from most Champagne terroirs: the total absence of chalk. This particularity creates a unique setting in which mineral soils predominate, soils that are both well-draining and extraordinarily rich in minerals. This composition forces the root systems to dig deep to draw out nutrients, thereby concentrating the mineral characters in the grapes and giving the wine its distinctive signature and pronounced minerality.

The vintage

The 2019 vintage benefited from favourable conditions, allowing optimal ripening of the grapes on this mineral terroir of Hermonville.

Winemaking and ageing

La Vigne à Alfred Blanc de Noirs 2019 was vinified exclusively in old oak barrels at least eight years old, minimising the contribution of vanilla in favour of a more subtle expression. The natural indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins were responsible for naturally triggering the alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally and almost systematically. The wine first spent around eight months in oak barrels with regular lees stirring. After this phase, the wine was bottled for the tirage in June 2020. It then aged for five full years in bottle on lattes. Disgorgement took place in June 2025. After disgorgement, the wine rested for a further year before its commercial release in June 2026. In total, the wine will have benefited from more than ten years of ageing. The wine was not filtered, thus preserving all the organic compounds that contribute to its final aromatic and textural complexity.

Grape variety

100% Pinot Meunier