Georges Laval  'Les Chênes' Millesime 2006 Brut Nature Champagne

 (Cumieres 1er Cru) 750ml 

- a single-vineyard located on the mid-slope just to the east of the village of Cumières;

only about 40 centimeters of topsoil above bedrock of chalk;

- pure Chardonnay;

- organic viticulture; no chaptalization; first fermentation in oak barrels with indigenous yeasts; no fining, no filtering, no cold-stabilization; no dosage.

Tasted in Jan, 2014

First served upon uncorking.

Bright straw robe with bronze highlights. Very fine beads, evenly spread & glittering.

Quietly detailed & seamlessly unveiling aromas from fresh cheese, lemon cake, fig, saline mineral scent, warm oiliness (from the effect of oak) to Williams pear, assorted pepper & gingerbread.

It attacks the palate excitingly with fresh ginger, pepper & mineral salinity, then rounds off the mid palate with silky, luscious fruit, and finishes with a firm grip & lift by the pronounced peppery & saline soil character.

With aeration & gradual warm-up in the glass, the aromas grow heady & unctuous, displaying the lovely effect of oak, and the palate gains body & vinous completeness.

Around 10-15 minutes after uncorking, there is a wave of enchanting perfume -- indescribably complex spiciness (vegetal mashed with mineral scents), the true thrill for the whole tasting! On the palate, all the elements (acidity, salinity, lusciousness, spiciness, fine bitterness & vinosity) are seamlessly fused in total harmony.

20 minutes: yellow curry dominated nose & palate.

30 minutes: spice-complexed ripe apple.

Towards 50 minutes after uncorking, a lovely wave of spiced Williams pear on both the nose & the palate, which gives us happy surprises as we fear it’s going downhill with ripe apple tone so dominant previously. It turns out to be an enthusiastic farewell!

‘Chalk is the salt to Champagne, while clay is the pepper.‘ It’s clearly demonstrated here by this very fine example of Chardonnay grown on clay top-soiled site of the Marne Department. It resembles certain Pinot Meunier characters, just as those Montagne de Reims Chardonnays resemble certain power & structure of Pinot Noir…

I think the very high quality of Georges Laval Champagnes is on a par with Jacquesson, with the only major difference being G. Laval Champagnes are all mono-cru Cumieres (1er Cru).