Veuve Fourny Blanc de Blancs Vertus 1er Cru NV | Champagne

Winemaking Notes
Hand-picked. Pure expression of Chardonnay from Vertus Premier Cru. The Chardonnay grapes come from several plots on Les Mont-Ferrés (Vertus 1er Cru). The fruit from this site gives good concentration and produces quite aromatic juices and resulting base wine. Slopes face south and south-east giving optimal maturing conditions. Average age of the vines is 40 years. Soil is redzine over chalk. Blend of selected plots from harvests with 20% of reserve wines from old vintages to give complexity as well as consistency of style. On tirage for 2½ years. Dosage is 6 grams per litre. Winemakers Charles and Emmanuel Fourny nurture their old organic vines in the village of Vertus into wines of great purity, linearity and salty minerality. Fourny's mandate of purity and precision shimmers in a pale straw hue. A little oak vinification coaxes out understated nuances of ginger, biscuits, nougat, even fig, coffee and chocolate, without disturbing purity or drive. The wine reaches deep into the mineral hillside of Le Mont Ferré in its elegance and mouth-embracing chalk mineral completeness, thanks to the privileged position of this plot on the border of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. A characterful take on the identity of Vertus, and as persistent, reliable and affordable as ever.

Vintage Conditions
As a non-vintage Champagne, Veuve Fourny Blanc de Blancs Brut Vertus Premier Cru represents a carefully crafted blend of selected plots from multiple harvests, with 20% of reserve wines from old vintages to give complexity as well as consistency of style. The Chardonnay grapes come from several plots on Les Mont-Ferrés (Vertus 1er Cru), where soil is redzine over chalk and slopes face south and south-east giving optimal maturing conditions. The fruit from this privileged site gives good concentration and produces quite aromatic juices and resulting base wine. Average age of the vines is 40 years, contributing depth and complexity to the wine. The non-vintage format allows Charles and Emmanuel Fourny to maintain their mandate of purity and precision, nurturing their old organic vines in the village of Vertus into wines of great purity, linearity and salty minerality. The blend showcases the expressive, exotic personality of Vertus, lending a little more body and depth. After 2½ years on tirage and with a dosage of 6 grams per litre, the wine displays liveliness, purity, finesse and elegance. The privileged position of this plot on the border of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger allows the wine to reach deep into the mineral hillside of Le Mont Ferré in its elegance and mouth-embracing chalk mineral completeness. The result is a Blanc de Blancs with lovely citrus and green fruits, hallmark aromas of wet stone, white peach and melon, tight and racy palate with elevated chalky acidity, and persistent long finish that has earned outstanding critical acclaim.