Domaine Les Monts Fournois

Champagne, France

Côte – Vertus Premier Cru – 2010

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  • Introduction

    • THE WINERY: Born in Champagne in a grower’s family, Juliette Alips rapidly found her passion. With the mentorship of her close cousins, Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche, she discovered and learned all the ins and outs of producing champagne, from farming, to vinification, tasting and blending. Now, with the help of her two cousins, she is starting this new adventure with Domaine Les Monts Fournois. Located in the north part of the Montagne de Reims, in the sub-area called La Grande Montagne, the Premier Cru Les Monts Fournois will be the focus of the domaine.

      THE WINE: Le Domaine les Monts Fournois is presenting here this cuvée after a rigorous and precise search for the best terroirs of Premier and Grand Crus in Champagne. With these wines we would like to highlight the real expression of a terroir, a varietal and a vintage. These Crus have been sélectionnés by Juliette Alips and her cousins Raphaël & Vincent Bérêche.

  • Vineyard Profile

    • Vertus lies south, southeast of Épernay, in the southern part of the Côte des Blancs slope. This vineyard has deep and chalky rich soils, with a presence of fine clays.

    • Appellation: Champagne; Sub-region: Côte des Blancs Village; Vertus Premier Cru
    • Location: France
    • Cultivation: Sustainable
    • Soil: Chalk with fine clay
    • Exposure: East, Southeast
  • Vintage Report

    • Ripening of the grapes took place under exceptional water conditions: after a very dry and rather hot spring and summer, abundant rain fell around mid-August, during which time the grapes swelled and the berries loaded with sugars. Ripeness was reached.

  • Vinification

    • After Juliette and her cousins select the cuvée by blind tasting with a broker, the family will purchase the entire lot of Champagne from the producer. Juliette will then proceed with a series of disgorgement and liqueur de tirage trials in the cellar using Rectified Concentrated Must (RCM) for its homogenous and neutral flavors, in order to highlight the terroir. Once the dosage has been made, the samples will return to the cellar for 6 months before being released to the market.

    • Malolactic: 100%
    • Aging: 12 years on the lees
    • Disgorged: October 2023 - “Fruit day”
  • Technical Information

    • Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
    • Alcohol: 12.5%
    • TA: 4 g/L
    • RS: 3.4 g/L
  • Tasting Notes

    • A fresh, elegant first nose that bears witness to the balance of the 2010 vintage. The palate is vertical, flooded with remarkable purity. Creamy and unctuous, the sweetness is the hallmark of this terroir in the south of the Côte des Blancs. A few zesty notes mingle with white fruit aromas. This 100% Chardonnay combines freshness and salinity. The bubbles are creamy and soft. The finish is iodised, resulting in a remarkable length. This is an accomplished Blanc de Blancs, combining pleasure, smoothness and delicacy.

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Reviews

  • Côte – Vertus Premier Cru — 2010 – Wine Spectator – 93 Points

    “Sleek and mineral-driven, with a lacy texture and an underlying chalkiness. This well-knit Champagne offers flavors of ripe nectarine, yellow plum and lemon curd, with accents of grated ginger, lime blossoms and pink grapefruit pith, plus a rich note of pain d'épices. Fresh, spiced finish.”

  • Côte – Premier Cru – Vertus — 2010 – Vinous – 94 Points

    "The Cote Premier Cru is 100% Chardonnay from Vertus. Bright, aromatic and also surprisingly youthful, the 2010 is immediately appealing, immediately alluring. It's a terrific example of this vintage at its finest. Tangerine peel, pastry, white pepper and flowers all race across the palate. A Champagne of uncommon depth and nuance, the 2010 Cote is irresistible. Its also one of the very best wines I have tasted in this series of micro-negociant wines from the Bereche family. What a delight."

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