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.

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.

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.

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.

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.