An Organic Duo in Champagne
5/5/12 -
A common refrain when the names of André Beaufort and Vincent Laval are mentioned in the Montagne de Reims is “no one makes wines like that here.” Not merely amongst the bottles in our Champagne section, amongst growers in the region, these wines are singular. Though Laval’s and Beaufort’s wines are essentially different in style: Laval’s chiseled and super dry, Beaufort’s broad, rich, and lees-y, they share the quality of reflecting the complexity long-term organic viticulture imparts to Champagne.
In the early 1970s, André Beaufort, then a young vigneron with sites in the famous Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, decided that he did not want to use chemicals in his vineyards (a radical train of thought in Champagne at the time). He felt strongly that ingesting chemicals was dangerous. In fact, many feel this way; far fewer drastically change their winemaking methods to accommodate such a belief. André began to convert his vineyards in 1971 and eventually became certified in 1994. Though he recalls the initial years of conversion as having been extremely difficult, ultimately the conversion has been so successful that, at this point, Beaufort barely requires copper to fend off mildew and odium. He boasts forty species of plant life thriving between the vines. In addition to his Ambonnay vineyards, Beaufort has parcels in Polisy in the Côte des Bars, a region that is attractive for adamant organic growers because it’s easier to have isolated parcels not subject to chemical runoff from adjacent vineyards. Today, Beaufort farms ten hectares in total, mostly planted to Pinot Noir. Several of his children now help him at the Domaine.
In the cellar, first fermentations are completed with native yeasts and everything is done by hand. Beaufort’s extensive cellar in Ambonnay is full of riddling racks with old vintages awaiting disgorgement. The mature bottles on the list below are recently disgorged and have spent the majority of their lives resting on their lees. Beaufort’s use of sulfur is minimal, just a small dose at disgorgement. In style, these wines are robust and oxidative, often with 9-10 grams of dosage. They can seem quite deliciously “old-fashioned” and the old vintages certainly over-deliver in terms of complexity.
A similar rejection of chemicals was underway at the miniscule Domaine Georges Laval in the early 1970s. Georges, in order to keep chemical runoff from his neighbor’s vines from affecting his vines, traded vineyards to attain more contiguous parcels. According to Vincent, George’s son, he did this knowing his production would be smaller because of the trades. Today, Vincent has two hectares of very old vines in Cumières, a warm village in the southern Montagne de Reims. Because of this fortunate exposition and warmth, Vincent’s wines are ripe and effortlessly seem to achieve balance without dosage.
Domaine Georges Laval produces around 12,000 bottles a year and everything is done by hand, the labor divided between Vincent, his employee, and his apprentice. Vincent makes site specific wines with the intention of highlighting the personality of Cumières as well as his single vineyards: “Les Chènes” and “Les Hautes Chèvre.” At the pressing, a small amount of sulfur is added to protect the juice from oxidation, afterward nothing unless absolutely necessary. These wines have very little sulfur for Champagne, usually around 20 milligrams per liter. The first fermentations are done with native yeast and the base wines are aged in old barrel. For a taste of the Laval’s style, the basic Cumières is drinking beautifully now. For a truly unparalleled experience in Champagne, don’t miss the opportunity to try Laval’s single vineyard wines. -Sophie
