Laval, Georges 2018 Champagne Cumieres 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs Les Hautes Chevres

Vincent Laval's Les Hauts Chèvres Blanc de Noirs bottling comes from a parcel on the western portion of the slope of Cumières. Formerly comprised of Pinot Noir from very old vines (which have since been replanted), the wine is now made from venerable Pinot Meunier vines planted between 1931 and 1947 in the same lieu-dit. One could call this a "serious" Pinot Meunier, without the sometimes unbridled character the variety sometimes displays, due to the old vines and longtime organic farming of the dedicated Laval family, but that would understate the sheer deliciousness of the wine, which should only grow as the structural and fruit elements knit. -JCM