“Les Vignes de Mon Oncle” Cumières Premier Cru V21/22

Wine description for “Les Vignes de Mon Oncle” Cumières Premier Cru V21/22 by Georges Laval

Colour & appearance

A delicate pale pink, reminiscent of dried rose petals. Accompanied by an exceedingly fine mousse – patient, even, almost floating. A rosé Champagne that shows no haste, even in the glass.

Nose

A medley of bright red berries, blossom and grapefruit, with peach, sugared rhubarb and a hint of meringue in the background. Wild herbs lend the bouquet a cool, almost sketch-like outline – great expression coupled with remarkable restraint.

Palate

Crystal clear and taut: cool minerality meets delicate red berry fruit and fine peach notes. The mousse is seamlessly integrated, and the acidity traces a precise line. A rosé of filigree rather than opulent build – a Champagne where terroir takes precedence over carbonation.

Finish

Long, dry, without any mask of sweetness. A chalky note lingers, accompanied by citrus zest and a final whisper of red fruit.

Terroir & origin

Cumières lies on the right bank of the Marne, a few kilometres north-west of Épernay. The south-facing slopes above the river are classified as Premier Cru. The Laval family has lived in the village since 1694 and today cultivates just 2.5 hectares across seven plots – including Les Chênes, Les Hautes Chèvres and Les Longues Violes. The vines average over 30 years of age, with some rooted in the chalk soils since the 1930s.

Grape varieties & vinification

A cuvée of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from two base wine vintages (V21/22). Pressing takes place in the smallest press in Champagne – a Coquard vertical press with a 2,000-kilogram capacity. Fermented with wild yeasts, aged in used wooden casks, bottled without fining or filtration. Like almost all the estate’s wines: zero dosage.

Food recommendations

The cool structure and red berry fruit pair beautifully with raw marinated salmon with grapefruit, duck breast with pink peppercorns or a simple rhubarb and fresh goat’s cheese tart. Also a serious option as an aperitif on its own.

Special features

A rosé Champagne from an estate that has been organically certified since 1971 – at the time, one of fewer than ten in the entire region. This wine comes from a maximum annual production of 10,000 bottles, and its name translates as “My Uncle’s Vineyards”. Patience as a stylistic device: ten months of cask ageing before bottling, followed by extended lees maturation.