Comments on Besotted Ramblings and Other Drivel: Champagne Veuve Fourny & Fils, Vertus

Thanks for the info, Peter. I'll have to check th...

2008-03-01T19:35:00.000+01:00

Thanks for the info, Peter. I'll have to check the bottles/cases to see if there's a lot code that includes the vintage. Otherwise, I'm not sure what the base vintage is on the wines we have. I'll make sure Kevin gets some of the Notre Dame, rosé, and the 2002 BdB when they're released.

Hello Marshall,Good to hear from you. Do you know ...

2008-02-29T13:24:00.000+01:00

Hello Marshall,

Good to hear from you. Do you know what cuvée of Blanc de Blancs you have? I'm wondering if you have the one based on 2003 -- normally Monts Ferrés produces a very minerally, racy wine.

I didn't mention the other wines because the post got too damn long! The new (1999) Clos Faubourg de Notre Dame will be released this fall, and I haven't tasted it yet. The current rosé cuvée is excellent, with spicy red fruit and plenty of ripeness -- it's dosed at around 5 grams. I never drink sec but the Fournys' sec is a good one, and with only 20 grams of sugar it's at the bottom end of sec (and not that far above some houses' Bruts!) It feels rich and full-bodied rather than overtly sweet, and I'd do it with fruit or cheese rather than most desserts.

Neither Emmanuel nor Charles-Henry has ever spoken the word meunier in my presence. Emmanuel has told me on three separate occasions that the Cuvée R is 90 chard and 10 pinot noir, so I'm going with that until he tells me something different. They only do one bottling, so it should all be the same blend.

Hello Steve,You're right, Larmandier-Bernier is a ...

2008-02-29T13:16:00.000+01:00

Hello Steve,

You're right, Larmandier-Bernier is a firm supporter of biodynamic viticulture, and to me this is certainly a factor in the quality and character of their wines.

Fourny attempted trials with biodynamics for several years but lost a lot of crop due to various maladies, and has settled for a more "raisonée" philosophy. I do think that farming methods have an impact on the expression of terroir, although we could debate all day on what the differences might be.

Peter, nice write up on Fourny. We just started c...

2008-02-29T03:07:00.000+01:00

Peter, nice write up on Fourny. We just started carrying these (from Kermit) a few months back, and I really like the wines that I've tried. The Grande Reserve Brut and Cuvee R are my favorites, while the Blanc de Blanc is good but seems a little less precise and a bit softer than I'd expect.

You didn't mention them in the post, but have you tried their Clos Notre Dame, rosé or sec Champagnes? Since I don't get to go on the Kermit trip, I won't get to taste these unless we bring them in.

Also, I keep hearing different blends on the Cuvee R. You say 90% Chard and 10% Pinot Noir, Burghound says 90% Chard, 5% Pinot Noir and 5% Meunier, and Juhlin says that it's 70% Chard, 15% Pinot Noir and 15% Meunier. I know I should trust YOU, but I'm wondering if they do different bottlings for different markets, or if they're all the same?

I enjoyed reading about this unfamiliar producer. ...

2008-02-29T00:52:00.000+01:00

I enjoyed reading about this unfamiliar producer. If I'm not confusing names (a distinct possibility), Larmandier-Bernier practice biodynamic viticulture (and even changed U.S. importers to align themselves better with like-minded vignerons). How about the Fournys? I wonder what differences farming methods might have on these wines from similar terroirs.