rating B+
standout elegant, racy style
about Veuve Fourny & Fils is a winery that dates back to 1856, and has been run by brothers Charles-Henry and Emmanuel Fourny since 1993. Both the winery and its vineyards are located in Côte des Blancs, in the Premier Cru village of Vertus, and the 9ha of plantings are all farmed sustainably. The brothers harvest and vinify each parcel separately, demonstrating the care they take in looking after the land and making quality wine.
wines tasted
“Grands Terroirs” Brut Premier Cru NV ($57)
80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir. 24 months on the lees. Primarily 2018 vintage, with reserve wines from 2017, 2016, and 2015. 6g/L dosage is barely noticeable. Fresh, racy style.
Recently re-tasted: the latest blend, which is mainly 2022, with wines from the perpetual reserve established in 2012. Same blend, with 80% of the wines from Premier Cru villages and 20% from Grand Cru. The regular price has gone up to $68, the story of Champagne.
Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru NV ($70)
Mainly 2022, with reserve wines from 2021 and 2019. The wine comes from south-facing slopes which gives an extra ripeness to the fruit, meaning no dosage is required.
Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Premier Cru NV ($68)
An interesting comparison to the Brut Nature, because the vines are grown on south-east and north-facing slopes: the grapes don’t get as ripe so they need a touch of dosage (5g/l). Tasted surprisingly sweet for an Extra Brut.
“Cuvée du Clos Notre Dame” Extra Brut Premier Cru 2014 ($204)
All Chardonnay from a tiny plot in Vertus (just a quarter of an hectare), from the oldest vines that Fourny owns. It’s expensive, but there’s a gorgeous richness, depth, and maturity to the wine. Aged for nine months in oak casks before bottling, adding to the creamy, toasty style. It’s then aged for nine years in bottle, but on drinking it twelve years after the vintage it still clearly has the capacity to age for even longer.
Rosé Brut Premier Cru NV ($76)
50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, plus 15% red wine which has seven to eight days maceration. No malolactic fermentation. Also aged for nine months in oak casks. A very drinkable rosé, full of red fruit aromas. The unusually high addition of red wine makes the wine particularly vinous. Just lovely.
Rosé “Vinothéque” Extra Brut Premier Cru 2017 ($122)
The same blend as the “introductory “ rosé, but with the use of 5% perpetual reserve wines. It comes from selected vineyards in Vertus, and is always vintage labelled. A much more mature wine than the other rosé, to be drunk with food.
website https://www.champagne-veuve-fourny.com/en/
phone +33 3 26 52 16 30
address 5 rue du Mesnil, Vertus
