Veuve Fourny & Fils Cuvée ‘R’ Extra Brut Premier Cru

Producer Profile

Veuve Fourny & Fils vineyards are in Vertus, a village known for chalk, chalky gravels and small quantities of clay. Typically Vertus expression is electric, sinuous, mineral and salty, with long drawn out tensile palates and sometimes eyewatering, mouth puckering acidity. Not so with Veuve Fourny.

Crucially, all their wines spend at least six months in oak barrels on lees. Depending on the vintage, malolactic may or may not be blocked, unusual for Champagne as most producers will block, irrespective of vintage. For most wines, time on lees is modest, about three years, enough for some creamy brioche characters without sacrificing natural freshness. Dosage is balanced, and varies depending on the cuvee. None at all for the Brut Nature, 6gms for the Rose, and between 3-4 for the others.

The estate’s style is fresh, make no mistake. How can it be otherwise? But what’s missing in so much Vertus is middle palate stuffing. With Veuve Fourny there is flesh and sculptured muscle to balance and buff the hard angles of chalky freshness. The oak is not evident, the wines aren’t too creamy, or vinous and even the estate’s top wine, Clos Faubourg Notre Dame after spending nine years on lees, displays an incredible freshness and ripe fruit intensity.

Veuve Fourny & Fils is the rare Champagne producer whose style is complete. If there is a statement here, it is one of balance. If you are after a quality bottle of Champagne to please as many people as possible, Veuve Fourny is it.