DOMAINE LES MONTS FOURNOIS COTE GRAND CR

Description

Born in Champagne to a vine grower’s family, Juliette Alips quickly found her passion. Under the mentorship of her cousins, Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche of the famed Bérêche et Fils estate, she learned all the ins and outs of producing champagne, from farming, to vinification, tasting, and blending.

Graduated from oenology school in Beaune in 2020, she already has a few vintages under her belt with acclaimed producers like Louis Latour in Burgundy, G.D. Vajra in Piedmont, and closer to home, the Roederer Estate.

Now, with the two aforementioned cousins, she has started this project – Domaine Les Monts Fournois, where the Premier Cru of the same name in the northern part of the Montagne de Reims will be their focus.

Until those vintages are ready to release, she is also making a small handful of bottlings with fruit purchased from exceptional small-time growers, courtesy of her family connections.

This one comes from the Côte des Blancs, a ways further south from the Domaine. It’s all Grand Cru Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger & Oger with their chalky soils. Just like her family does with Bérêche et Fils, this one spends five years on lees before release.

It has all the signature notes that these Grand Crus are known for: endless amounts of lemon zest, little wisps of floral tones, and electrifying minerality. All of it wrapped up with a nice touch of creaminess from the longer lees aging.