The 2020 Les Hautes Chèvres cuvée from Champagne Georges Laval is a Brut Nature with character, produced from a historic hillside in Cumières Premier Cru. A blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it offers a vibrant expression of the terroir, marked by precise tension, deep minerality, and great purity of style.
The production of Champagne Georges Laval Les Hautes Chèvres 2020
With this single vineyard cuvée, the estate highlights one of its most emblematic lieux-dits: Les Hautes Chèvres, a mid-slope hillside where Pinots reach ideal maturity. The blend combines the energy of Pinot Noir and the fruitiness of Meunier in a straightforward and refined style, faithful to the estate's natural philosophy.
- Pinot Noir brings structure, depth, and aromatic precision.
- Pinot Meunier brings roundness, fruitiness, and richness.
The terroir
The Les Hautes Chèvres vineyard is located above the village of Cumières, on an upper clay-limestone hillside. This privileged position ensures natural ventilation, good exposure, and regular ripening of the grapes. The estate, certified organic since 1971, works its soils with extreme care: natural grass cover, plowing between rows, preserved biodiversity, and deep rooting. This work produces grapes of great purity, perfectly reflecting the salinity and finesse of the terroir.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested at perfect ripeness and then pressed using the estate's traditional presses. Alcoholic fermentation takes place naturally in oak barrels, without chaptalization. The wine is aged for 8 months in barrels, topped up weekly, then rests for more than 24 months on slats. No dosage is added (0 g/L – Brut Nature), in order to preserve the tension and purity of expression.
The 2020 vintage
The 2020 vintage is characterized by a warm, sunny season, marked by excellent ripeness of the Pinots. In Cumières, the grapes developed remarkable balance: preserved freshness, aromatic concentration, and harmonious structure. The Pinots reveal crisp fruit and a saline depth typical of the terroir. This generous vintage gives the cuvée a full-bodied, taut, and vibrant profile.
Tasting notes
Color
Light golden yellow, crystal clear, fine and persistent bubbles.
Nose
Complex and precise: red berries, citrus fruits, delicate brioche and a chalky minerality. Subtle floral nuances complete the bouquet.
Palate
Straightforward, lively and firm attack. Taut acidity, marked minerality and powdery texture. Aromas of ripe apple, zesty citrus and fine yeast. Long, pure and mouthwatering finish.
Pairing suggestions
A vibrant and precise champagne, ideal for accompanying seafood dishes.
- Flat oysters n°3
- Sea bream sashimi
- Light gougères
- Tuna sushi and maki rolls
- Steamed sea bass fillet with lime
- Mature goat's cheese
- Honey-roasted apple
- Lemon panna cotta
- Cheesecake shortbread
Storage and serving
How to store this vintage
Store Les Hautes Chèvres 2020 at 10–12°C in a dark, stable, and slightly humid cellar. Thanks to its acidic structure and natural aging, it will continue to gain depth for 8 to 12 years, evolving toward notes of dried fruit, fine spices, and weathered chalk.
Aging potential
Ageing potential: 8 to 12 years. From 2024 to 2029, the wine will highlight tension, citrus fruits and chalky minerality. Between 2030 and 2034, it will gain in texture: fine brioche, cooked apple, rounder nuances. From 2035 onwards, it will express a harmonious, salty and refined maturity.
How to serve Les Hautes Chèvres 2020?
We recommend serving Les Hautes Chèvres 2020 at 10–11°C in a tulip glass or a thin universal glass. Five minutes of aeration is enough to reveal its notes of red fruit, citrus, and chalk.
