Sworn into organic viticulture since 1971, the Laval family has been harvesting faultless fruits for over 40 years. Back then, Monsieur Georges Laval was one of only seven growers practising organic wine growing in the whole of Champagne. Everyone else thought he was mad, yet till this day, his son Vincent Laval still thanks his father for sticking to his guns. He says nothing else could result in such beautiful fruits.

Today, one of the Vincent’s biggest challenges is to coexist with neighbours who spray synthetic chemicals. To mitigate the impact of stray chemicals, Vincent has been progressively buying and exchanging vineyard parcels to make his holdings as contiguous as possible and thereby minimise chemical contamination on his vines.

Vincent reserves the privilege of selecting only the best grapes for his Champagne Georges Laval label, selling the remaining harvest to other négociants. This is why the production of this domaine remains microscopic: no more than 14,000 bottles of Champagne Georges Laval leave the cellar each year.

He bottles several cuvées that best express the diversity of his terroirs, which comprise some of the most celebrated vineyards in all of Cumières. He owns prized parcels of Les Chênes, famous for its deeply powerful Chardonnay and ravishing Meunier, as well as the famous Les Hautes Chèvres, which yields unusually complex and virile Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. And then there is also the historic Les Longues Violes, a standard bearer for Pinot Noir in Cumières which finally saw its standalone release in late 2018. Laval explains that the vineyards have never seen any herbicides and pesticides throughout their existence, and after replanting some of them in the early 1980s, he was determined to make a special cuvée after the vines had reached 30 years of age.

Vincent’s good nature belies his stubborn dedication to principles of making pure champagnes fermented and raised in oak barrels, patiently and judiciously kept on their lees until they are fully formed. These are head-turning, head-spinning champagnes of startling complexity that raise the question, “How can a Champagne be like this?”

Tasting Laval’s champagnes may make the single most convincing case for putting to rest the argument regarding dosage. Nearly all of Laval’s champagnes are rated as Brut Nature — that is, without dosage. Chez Laval, the fruit always reaches perfect maturity. Raised in used Burgundy oak barrels, the resultant wines are full and round in texture, framed by ripe acidity and propelled by exceptional energy. These wines are complete on their own. Nothing else — other than perhaps some cellaring — is ever required.

Yet as impressive, deep and powerful as these champagnes are, they are also delicate, fragrant and layered, showcasing intense minerality without any trace of austerity. They are as pure and racy as they are hedonistic, calling to mind the finest Burgundy wines with fine bubbles and perpetual length.

. . some of the most beautiful wines in Champagne — John Gilman It has richness, depth, earthiness and incredible length. It’s an emotional Champagne . . — Craig Perman

These are organic Champagnes that go beyond the notion of excellence. Fans swoon because of their ethereal qualities. And they recognise that this is impossible to quantify in a conventional wine scoring system — though that hasn’t stopped wine critics from heaping platitudes on them. Astute collectors chase Laval’s bottles not only because they exude a rare mesmerising sense of presence, but also because of their rarity.

The uncompromising attention Vincent pays to his craft ensures that there is no “basic” champagne in this cellar. In recent years, Champagne Georges Laval’s following has grown exponentially, not least thanks to its discovery by wine writers, enthused sommeliers, and a deluge of frenzied Instagram posts.

We consider ourselves blessed to have discovered the joy of Champagne Georges Laval. We have had the pleasure of working with Vincent since the release of vintage 2004, and we are delighted to report that this intelligent and sentient cutting-edge grower has been upping his finesse quotient with every new release.

This collection marks the return of the ever-popular cuvée Garennes, which provides a descriptive introduction to Laval’s uncompromising work ethos and inimitable gorgeous style. We also welcome back the domaine’s signature cuvée Cumières Premier Cru, which itself is hardly an ordinary non-vintage, often showing a level of expression and complexity that can rival other producers’ vintage champagnes.

Serious Champagne heads will immediately take note of the return of Les Chênes, his celebrated single-vineyard blanc de blancs cuvée, this time from the glorious 2015 vintage. And collectors will want to pay special attention to the monumental super-cuvée Les Longues Violes, a one-of-a-kind unicorn Champagne from the inaugural vintage 2012, as well as a small collection of library wines of his esoteric cuvée Les Hautes Chèvres.

The offer is valid until 14 May 2020. Orders will be processed subject to availability and final written confirmation. Some cuvées have restrictive supplies, so please understand that we may have to allocate them in order to ensure as equitable a distribution as possible. Full payment is required no later than 7 days after confirmation invoice is sent in order to confirm the purchase. All terms and conditions apply.