2012 Georges Laval Brut Nature Les Longues Violes

The 2012 Brut Nature Les Longues Violes is Vincent Laval’s latest creation. Even more impressive than it was last year, the Longues Violes possesses remarkable intensity and resonance in all of its dimensions. In the glass, the Longues Violes is ample and creamy, as one might expect from a Pinot Champagne, and yet it also has remarkable freshness, with hints of graphite-infused minerality that are laced throughout the translucent, magnificently pure finish. Les Longues Violes is 90% Pinot Noir planted in1964 and 1974 and 10% Meunier planted in 1947. It is a magnificent Champagne by any measure. The 2012 is expected to retail for 600 euros a bottle, which, needless to say, is very expensive. Vincent Laval told me Les Longues Violes has never been treated with herbicides, and that there are only two other domaines in Champagne like his, where that is the case. I don’t have the historical perspective to know whether that is fully accurate or not. I also believe that the market ultimately sets prices for wines. To be sure, no one wants to earn less than they think they are worth, so far be it from me to begrudge any winemaker for their choices on pricing. Even so, at this level, the traditional Laval consumer will be almost certainly be priced out. Who is actually going to buy the 2012 Longues Violes (and other ultra-expensive domaine bottlings), and is this the beginning of grower Champagnes that are totally out of reach for the consumer? We shall see…Disgorged November 13, 2017.

Here in its first release, the 2012 Brut Nature Les Longues Violes is fabulous. The Longues Violes is 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier from parcels planted in 1964 and 1984 for the Pinot Noir and 1947 for the Meunier. Creamy and generous on the palate, with no hard edges, the 2012 is compelling. Tasted next to the Hautes-Chèvres, the Longues Violes is richer and creamier through the mid-palate and into the finish. The 2012 will be released in late 2019 or early 2020.

The latest addition to the range, the 2012 Brut Nature Les Longues Violes, might also be the most refined and complete of the three 2012s. Specifically, the wine's silky, caressing personality and exceptional balance are impossible to miss. Sadly, the 2012 will not be sold until 2019 or 2020. Today, it is sublime. The blend is 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier.