VEUVE FOURNY BT R
Since the mid-fifties the Fournay family has made its own Champagne featuring grapes drawn exclusively fromtheir home, the Premier Cru village of Vertus. Today Charles-Henry and Emmanuel Fournay assiduously farm
16 acres of vines employing organic methods when ever possible. The “R” designation here stands as a tribute to
the brother’s father, Roger Fournay, who loved to blend Chardonnay with a touch of Pinot Noir. This Champagne
is sourced primarily from Les Barillées, an old-vines vineyard situated mid-slope on the northern side of Vertus in
the cru’s coeur de terroir. Cuvée R is vinified entirely in small oak casks (with partial malolactic), bottled and then
“rested” on its lees for four years prior to disgorgement. Despite its bone dry dosage, this Champagne is not at
all austere but pleases the palate with kaboodles of exotic guava and stone fruit essences that mesh perfectly with
the vanilla/ginger notes imparted by the oak. Underpinning everything is a smoky/stony minerality that fans out
and drives its long running back palate. This is handcrafted, multifaceted Champagne that offers tremendous flavor
excitement for the money.
