La Grande Vigne Suenen 2019

Lot presentation

La Grande Vigne Suenen 2019

The wine

La Grande Vigne is a rare, luminous expression of a Grand Cru from the Côte des Blancs, in the prestigious village of Oiry. The wine takes its name from the lieu-dit La Grande Vigne — an east-facing parcel cultivated as a single plot in the manner of Burgundy Grand Crus. Its chalky Campanian subsoil, typical of the Côte des Blancs, lends the wine a piercing minerality and marked vertical tension. The grapes are harvested by hand, after which alcoholic fermentation takes place in old barrels with indigenous yeasts, and a notable lack of malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the natural acidity. The wine is aged for a long period of fine lees to refine the material without masking the terroir.
La Grande Vigne has a pale and bright golden colour with fine bubbles. The nose is precise and pure, marked by aromas of lemon, wet chalk, fresh pear, white flowers and green hazelnuts. The palate is direct, mouthwatering, and taut, driven by high salinity and vibrant energy.

At 30 years old, Aurélien Suenen is from the fifth generation of winemakers in his family. His champagnes are a true reflection of their terroir which encompasses the typical chalk-rich soil of the Côte des Blancs, iconic varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and a unique know-how that respects the "traditional method". Straddling the grand cru vineyards of Cramant and Oiry in the Côte des Blancs, Maison Suenen's wines are distinguished, with a distinctive bubble and fresh fruit, citrus, and white flower aromas. Systematic malolactic fermentation and ageing in oak barrels add buttery and vanilla notes that evoke freshly baked brioche!