2004 Georges Laval Brut Nature Les Hautes Chevres
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Tasting notes
Pale gold. Exotically perfumed and expansive on the nose, displaying scents of dried pear, honey, vanilla and musky herbs, with an intense floral accent and a hint of green cardamom. Deep, vinous, expansive orchard fruit and citrus pith flavors become fleshier with air while maintaining vivacity. The finish is deep, smoky and very long, leaving floral and vanilla notes behind. I underrated this exotic, densely packed Champagne by quite a bit last year. Laval's 2.5 hectares of vines are farmed biodynamically and none of the wines, which are raised in barriques, are chaptalized. Fermentations are done with only wild yeasts. (The 2004 Les Chenes Cumieres Brut Nature, at least as racy as the bottle I tasted last year, again merited 92 points and is evolving slowly.)
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
The 2004 Brut Nature Millésime Premier Cru Les Hautes Chêvres is an intense, powerful wine laced with perfumed, mineral-driven fruit. This focused, energetic Champagne reveals lovely palate presence and exceptional balance. Though bottled with no dosage, the Les Hautes Chêvres nevertheless possesses gorgeous richness for a wine made in this style. Simply put, everything is in the right place. Les Hautes Chêvres is a single-vineyard Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier blend. Disgorged May 6, 2009 (not indicated on the bottle)
Light yellow with a faint peach skin hue. Nutty pear and quince aromas are complemented by notes of vanilla bean and an exotic cola quality. Pliant, palate-staining orchard fruit flavors are sweetened by honey and vanilla and braced by tangy minerality. Lots of personality on display here. The finish is gently sweet and impressively focused, with good mineral snap and an echo of white flowers.