2014 Suenen La Grande Vigne Pinot Meunier Champagne

When Aurélien Suenen took the keys at his family Domaine, it owned two hectares in the far north of the region in a village called Montigny-sur-Vesle, positioned northwest of Reims in the Massif de Saint-Thierry subzone. Early in the piece Aurélian sold off most of this land (which was removed from his base in Cramant), as he realised he could not maintain this quality of vines, so far away, to the standards he was setting himself. That he kept hold of this tiny parcel in La Grande Vigne speaks volumes to the quality and rarity of this type of site in Champagne.

La Grande Vigne is a 0.21-hectare plot of ungrafted Meunier in a stunning terroir in Montigny-sur-Vesle (ungrafted vines in Europe are obviously extremely rare, another feature that makes this wine so unique). The vines here are now 50 years old, and are planted in the deep, sandy Thanetian era soils of the area. The terrain is flat, with a slight north-western tilt. It’s a fascinating and complex terroir that elevates this unique, unfiltered Champagne to the top of the Meunier pile. Raised in a single 500-litre demi-muid (Stockinger) for 10 months, the 2014 spent 60 months on lees until disgorgement, with one gram per litre, in July 2020.

Other Reviews....
Disgorged in July 2020 with one gram per liter dosage, the 2014 Extra-Brut Montigny-sur-Vesle La Grande Vigne wafts from the glass with notes of smoky orchard fruit, clear honey, buttery pastry and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, racy and tensile, it's taut and precise, with hidden depth of concentration and texture waiting in the wings to take a more prominent role after some time on cork. Drink 2022 - 2038.
93+ points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 2021)