Terroir
The Excellence of the Terroir
Champagne Veuve Fourny & Fils, Specialist of Premier Cru Vertus vineyards
We work with this beautiful Vertus terroir, listed as Premier Cru. A “complete” terroir, due to its geological features. The soils, mostly calcareous, contain very little clay, with areas of pure chalk, and there are therefore three different types of soils: brown topsoil over chalk, rendzine over chalk and brown topsoil over chalky gravel.
Exposure to the sun is also an essential factor for the diversity of the terroir and Vertus enjoys three different exposures: East, South and South-East.
Therefore we operate a very strict selection of our plots with a separate vinification of the grapes coming from about forty “lieux-dits” located in Vertus Premier Cru. This mosaic of expressions gives specific personalities and identities to each of the blends in our cuvées. Moreover, we are fortunate in having a further advantage: the average age of our vines is over 40 years.
Moreover, this vineyard was mostly grafted by massal selection by our grandfather Albert since 1930. A real advantage which brings regularity and complexity to our wines.
The perfect age to best extract the salts and minerals from the soil. Our soils are fed with compost, some of the vineyards are ploughed and some are grassed over for better protection.
Our vine-grower friends, seduced by our methods, have not hesitated to entrust us with their harvests. Thanks to a strict selection of grapes, we have a wider range in the wealth of expressions from our village, Vertus Premier Cru and extended to other Premiers Crus and Grands Crus in the region.
The Privilege of a Clos in Champagne
The Cuvée “Clos Notre Dame”, a rare bottle, comes from a single plot, a single grape variety, Chardonnay, and a single great Vintage…
The Faubourg de l’Abbaye Notre Dame is an exceptional terroir with its specific subsoil and micro-climate. Listed as a Clos since the 19th century, this property, nestled in the heart of the village of Vertus Premier Cru, belongs solely to the Fourny family.
Its special vinification in small oak casks as well as ten years of ageing in our own cellars put forward its exceptional minerality and complexity.
Only a few hundreds of bottles, recently disgorged and with an Extra Brut dosage, are at last ready to be enjoyed by connoisseurs…