brut nature.
vignes centenaires.
sans artifice.
Vincent Laval is the fourth generation of his family to farm Cumières, a south-facing village on the Marne where his father Georges became one of only seven growers in Champagne to reject chemicals in 1971. Today, Vincent tends 2.5 hectares of organic and biodynamic vines, producing fewer than 14,000 bottles annually—all Brut Nature, all barrel-fermented, all from vines that have never known herbicide.
Les Sept — When chemicals came, they refused
In 1971, as the rest of Champagne embraced herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, Georges Laval joined six other renegade growers and went organic. The vines had never been treated with chemicals; Georges ensured they never would be. Vincent, who joined the estate in 1991 and took over in 1996, now farms the same way: no pesticides, no herbicides, no chemical fertilizers—only copper, sulfur, and biodynamic preparations.
"Les Longues Violes has never been treated with herbicides, and there are only two other domaines in Champagne like his, where that is the case."
— On the mythical parcel planted in 1947, 1964, and 1984
Vincent's father Georges converted the vineyards to organic in the early 1970s, becoming Champagne's quiet revolutionary. Today, Vincent maintains Ecocert certification and biodynamic practices, progressively buying and exchanging parcels to make his holdings contiguous—protecting them from neighboring chemical sprays.
Unlike conventional Champagne houses that rush to bottle, Vincent waits. Base wines ferment spontaneously in neutral Burgundy barrels and age until fully formed—essentially creating finished still wines before second fermentation even begins. This "late bottling" approach creates depth and vinosity rare in Champagne.
Cumières — First to ripen on the Marne
Cumières sits on the northern bank of the Marne, just west of Épernay, where the Montagne de Reims meets the Vallée de la Marne. South-facing slopes receive the earliest sun in Champagne, making Cumières the first village to harvest each year. The combination of chalk subsoil, clay-limestone topsoil, and optimal exposure creates wines of natural richness and power.
- Les Longues Violes 0.15ha — 1947 Meunier, 1964 & 1984 Pinot Noir — Never treated
- Les Chênes Mid-slope, full south — Chardonnay on chalk with thin clay layer
- Les Hautes Chèvres Upper hillside — 1930-1971 plantings — Meunier & Pinot Noir
- Chambrecy & Hautvillers Additional holdings for Garennes assemblage
- Craie Pure Chalk subsoil with argilo-limestone topsoil
"Cumières is generally the first village in Champagne to ripen... The vineyards face south/southeast, and receive ample sun exposure."
— On the unique microclimate of Laval's terroir
Tout Brut Nature — Complete on their own
Nearly all Laval Champagnes are bottled without dosage. The fruit achieves such perfect maturity—often reaching 11-12% natural alcohol—that no sugar is needed to balance the wines. Raised in used Burgundy barrels (228L pièces to 600L demi-muids), these are transparent, crystalline Champagnes that call to mind the finest white Burgundy with fine bubbles.
Vincent also produces still wines under the Coteaux Champenois appellation: a red Cumières from Pinot Noir (90-95 point scorer) and a Rosé de Saignée. These receive the same barrel treatment and Brut Nature philosophy as his sparkling cuvées, offering a rare glimpse into the base wines before they become Champagne.
Élevage en fût — The Burgundy of Champagne
Vincent's cellar practice is defined by Burgundian patience. Indigenous yeasts only. No temperature control. No selected yeasts. Eight months in old barrels for the Cumières cuvée, six months for Les Chênes, often longer for the single-vineyard wines. The base wines are essentially finished still wines—complete, vinous, structured—before they ever see a bubble.
Fermentation and aging occur in used Burgundy barrels (1-20 years old), ranging from 228L barriques to 600L demi-muids. This provides body and roundness while preserving the nervosité that defines Laval's style. The wines are never filtered, never fined.
Laval bottles late and disgorges late. Les Longues Violes sees 50+ months on lees (sometimes 9 years for the 2014 vintage). The 2012 vintage was disgorged after 50 months in December 2016. This extended aging creates the ethereal finesse and perpetual length that collectors chase.
"These transparent, crystalline Champagnes are well worth the effort to find... How can a Champagne be like this?"
— Describing the startling complexity and Burgundian depth of Laval's wines