Champagne Jean François Launay
A family owned Champagne house in the Marne Valley, working traditional and forgotten grape varieties from vineyard to bottle.
At A Glance
- Fact
- Detail
- Village
- Venteuil
- Area
- Marne Valley
- Vineyard holding
- Approximately 5.3 hectares
- Main grapes
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris and Arbane
- Signature cuvée
- Cuvée de Réserve Brut
- Defining feature
- Family production across three generations
The Producer
The vineyard combines traditional Champagne varieties with Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris, three grapes that had nearly disappeared from the region. Champagne Jean François Launay is family owned and works across three generations, with the family handling vineyard work, harvesting, vinification, ageing, bottling and marketing.
The house keeps every stage close to the vines. Its range includes a six grape Brut, a Blanc de Blancs built from three white varieties, a Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier cuvée, and a vintage Champagne matured in the cellar.
Place
Venteuil is the house's village in the Marne Valley. The vineyards cover approximately 5.3 hectares. No soil, slope or exposure detail is supplied for the holding, so the place is defined here by its valley setting and vineyard scale.
Wines
Cuvée de Réserve Brut is composed of Pinot Noir 40%, Chardonnay 30%, Pinot Meunier 15%, Pinot Gris 10%, Petit Meslier 3% and Arbane 2%. It matures for 30 months, includes one third reserve wines and carries a dosage of 6 grams per litre.
Grain de Folie is a Blanc de Blancs made from Chardonnay, Petit Meslier and Arbane. Les Créateurs combines Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and receives 24 months of élevage. Millésime 2018 is a vintage cuvée with 12% alcohol, long cellar maturation and a place at the table with meat dishes including veal.
In The Glass
Cuvée de Réserve is fresh and aromatic, with citrus and bergamot. Pinot Noir brings power, Pinot Meunier brings roundness and Chardonnay gives freshness. Grain de Folie has fine bubbles characteristic of Petit Meslier, with Arbane completing the blend. Les Créateurs brings red fruit, strawberries and cherries, with fruitiness and controlled power. Millésime 2018 has complex balance after long cellar maturation.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Grain de Folie Blanc de Blancs. It combines Chardonnay, Petit Meslier and Arbane in a single white cuvée, giving the house's forgotten grape varieties a clear place beside Chardonnay. Cuvée de Réserve uses a wider grape blend, while Les Créateurs is built from the two Pinot grapes. The label names the category plainly, Blanc de Blancs, and the blend names each of its three grapes.
Final Word
Champagne Jean François Launay is a Marne Valley house whose vineyards include both traditional and forgotten Champagne grapes. The bottles cover Cuvée de Réserve Brut, Grain de Folie Blanc de Blancs, Les Créateurs and Millésime 2018, with family control extending from vineyard work through bottling.
Sources
- www.champagne-jean-francois-launay.fr/en
- www.champagne-jean-francois-launay.fr/en/reserve
- www.champagne-jean-francois-launay.fr/en/grain-de-folie
- www.vignerons-independants-champagne.com/en/champagne-jean-francois-launay
- www.cavedessacres.com/en/product/champagne-jean-francois-launay-cuvee-de-reserve
- www.champagne-jean-francois-launay.fr/en/boutique/les-createurs
- www.champagne-jean-francois-launay.fr/en/millesime
- www.champagne-jean-francois-launay.fr/en/boutique/reserve