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By the time Suenen took the keys at his family domaine, it had acquired vines throughout the Marne. Early in the piece, Aurélien judged that it would be impossible for him to work the entire domaine as meticulously as he wanted. So, with one exception, he sold the northern plots in the Vallée de la Marne and Montagne de Reims. That he kept hold of La Grande Vigne speaks volumes about the quality of this site. La Grande Vigne is a 0.21-hectare plot of ungrafted Meunier in a stunning terroir in Montigny-sur-Vesle (part of the Massif de Saint-Thierry).
This small parcel of 50-year-old vines combines deep sandy, silty soils of the Thanetian era—similar to those in Merfy and Gueux—with a flat, north-western exposure. This terroir revels in Meunier’s spicy side. Raised in a single 600-litre demi muid for 10 months, the 2017 spent 68 months on less until disgorgement, with 3 g/L dosage in June 2023. It’s tightly wound, as you would expect of a young Suenen wine, while the aromas and flavours blend spicy, dark mineral edginess with the warmth of toasted sourdough and some sweet floral notes. This gorgeous wine starts with beautiful precision and explodes on the chiselled, umami-like finish.