Pierre Gimonnet Cramant Grand Cru Special Club 2012

Cramant Grand Cru 2012 is an interpretation of a unique Terroir, considered by the Gimonnet family as the best TERROIR of their Domaine, because all the vines are located in the heart of Terroir and are really old; 80% are 50+years and two of the vineyards “Fond du Bateau” and “Buissons” were planted in 1911 and 1913. As a member of the famous 'Club Trésors' (Special Club) Gimonnet bottle their best cuvees in the Special Club embossed bottle shape.

"Our favourite terroir. Silky elegance and depth" - Didier Gimonnet

Weather: The 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Relatively low yields due to various weather conditions throughout the year. The winter months brought some frosts and hail which damaged the early stages of bud burst. August and September were very warm and this helped rescue and give the grapes a stunning maturity. Harvested on 19th & 20th September 2012 and fermented in stainless steel with no oak contact.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Cramant Grand Cru
Specific Vineyards in Cramant: 32% Buissons, 22% Bauves, 14% Champ de Prevot, 16% Fond du Bateau
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Ageing: 3 years on the lees
Disgorged: 17th April 2018
Dosage: 4 g/l
Pressure: 5.5 bars
Drink: Now to 2030
Production: 3013 bottles

Tasting Note: Very fresh with bundles of lemon and lime and beautiful chalky character. The low dosage makes it extra brut but that doesn’t come across as it has so much fruit and ripeness mixed with lees character that builds up to some light custard layering. This feels young and vibrant with an exciting future. This is a good example showing how good one grape variety can be in a region.

The story of Champagne Gimonnet is, in fact, “Pierre Gimonnet et Fils... et PetitsFils”, as the grandsons of the founder, brothers Olivier and Didier Gimonnet are the custodians of this family House in the Côte des Blancs. The Gimonnet family can be traced back to 1750 growing vines around the village of Cuis, south of Epernay, but it was between the wars that Pierre Gimonnet set up the winery that allowed him to become a grower-producer, specialising in Blanc de Blancs. Pierre Gimonnet was succeeded by his son Michel, whom his sons credit with a hard-working modesty but an obsession with quality of winemaking and a passion for the vines he spent his life walking and working between.

Olivier and Didier worked with their father for a decade until his retirement in 1996 (he died in 2008), and have continued, and improved on, his work for over 20 years.

Michel’s understanding of terroir led him to acquire parcels beyond Cuis and into neighbouring Cramant and Chouilly. His sons have continued this principle, expanding into Oger in 2005 and as far south as Vertus in 2008. The House now has 40 separate parcels across 28 hectares – 16ha of Premier Cru and 12ha of Grand Cru – all in the Côte des Blancs. The one geographical limit they have set is the bounds of the Côte des Blancs because it is determined to explore the variety of expressions of Chardonnay and achieve excellence in its different characteristics.

Didier and Olivier believe, as did their father, that Chardonnay vines improve with age, among the vines owned by Gimonnet are some in Cramant more than a century old, while over half are 40 years old or more. Massale selection is used to ensure the continuation of good genes when grafting and planting new parcels. At harvest time, grapes are handpicked, traditionally pressed and then vinified in small batches, parcel by parcel, in 25 to 125 hectalitre tanks to create the Gimonnet champagne.