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. Michel’s understanding of terroir led him to acquire parcels beyond Cuis and into neighbouring Cramant and Chouilly. Olivier and Didier worked with their father Michel for a decade until his retirement in 1996 (he died in 2008), and have continued, and improved on, his work for over 20 years. 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. 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. Today they produce 250,000 bottles.

Special Club was created in 1971 by 12 grower-producers, now called the Club Trésors de Champagne. Their mission “to promote Champagne produced from 100% estate-owned grapes that are supremely terroir-expressive.” Members can offer a special cuvée to represent the best of their estate which has to be approved by a panel of winemakers to confirm the high standards of the club and it can only be from a top vintage.

The Special Club Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay blend represents a small blend of the oldest vines in the house where the grape vines are over forty years old and the two oldest were planted in 1911 and 1913 made mostly of Cramant Grand Cru 60% and Chouilly Grand Cru 25% and a hint of Cuis 1er cru 15%. As a member of the famous 'Club Trésors' (Special Club) Gimonnet bottle their best cuvees in the Special Club embossed bottle shape.

Weather: 2014 was characterised by mild temperatures and frequent rainfall and a few weeks of high temperatures. On paper it looks like a very solid vintage with good ripeness and acidity. Full flowering began in June. Summer was a combination of dry, wet and cold spells. Some regions saw some disease and Meunier in the Marne Valley didn’t have a great year and some of the Pinot Noir with its thinner skin made it more difficult for the red grapes. Harvest took place from 8th to 20th September. A year where there was a need to do a lot of careful picking and sorting of the red grapes to maintain the high quality. In general Chardonnay is the star of the vintage with some super good Blanc de Blancs starting to appear on the market. There will be some good champagnes from 2014 and exceptional Blanc de Blancs.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Cote des Blancs - 84% Grand Crus 25% Chouilly, 59% Cramant & 16% Cuis Premier Cru
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 5 years
Disgorged: February 2020
Dosage: 4 g/l
Pressure: 5.5 bars
Drink: Now to 2030
Annual Production: 24,876 bottles & 1,172 Magnums Millseime de Collection

Tasting Note: Beautifully pure, floral nose. On the palate a racy, energetic feel with nuances of stone fruit, acacia, brioche and underlying minerality. Lovely purity, which has a long, crisp, slightly nutty finish. Exemplary Blanc de Blancs and great apéritif style. White flowers and crisp apple join chorus making this supremely refreshing as well as exceedingly moreish.

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. Today they produce 250,000 bottles.