Pierre Gimonnet Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay Special Club 2014

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 saw a warm and dry spring leading to many predicting a later harvest in August, July was damp and cooler so the ripening process was slowed. September was warm and the grape varietals were ready to be picked in a close time. Picking was around ten days. Harvest 16-20th September 2014.

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.