From: Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Taste and Critical Acclaim:
J94 James Suckling
Date2022-07-18
"Chalk and crushed stone with apples and dried lemons on the nose, following through to a full body with a dense center-palate and a crisp, zesty finish. Dosage 0g/L. Disgorged in April 2022. Lots going on here. Drink now."
Pairing: In Roger Voss’ 2017 Wine Enthusiast article, The Magic of Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Didier Gimonnet says he opts to drink his champagnes with scallops, sushi or other raw fish and shellfish. So with the grower’s blessing, we suggest this champagne with a classic preparation of scallops: Seared Scallops with Garlic Beurre Blanc.
About. Since before 1750, the Gimonnet family has been tending to vineyards in the premier cru village of Cuis in the Côte des Blancs. They supplied the great Champagne houses with grapes up until the 1930s when grape sales fell during the prolonged recession of the period. Monsieur Pierre Gimonnet finally decided to take up the challenge of vinifying and commercializing his own harvest. It was a great struggle at first to establish a clientele who were not, at that time, accustomed to "Blanc de Blancs" Champagnes, not least from a new and small independent producer.
Pierre Gimonnet built this reputation from the ground up, based on his exceptional vineyard, his half a century of experience, and the uncompromising standards that he imposed upon himself. In the tradition of all great winemakers, Gimonnet sought to limit the production of grapes in search of quality from the beginning.
The estate is now run by Olivier and Didier, who share Pierre’s fanaticism. Over the years, the family added to their holdings in Cuis, acquiring other Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte de Blancs. Today, the estate’s 29.4 hectares are located in Cuis, Chouilly (including 3 hectares of ‘Montaigu’, planted in 1951), Cramant (since 1958, coming in large part from Olivier & Didier’s mother, née Larmandier), Oger (since 2005), and Vertus (since 2008).
