NV Gimonnet 1er Cru Brut 'Selection Belles Annees'

Champagne, France

Didier Gimonnet is the second generation of growers to direct this superb estate, with 28 hectares of holdings in grand and premier cru villages, predominantly in the Côte de Blancs. The winery is in the premier cru village of Cuis where Didier’s family has been growing grapes since 1750. The high percentage of old vines at this estate sets it apart in a region suffering from a plethora of very young vineyards. Seventy percent of Gimonnet’s holdings are over 30 years old, of which some forty percent are over 40 years old. Don’t tell anyone, but…this wine is actually the 2013 ‘Cuvee Gastronome’! No, we’re not kidding. In 2013, Didier Gimonnet made the hard financial decision to declassify his Cuvee Gastronome and decided to release the wine under his Belles Années label…It’s 100% Chardonnay. 100% 2013. A blend of 65% Cramant Grand Cru, 18% Chouilly Grand Cru and 10.5% Oger Grand Cru, 6.5% Cuis 1ers Cru. Wine is fermented is stainless steel; the reserve wine is aged in magnums under 1.5 atmospheres of pressure for 1-6 years. Aged on lees for around 50 months. Dosage is 5.5g/L. So this is a bit softer and creamier than his other cuvées. Jump on this one at this crazy low price…Sweet floral orchard fruit bring lovely inner sweetness and perfume not to mention impeccable overall balance. It's very nicely done. Best of all, it will drink well right out of the gate.