Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
This week it was time for Champagne Friday 10.0 – Richard Juhlin tasting A trio of Pierre Gimonnet ’Spécial Club’ – Cramant, Oger, Chouilly
‘All our wines are deeply rooted in the chalky soils of the northerly Côte des Blancs: one of the most high-regarded terroirs in Champagne. This is the story of our House and our champagnes.’
Olivier & Pierre Gimonnet
Read their fabulous story on terroir [link to Champagne Gimonnet]
Pierre Gimonnet & Fils accourding to Champagne Club by Richard Juhlin
When you travel through the Côte des Blancs you can see Gimonnet’s house just by the road. It’s easy to drop in spontaneously and maybe even have an improvised tasting. The Gimonnet family has lived in the village of Cuis since the middle of the 17th century, and began to bottle wines under their own label in the early 20th century. Gimonnet owns twenty-eight hectares of Chardonnay in Cuis, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger and Vertus.
The firm creates very well-made, low-priced Blanc de Blancs. They own two plots in Cramant with vines planted in 1911! The vintage will start early at Gimonnet, and yet, it will be picked very ripe – at an average of 11˚ potential alcohol, with the oldest parcels picked closer to 12°. In the winery, the fermentations are done in stainless and carried out in small tanks to enable parcel-by-parcel vinification.
Unfortunately, Didier and Olivier Gimonnet didn’t like mono-cru Champagne, which means that their Special Club is derived from this Cramant wine – but lightened up by tart, fresh Cuis. Today they have changed direction and produce two fantastick Special Club from Chouilly and Cramnat. Gimonnet know exactly what they want to do with their Champagnes, and they love young, fresh and dry Champagne that has gone through malolactic fermentation. Just in time for the Millennium, they introduced their finest wine – Gimonnet Collection – but only in magnum, of course. Larmandier in Cramant is made by Gimonnet, and a few wines are identical, even if Larmandier Special Club is richer in style, with 100 percent Cramant. The price is far lower than the big companies’ nonvintage champagnes, despite the quality being higher.
