Champagnes

The Gimonnets restrict themselves to working solely with Chardonnay sourced from high quality plots on the Côtes des Blancs, with about 26 hectares all told, 14 hectares of premier cru vineyards in Cuis and 12 hectares of grand cru vines in Cramant and Chouilly. Since 2005 they have also tended vines in a 1 hectare plot in Oger, again rated as a grand cru site.

The vineyards in Cramant include two plots first planted in 1911 and 1913, and the Gimmonnets are endowed with many old vines, the majority being more than 30 years old, with many over 40 years of age. Once harvested by hand, the fruit goes through a pneumatic press, and the juice is vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel cuves which vary in size from 25 to 125 hectolitres, to facilitate fermentation plot-by-plot.

There is a philosophy against Chaptalisation at the domaine; the very old vines, those that have more than 80 years under their belt, are rarely manipulated in this fashion, with 1987 and the terrible 2001 vintage being the only recent vintages where this was deemed necessary. But across the domaine as a whole Chaptalisation is avoided, with none in any wines in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 2002.

A full review of the range should begin, however, with the non-vintage Cuis Premier Cru, after which comes Fleuron, the entry-level vintage wine, accounting for 30-50% of the harvest; it is selected from a number of terroirs, and is never purely grand cru, apparently benefitting from the acidity brought by the inclusion of wine from Cuis which accounts for 30-50% of the blend, the balance being Cramant and Chouilly. Thereafter come the Gastronome and Oenophile cuvées, both potentially excellent. The former is a blend from Cramant, Chouilly and Cuis, although the proportions vary considerably with the vintage.

In 1999, for instance, Cuis dominated with 42% of the blend, with 37% Chouilly and 21% Cramant, but in 2000 it was 50% Chouilly, the balance split equally between Cramant and Cuis. The latter of these two wines is also a blend across all three villages, using old vines, but here the distinction is dosage; this is an Extra-Brut. At the top are the Special Club and Millésime de Collection cuvées, both special wines I am told, but my experience of these is limited.

Wine Spectator : 90 points
"Brisk and compact, exhibiting apple, floral and lemon notes on a lean profile. Nicely balanced and crisp on the finish. Drink now through 2010." (2009)

Stephen Tanzer’s : 92 points
"Pale gold with a frothy mousse. Highly aromatic bouquet of tangerine, pear, minerals, sweet butter and lees ; smells like a Puligny-Montrachet. Fine, focused and pure, offering spicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a strong mineral bite. The minerality gains strength on the finish, which is spicy and strikingly energetic. This pure, graceful Champagne would be perfect with oysters. All of Gimonnet’s wines go through malolactic fermentation." (2009)

Bettane & Desseauve, Grand guide des vins de France 2010 : 15/20

Guide Hachette 2010 :

Les meilleurs vins de France 2010 : 14,5/20

GaultMillau 2010 : 15,5/20

David Cobbold : 15/20