Champagne Pierre Gimonnet: tasting these excellent grower Champagnes with Didier Gimonnet
Website: https://www.champagne-gimonnet.com/
Based in Cuis, Gimonnet is one of the larger grower Champagne producers with 28 hectares of vines. Half of these vineyards are in the premier cru village of Cuis, in the north of the Côte de Blancs, with 11 hectares split between the grand crus of Cramant and Chouilly. They also have vineyards in Oger, Vertus and Aÿ. Many of these vineyards are old: 70% of their grand cru holdings are over 40 years.
Didier Gimonnet is at the helm here and uses only stainless steel for fermentation, resulting in very clean, precise wines. All reserve wines are kept in bottle with just a tiny bit of sugar (5 g) added to keep things fresh (they are slightly fizzy, having undergone a little bit of secondary fermentation). He started doing this in 1982, and now has a collection of reserve wines that he calls ‘medicine wines’. So when it comes to blending the NV he uses a mix of regular reserve wines plus some medicine wines. ‘It’s very precise,’ he says. ‘You blend only what you need and what you like.’
I tasted through the range with Didier in London, and here are my notes.
For a longer article on Gimonnet based on a visit in 2019 see this article.
THE WINES
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Cuis Premier Cru NV France
This is based on a single vintage (here 2020) and then has a blend of reserve wines and medicine wines (here 11 different reserve wines from 8 vintages). Very fine with lovely detail, showing some depth but always focusing on crisp citrus fruit, with a hint of peach. Fine and pure. 92/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Rosé de Blancs 1er Cru NV France
This is 93% Chardonnay and 7% Pinot Noir, and Didier describes it as a rosé in the style of a Blanc de Blancs Champagne. Fresh and taut with nice citrus fruit and a hint of red cherry. Very fine and pure with nice texture, as well as a touch of sweetness on the finish. 92/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Cuvée Fleuron 2017 France
2017 saw lower yields than normal, and Didier says this is a little more oxidative than it normally is, from a very early harvest. Fine, bright and linear with lovely precision. Lemony and focused with linear citrus fruit. Taut, mineral and very fresh. 93/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Special Club 2016 France
This is a selection of old plots, mostly from Chamant and Chouilly but also with 15% from Cuis. 50-110 year old vines. Appley and aromatic on the nose with nice depth. Concentrated, precise palate with high acidity and plenty of toast and butter notes supporting the citrus fruit. Very fine. Bold, complex and intense. 94/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Special Club Cramant Grand Cru 2016 France
Since 2012 Didier has been doing a few bottles of each specific terroir he works with. This comes from 14 different plots in seven different lieu dits in Cramant. It’s lively, focused and bright with depth to the citrus fruit, and notes of pear and white peach adding extra layers. Great depth and balance with some structure, fine texture and a long chalky finish. 96/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Oenophile Non Dosé 2008 France
This was disgorged in April 2023 after 14 years on lees. Hints of apple and pear on the nose with some orange peel and some dried straw notes. Lively and intense and structured, with nice intensity and some evolution. Dry but ripe and expressive, this has a lot of depth to it. 94/100
Older notes:
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Cuis Premier Cru NV France
100% Chardonnay, 2012 base wine, reserves kept in bottle, 18-30 months ageing on lees, full malolactic, 8 g/l dosage. This shows lovely focus with taut citrus fruit, some fine herbs and nice brightness. A really lovely pure Blanc de Blancs. 92/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Fleuron 1er Cru 2010 France
100% Chardonnay. 30% Chouilly, 42.5% Cramant, 9% Oger, 18.5% Cuis. Full malolactic and a dosage of 4.5 g/litre. This is very focused and lemony with tight, pure citrus fruit. Pristine and focused with amazing purity and keen acidity. Just so fine and focused with real finesse. 95/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Oenophile Non-Dosé 1er Cru 2008 France
100% Chardonnay. Essentially Fleuron with nose dosage: in this vintage 33.5% Cramant, 32.5% Chouilly, 10% Oger, 22% Cuis, 2% Vertus. Full malolactic, then 6 years on lees. Beautifully poised and elegant with real finesse. Lovely tight lemony fruit with some density, but also real elegance. Subtle notes of wax, herbs and pith. Very pure. 95/100
Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Gastronome 1er Cru 2012 France
100% Chardonnay from Chouilly (38%), Cuis (17%), Cramant (24%), Oger (10%), Vertus (11%), fermented in stainless steel with malolactic. 4 years on lees, and dosage of 6.5 g/l. Less pressure, in order to make it gastronomic. This has lovely complexity with taut citrus fruit, some baked apple richness, and some yellow plum. Lively and complex, filling the whole palate. Textured with some structure and kept fresh with keen acidity. 94/100
UK agent: Armit Wines
