Pierre Gimonnet & Fils - Spécial Club 2005 - Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay

Didier and Olivier Gimonnet carry on the family estate, cultivating 30 hectares and 40 plots across five villages on the Côte des Blancs—Cuis, Cramant, Oger, Chouilly, and Vertus—from which they strive to produce the purest expressions of these wines, with low dosages. As true lovers of the vineyard, their viticultural approach is focused on respecting the soil and promoting biodiversity. Pioneers in plot-by-plot winemaking in stainless-steel tanks, in the art of blending, and in producing truly dosage-free champagnes, the Gimonnet style is recognizable for its refined, precise, and elegant complexity.

The Gimonnet de Cuis family traces its roots back to the 18th century. The champagne house was founded in the 1920s by Pierre. His son Michel was an early adopter of single-vineyard winemaking. After joining the estate in the 1980s, his grandsons Didier and Olivier took over in 1996. They manage a large estate (29 hectares) in the Côte des Blancs, comprising Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. Their lineup features Blanc de Blancs, with the exception of rosé.

 

Few Champagne winemakers can claim, as Didier and Olivier Gimonnet do, to manage a 28-hectare estate in the Côte des Blancs, including 12 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards in Cuis, Vertus, Cramant, Chouilly, and Oger. The two brothers continue the tradition of blending terroirs, upholding their refined, understated style—free of any harshness (thanks to malolactic fermentation) and never overly exuberant—appealing to novices and connoisseurs of great Blanc de Blancs alike. The Gimonnets brilliantly tame the Chardonnays of Cuis, which are often cold and austere.