Pierre Gimonnet Gastronome 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Vintage Brut

Methods... There are a number of valid paths to enjoyable Champagne. Didier Gimmonnet is frank about harvesting higher yields per acre than some of his peers in the grower Champagne community, including his famous cousin at nearby Larmandier-Bernier. But what Didier does works for his fields, 40-90 year-old vines mostly in Cuis, Chouilly, Cramant and Vertus. His methods service the aesthetics of transparency and brightness he strives to create in his wines. The fruit is meticulously, honestly farmed, and the resulting wines are balanced and ripe. You can easily get a denser or more ageworthy Champagne: finding one that is more fun to drink is a significantly more difficult proposition.

The land... Cuis is village in the northern Cote de Blancs region of Champagne. So in terms of "Heart of Champagne" geography I suppose that makes Cuis the north of the south. Like North Carolina... unfortunately for our grape farmers, similarities end there. The land around Cuis is gently rolling and green, the air is cool for most of the year, the soils are close to pure chalk. While enchanced by valueable vineyards scattered around nearby Grand Cru villages, Cuis and its Chardonnay vines are the flavor of Pierre Gimmonet Champagne. OK, he has a tiny amount of Pinot Noir. These things always have to be complicated.