Champagne Gardet Cuvée Charles Gardet Prestige Brut Premier Cru 2006

Charles Gardet’s son, Georges Gardet, moved the house to the charming village of Chigny-les-Roses in the 1930s, and it has thrived in this lesser-known town ever since (alongside the Lasalle Family and Armand de Brignac – of Ace of Spades fame – to name a few). In 2007, the year after these grapes were harvested, the estate was sold to the Prieux family, with Christophe Prieux running both this and the neighboring domaine of Maison Ployez-Jacquemart. The Prieux family’s roots to Champagne can be traced to the 1600s, and with Gardet’s rise in quality over the short few years of his ownership… this just might be the best Champagne house you’ve never heard of.

And yet, Maison Gardet has been making Champagne since the late 1800s – relying on a combination of tradition, modern techniques, and meticulous sourcing to create their portfolio of 13 spectacular cuvees that spread across all conceivable styles of Champagne. This cuvee, selected from their rare “Prestige" series, is named for the founder of their house, Charles Gardet, and it is simply exceptional. All 2006 vintage fruit, with select Grand Cru and Premier Cru grapes (70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir), aged for an incredible 16.5 years on the lees (something like 98% of all Champagne spends less than 3, FYI). Everything here is simply pristine – and the price we scored makes it that much more exquisite.

This is an ancient house that has thrived under new ownership and a full-scale facility modernization, perhaps most obviously with this flagship cuvée. The balance here is utterly superb, fermenting in stainless for 8 months with no malo and 5 g/L Brut dosage. The overall effect is ripe, round, and creamy with a delicate mousse and highly vinous quality. Coming up on nearly two decades since harvest – this gloriously golden wine exhibits plenty of aged nuance and complexity, all held together in a bright and fresh vein of crystalline acidity. Taste apples and pears of all sorts, with a nutty, sweet sensation of nougat, some grassy, buttery cream notes, and a warm and spicy finish of clove, cardamom, and nutmeg. The staying power and intensity is impressive, with a tenacity that is sure to hold for another several years yet! I’ll say it again, this is something you’ll want in great supply – and rare, vintage, extensively aged Champagnes such as this don’t come around every day!