Pierre Gimonnet never ceases to impress and amaze us. They consistently deliver some of the best expressions of the Côte des Blancs from their vast holdings of prized old-vine plots, easily gliding to the top of our favorite Grower Champagne houses list. Their history of grape growing in the region dates back to 1750, and they’ve been bottling their own estate Champagnes since 1935. Over the years and generations, they have built one of the finest estates in the Côte des Blancs – with nearly 30 hectares of Grand Cru and Premier Cru plots, mostly Chardonnay, and mostly in their home turf of Cuis, then Cramant and Chouilly, with smaller parcels in Oger, Vertus, and a bit of Pinot Noir in Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.

Most interesting about the estate is its possession of old vines – some of the oldest anywhere in Champagne. They have two plots in Cramant that are over 110 years old – planted in 1911 and 1913, respectively – plus more than 70% percent of their holdings at 30-plus years old (again, truly unheard of for Champagne). This Special Club’s 100% Chardonnay grapes are pulled entirely from the village of Oger, in the hallowed Terres de Noël, Brulis, Champs Nérons, and Fondy sites that cover a variety of Oger’s terroirs.

The style of Pierre Gimonnet consistently captures the pure, unbridled expression of the chalk soils of the Côte des Blancs – crunchy, powerful, searingly bright, and mineral-driven. This 2016 Special Club fully lives up to its forebears with expressive aromas of muddled white raspberries, white peach, Parmesan rind, and fresh croissants. In the mouth, the wine offers a robust mousse with a pithy, grainy texture that delivers tangy and bright flavors of orange slices on a summer day, candied ginger, preserved lemons, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. This is classy and energetic, with salty mineral accents and fine acidity filling it with endless depth. We can never get enough Gimonnet, and this is yet another very special bottling indeed. The lowest price in the country makes it an easy yes!