Pierre GimonnetCuis, Côte des Blancs

Producer profile
PL "quintessential champagnes of the northern Côte des Blancs", "the best estate in Cuis", their NV Blanc de Blancs is "crisp, lithe, racy" and 100% Cuis. Cuvée Gastronome is bottled with less pressure, around 4 atmospheres, "for a creamier texture and richer mouthfeel". Paradoxe is sourced largely from Aÿ. Cuvée Oenophile is the non-dosé and longer aged portion of the Fleuron blend, the house vintage cuvée. Original member of the Club de Trésors de Champagne, Gimonnet introduced in 2012 three single-terroir Special Club cuvées from Chouilly, Cramant, and Oger. 28 hectares total with 80% of the 12 grand cru hectares planted with vines over 45 years old. Two Cramant parcels that go into Special Club are planted with 1911 and 1913 vines. TyS 8/10 "glorious estate" run by "very hands-on" brothers Didier and Olivier Gimonnet, creating wines with "expressive, chalky minerality", "high-strung tension, crystalline structure and rapier-sharp precision". "Legendary grower" with "enviable vineyards and meticulous practices". No grapes are purchased. 5.5 hectares of Cramant vineyards are their best domains. Single-terroir Special Clubs are "thundering" cuvées but the house preference is for blends vs monoterroir, harmony vs intensity, and minerality vs fruit. Vinification is done in "gleaming stainless steel" to have "no other taste than the fruit". All grapes are pressed within 6 hours of harvest because of the proximity of the vineyards to the house. Cool clarification procedure prior to fermentation is done like at Billecart-Salmon and Paul Roger "for the refined elegance of style". Gimonnet employs malo "to soften the high acidity of Cuis" and dosage is "very important to avoid angular wines". ToS 90 "value", Gimonnet is "committed to blending", with Cuis fruit as "the soul of the house", giving the core to the "seamless and purist style" of the range. TT 2019 Champagne catalog page 195 (see also 2017 and 2013).

Tasting notes

Cuvée Paradoxe 2008. Disgorged September 20 2017. 52% pinot noir and 48% chardonnay. No dosage indicated. Exceptionally tight fresh cork but no gush and only a nice cloud escaping from the bottle. Festive purple label. Intensely toasty aroma immediately wafts from the bottle's mouth. Vivid yellow color with a medium mousse. Although this wine smells sweet, it is actually quite dry, almost lemony. Concentrated, even opulent nose contrasts with a linear, nearly austere taste. Strong character and evident age with an exceptionally lees-forward nose. Associations with honey and tart heritage apples. Purchased at Molly's Spirits in summer 2020 for $55. Purchased August 4 2016 disgorgement at Gordon's in autumn 2020 for $56. The flavor of this second bottle registered as broad and accommodating with appetizing bitterness from the lees. The same tremendous aromatics. Terrific value. TT 2016 Champagne catalog page 8.  ⭐⭐⭐

Special Club Chouilly 2012. Disgorged April 17 2018, dosage 4g. Yellow plaque de muselet. Flimsy paper label, a most underwhelming Special Club presentation. Good detail on the back. Bright yellow wine with a slight green tinge. The nose shows lees development and brings associations with ripe mango and a Russian soft meringue dessert called "pastila". The taste reinforces these impressions with notes of vanilla, custard, and crème brûlée. Finishes with a slightly dry, powdery, and chalky impression on the tongue. Microscopic bubbles. Compared to Oger, this shows more pronounced cellar-age characteristics. It is sweeter, richer, and more beguiling than Oger. TT 2019 Champagne catalog page 197 (see also 2017). Purchased at Molly's Spirits in summer 2020 for $115.  ⭐⭐⭐

Special Club Oger 2012. Disgorged November 29 2016, much earlier than Chouilly from the same vintage. The same flimsy paper label and less detailed back. Gray plaque de muselet. Wine color similar to Chouilly. The nose carries a lighter-toned sweetness and an association with graham biscuits. There is a distinctive spicy nuance in the aromatics that is different from Chouilly. The flavor is dry, acidic, but expressive, not at all austere. There is salinity in the taste, bringing associations with ocean and oysters, the plump and creamy West Coast types. On the second day presents notes of unripe crunchy pear, green plum, and faint cool florals like jasmine. Chalky with pleasant bitterness. TT 2017 Champagne catalog page 8. Purchased at Molly's Spirits in summer 2020 for $115.  ⭐⭐⭐

Special Club Cramant 2012. Bottled April 22 2013, disgorged April 17 2018, dosage 4g. 3013 bottles produced. Fantastic detail on the back. Red plaque de muselet. Wine similar in color to the others. Very musseaux with persistent foam and very small bead. Vivacious and festive. Curiously, it didn't really open up on the first day: felt quite dry, verging on linear, unripe, almost ungenerous. There was a momentary but recurring soapy note. Completely different impression 3(!) days later. Balanced acidity, taut and bright but not austere. Excellent mousse retention. Notable but pleasant and sort of piquant bitterness, not quite like the familiar effect of the lees. Engaging floral aromatics and notes of light-baked pastry. Warrants a retaste to see if it can present as well on the first day. TT 2019 Champagne catalog page 197 (see also 2017). Purchased at Gordon's in autumn 2020 for $105.  ⭐⭐

Special Club 2008. Disgorged July 21 2015. Quiet clean cork. Chalky smell from the mouth of the bottle. Noticeably greenish hue. Profusely ebullient with microscopic bubbles tracing the finest of ribbons. Bright balanced flavor with a fleeting tropical nuance, maybe passionfruit? Crunchy and ripe at the same time. Distinctive and definite fresh air quality but with a supple sensual note. It is beautiful right away. High-toned toastiness. Hugely fragrant, with luscious bitterness from Zalto Burgundy and stoniness from Zalto White Wine glass. It expands with lavishness and even drive while its energy remains focused. Superb and dominating, this wine is hors concours, like Hamilton's Mercedes. Awfully persuasive indeed. $5,050! No kidding. TT 2016 Champagne catalog page 7. Purchased at Catherine's in autumn 2020 for $105. ⭐⭐⭐

Special Club 2012. 60% Cramant, 30% Chouilly, 10% Cuis. Disgorged January 24 2014, dosage 4g. Uncorked with force and resonance. Coolly fragrant and ample with acidity and bitterness in perfect equipoise. Toasty buckwheat notes, oily savor, clarity, and creaminess. Frothy, salty, spicy, scallopy, and ticklingly sweet on the nose. Headily gorgeous. TT 2017 Champagne catalog page 8. Purchased at Spirited Gourmet in spring 2021 for $93. ⭐⭐⭐

Oenophile 2008. Disgorged February 11 2016. Chalk, buckwheat, concentrated balsamic acidity, tons of darkly toasted brioche, dry, minerally. Sweeter from Jancis and stupidly good from Zalto Burgundy glass. Super multi-dimensional. Tantalizing high-toned something... black bread, wet, dipped into...? Creamy cool pulpy fruit and maybe bitter valerian. Unshelled glossy black sunflower seeds in a newspaper cone. Sour cream between the layers of honey cake. Idiotically tasty. All this sans dosage so who's "baking the cookies"? TT 2016 Champagne catalog page 7. Purchased at Vintages in spring 2021 for $71. ⭐⭐⭐

Special Club 2006 Magnum. Slightly uneven wrinkly cork but it expands nicely and there is no odor. The wine itself smells sweetly creamy. Vigorous, loudly foaming mousse. Interesting series of flavors: sour caramelized yogurt, chalk, sterling silver patina. Vibrant, singing, saturated, and puzzling wine with a long inscrutable finish. Delightful even on day 4. Purchased at Molly's in summer 2021 for $198. ⭐⭐

Fleuron 2009 Magnum. Disgorged July 24 2017. Clean barrel-shaped cork of medium expansion. Very foamy pour with mousse rising high before falling like a failed soufflé, leaving unseemly wet glass. A whiff of barnyard, a surprise burp of indigestion.. Very sweet at first sip with pleasant bitterness coming through eventually but not enough acidity showing up for a while. At last, it develops and grows meadowy and grassy like a fine alpine liquor. Vanilla cookie or some other quaintly perfumed sweetmeat. Shows better on day 2: no reduction, good mousse retention, biscuity but not overly sweet, and with better balance overall. Purchased at Catherine's in spring 2021 for $170. ⭐