Pierre Gimonnet et Fils : "Cuis" Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut 2019

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of the "Cuis" Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut 2019 by Pierre Gimonnet et Fils

Tasting

Color
The wine shows a pale gold color with subtle green glints, animated by a fine and persistent string of bubbles.

Nose
The nose opens on an elegant floral perfume, soon joined by fresh citrus and green apple notes that reflect the chardonnay grape and the chalky soils of Cuis.

Palate
On the palate, the wine is of medium concentration, easy to drink and gently saline, with a fine mousse and a clean, linear chardonnay character that carries through to a crisp, chalky finish.

Food and wine pairings

This "Cuis" Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru is well suited to serving as an aperitif, and its freshness and digestible style also make it a pleasant companion to shellfish, seafood, and simply prepared white meats.

Serving and cellaring

Serve the "Cuis" Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut 2019 chilled, around 8–10°C, to fully appreciate its freshness and chalky character.

Other characteristics

This Brut-style champagne carries a moderate dosage of around 5.5 to 6 grams per liter, keeping it dry while softening its naturally lively acidity.

A Chardonnay-Focused Blanc de Blancs from the Village of Cuis in Champagne's Côte des Blancs

The Estate

Champagne Pierre Gimonnet et Fils was established in 1935 in Cuis, a premier cru village in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. The estate is today run by brothers Olivier and Didier Gimonnet, who continue a family tradition rooted entirely in chardonnay. Specializing almost exclusively in Blanc de Blancs from premier and grand cru vineyards, the house is a founding member of the Club Trésors de Champagne and is recognized for its precise, chalky style built on parcel-by-parcel vinification.

The Vineyard

The grapes for this cuvée come from the village of Cuis, within the appellation Champagne Premier Cru, located on the northern edge of the Côte des Blancs. The vines grow on belemnite chalk soils that provide excellent drainage and mineral depth, with north-facing slopes that preserve freshness and tension in the fruit. Many of the parcels, including the historic "Croix-Blanche" and "Les Roualles," benefit from a notably mature vine stock.

Blend

This non-vintage cuvée is built around a base of the 2019 harvest, which represents about 65.5% of the final blend. It is completed with reserve wines drawn from eight different harvests, reaching back to the 2010 vintage, allowing the house to maintain the consistent style associated with this signature bottling year after year.

Winemaking and aging

Each parcel destined for the "Cuis" Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut 2019 is vinified separately in stainless steel tanks, preserving the pure expression of the chalky terroir without any influence from wood. After six to eight months, the wines are tasted and blended with the selected reserve wines, then undergo malolactic fermentation before bottling. The wine is subsequently aged on lees in the cellar for a minimum of 24 months prior to disgorgement.

Grape Varieties

100% chardonnay.