Pierre Gimonnet et Fils : Sélection Belles Années Blanc de Blancs Brut

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of Sélection Belles Années Blanc de Blancs Brut NM (Non-Vintage) Pierre Gimonnet et Fils

Tasting

Color

This Champagne displays a pale yellow robe with fine, persistent bubbles rising steadily through the glass.

Nose

The nose opens on floral and citrus notes, with fresh aromatic lift typical of chardonnay grown on chalky soils.

Palate

On the palate, this Sélection Belles Années shows a lively, lemony attack supported by a chalky, mineral backbone. The texture remains precise throughout, with length driven more by tension than by aromatic richness, confirming the crisp, vertical style of this Champagne from Pierre Gimonnet et Fils.

Food and wine pairings

This Champagne pairs beautifully with seafood and shellfish, as well as with delicate white meats. It also makes an excellent companion to a fresh goat cheese.

Serving and cellaring

Sélection Belles Années Blanc de Blancs Brut NM (Non-Vintage) is best served chilled, between 46 and 50°F (8 to 10°C), ideally in a white wine glass to fully appreciate its aromatic precision.

Other characteristics

This Champagne is dosed at a moderate level, placing it within the Brut category, with an alcohol content of 12.5%.

A Blanc de Blancs from the Côte des Blancs, shaped by Cuis Premier Cru and Pierre Gimonnet et Fils' grand cru fruit

The Estate

Pierre Gimonnet et Fils is a family-owned Champagne house based in Cuis, in the Côte des Blancs. The estate's winemaking activity took shape in the 1930s, when Pierre Gimonnet chose to stop selling grapes to négociants and began vinifying and selling his own Champagnes. The style was later defined by his son Michel starting in 1955, who pioneered parcel-by-parcel vinification in stainless steel tanks. Today, the house is run by Didier and Olivier Gimonnet, with Didier serving as owner and head of the company. The vineyard, entirely planted with chardonnay, spans close to 30 hectares across Premier and Grand Cru sites of the Côte des Blancs.

The Vineyard

The chardonnay grapes for this Champagne come mainly from the Premier Cru of Cuis, complemented by Grand Cru fruit from Cramant and Chouilly, as well as Premier Cru grapes from Vertus. These chalky terroirs, located in the northern Côte des Blancs, benefit from a soil structure that encourages deep rooting into the chalk, favoring mineral expression over fruit-driven ripeness. A number of parcels used in the blend are old vines, adding depth and concentration to the final wine.

Blend

This Champagne is a non-vintage, multi-vintage blend built around a majority of Cuis Premier Cru, completed with Grand Cru chardonnay from Cramant and Chouilly and Premier Cru fruit from Vertus. The blend combines a base vintage with reserve wines from several previous years, following the house's long-standing practice of selecting favorable harvests to build a consistent style across bottlings.

Winemaking and aging

Sélection Belles Années Blanc de Blancs Brut NM (Non-Vintage) is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, in keeping with the house's parcel-by-parcel approach. Malolactic fermentation is carried out to soften the natural acidity of the chardonnay. The reserve wines entering the blend are kept in bottles and magnums under slight pressure for one to six years, a rare practice that lends the wine added maturity while preserving its freshness. The wine then rests on its lees for more than 36 months before release.

Grape Varieties

This Champagne from Pierre Gimonnet et Fils is made from 100% chardonnay.