2014 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Special Club Chouilly Grand Cru, Champagne

Disgorged in October 2019 with four grams per liter dosage, Gimonnet's 2014 Extra-Brut Special Club Chouilly Grand Cru is showing superbly, offering up aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, nougat, apple blossom and white peach. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a pillowy core of crisp, vibrant fruit that's complemented by a pinpoint mousse, this is elegant and concentrated, with a long, beautifully defined finish.

94 points William Kelley robertparker.com Apr 2021 Drink 2021-2045

Ample, broad and dramatic in scale, the 2014 Brut Spécial Club Chouilly Grand Cru shows just how well many wines turned out in a vintage that was not highly regarded at the time. Lemon confit, marzipan, chamomile and light pastry open effortlessly in the glass. The Chouilly is a big wine, but it remains translucent in feel, with plenty of cut driving through to the finish. Didier Gimonnet makes the Chouilly from the Montaigu lieu-dit, which has vines that he planted as far back as 1951. Readers won't want to miss this super-distinctive, substantial Champagne. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 14, 2019.

92 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com Nov 2020 Drink 2022 – 2030

The 2014 Pierre Gimonnet and Fils Special Club Chouilly Grand Cru is a beautiful expression of one of the Côte des Blancs’ most graceful villages. Chouilly sits just north of Cramant, where deep chalk soils and slightly cooler exposures give Chardonnay a softer, more floral and elegant profile while still retaining the mineral drive that defines great Champagne. This is a terroir known for finesse rather than power, and it shines clearly in this wine.

Pierre Gimonnet and Fils has been farming these chalk slopes for generations, with a reputation built on purity, restraint and a deep respect for site. The Special Club bottling is their most important cuvée, made only in outstanding vintages from the finest parcels, then aged for extended periods on lees to build complexity and texture before release.

The 2014 vintage was defined by freshness and clarity, making it an ideal year for Chardonnay in Chouilly. In the glass, this Champagne shows lemon zest, green apple and white peach, lifted by white flowers, chalk and gentle brioche. The palate is refined and finely detailed, with bright acidity, creamy mousse and a long, saline finish that speaks directly of its Grand Cru chalk soils.

This is a superb Champagne for food. Oysters, scallops, sushi, roast chicken or simple dishes with butter and herbs all bring out its elegance and texture. It is also a wonderful wine for slow, attentive drinking.

The 2014 Pierre Gimonnet Special Club Chouilly Grand Cru is already drinking beautifully but will continue to evolve for another fifteen to twenty years, gaining more nutty, honeyed and savoury complexity over time. It is a quietly sophisticated Blanc de Blancs that captures the refined side of the Côte des Blancs.