Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Cuvee Cuis 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs, Champagne

A toasty style with slightly nutty, singed-bread aromas plus very intense white flowers reminiscent of linden trees. Light-bodied with crisp acidity, medium-sized bubbles and a leaner finish that’s elegant and floral. Drink now.

92 points jamessuckling.com

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Cuvée Cuis Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs is a beautifully focused, mineral-driven Champagne that captures the purity and finesse of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. Crafted by Didier and Olivier Gimonnet, this wine exemplifies the family’s precision and dedication to Chardonnay grown in the chalky Premier Cru vineyards of Cuis, a village known for its tension, freshness, and elegance. The Gimonnet family has cultivated these vineyards for more than three centuries, earning a reputation for producing Champagnes of crystalline clarity and balance.

Made entirely from Chardonnay grown on old vines, the wine is vinified in stainless steel to preserve vibrancy and aged on lees for more than two years before release. The Cuis terroir, with its pure chalk soils and cool microclimate, gives the wine a distinctive spine of minerality and citrus energy, hallmarks of the Gimonnet style.

In the glass it shimmers pale gold with fine, persistent bubbles. The aroma is refined and expressive, offering lemon zest, green apple, white flowers, and crushed chalk with subtle hints of almond and brioche. The palate is precise and elegant, showing citrus, pear, and stone fruit supported by taut acidity and a creamy texture from lees ageing. The finish is long and beautifully dry, marked by saline freshness and delicate chalk minerality.

It is a superb aperitif Champagne but also pairs wonderfully with oysters, sashimi, grilled prawns, or goat cheese. While utterly charming in its youth, it can develop added complexity over five to eight years, gaining notes of hazelnut and honey.