Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Cuis 1er Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs NV (750ML)

93 WS / 91 DE / 91 VM / 91 BH / 91 WA / 16.5+ JR

#63 Wine Spectator Top 100 2024

There's a subtle succulence to this graceful Champagne, framing flavors of peach skin, ripe pear, Marcona almond and orchard blossoms. The fine, detailed mousse is raw silk–like in texture. Finishes with minerally fleur de sel and oyster shell notes. —A.N., Wine Spectator

100% Chardonnay. Didier Gimonnet’s aspiration for his entry NV is a cuvée with attack on the front, roundness in the middle and crispness on the end. The singular expression of his home village of Cuis, it is softened with reserves of the previous year’s blend, aged in magnums. The result is the quintessential aperitif, and one of the most pristine Champagnes for its price. The north-facing elegance of this village lets fine salt-chalk minerality sing in harmony with crystalline acidity. - Tyson Stelzer, Decanter

The NV Brut 1er Cru Cuis (Magnum) is striking, largely because this release is based on 2009, which softens some of the edges of Cuis and results in a wine of notable texture and volume. With time in the glass, the 1er Cru really shines. The flavors are bright and citrus-inflected, with plenty of mineral undercurrents, in the classic Gimonnet style, yet the 2009 base adds just enough intensity to balance things out. At times, the Gimonnet Champagnes can be a bit austere, but the 1er Cru really shines. This release is 79% 2009, 12% 2007, 5% 2006 and 4% 2004. Dosage is 6 grams/liter. Disgorged: January 2015. - Antonio Galloni

Notes of petrol, yeast, rose petal, lemon rind, grapefruit and finally a hint of quinine lead to delicious if still quite tight middle weight flavors that are supported by a medium-fine effervescence that also shapes the decidedly dry but not really austere finale. While this could certainly be enjoyed now, I would be inclined to hold it for at least a couple of years first in the hopes that additional complexity will develop. Note: disgorged December 2016, SRP $53 - Allen Meadows, BH

Disgorged in July 2019 with six grams per liter dosage, the latest rendition of Gimonnet's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Cuis is based on the 2016 vintage, complemented by some 30% reserve wines matured in magnum. Offering up aromas of citrus oil, fresh peach, clear honey, white flowers and oyster shell, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and elegantly fleshy, with crisp acids, elegant mousse and chalky back-end grip. Amounting to some 130,000 bottles per annum, this is Gimonnet's largest cuvée by some margin. – WK, The Wine Advocate

100% Chardonnay. Stainless steel. Malo done. Reserves kept in bottle. 18–30 months’ lees aging. Dosage 8 g/l. Interesting savoury notes on the nose – quite distinctive. Complete and pleasing. Long and throbbing. Great grip on the end but not severe. Masses of personality. - Jancis Robinson