Winemaker Notes
Firm and well-knit, this lacy version offers a subtle mix of Dijon pear, smoke, fleur de sel, fresh ginger and slivered almond notes. The wine is soft and rounded although unmistakably from Chardonnay in the chalky Côte des Blancs. Crisp apples have a light creaminess as well as lively acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
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. Disgorged December 2023. Drink now through 2029.
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James Suckling
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.
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Wine Enthusiast
This Champagne comes from a top producer in the Côte des Blancs, based in the premier cru village of Cuis. This bottling shows maturity and fine bottle age. Its spice aroma and softened palate is ripe and full.
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Decanter
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.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a pale yellow hue, the NV Champagne Premier Cru Cuis Blanc De Blancs Brut is made entirely from Chardonnay, crafted from the 2022 vintage with 28% from 2010-2021. The nose is inviting and floral, with aromas of pear, fresh green apples, lime sorbet, citrus blossoms, and shortbread. Medium-bodied, it’s refreshing and pure, with candied lime and citrus notes, chalky earth, and a fine mousse, finishing with a zesty lift on the finish.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’