Newly Arrived Champagne Classics from the Great Didier Gimonnet!
We first purchased the brilliant Champagne of Didier Gimonnet back in 1999. Since then, his Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Brut NV has been one of the most consistently delicious Champagnes in our lineup.
Today, we bring you his latest batch! Crafted from Chardonnay vines growing in pure chalk soils in the Premier Cru village of Cuis, this stunningly tasty Champagne is, as always, mouthwateringly plump, earning a solid 94 Points from our tasters. Selling for a beats-the-big-names price of under sixty bucks, it is a one of the best bargains in luxury Champagne.
We bring a limited supply to you today along with two other rare treasures, including a 2016 "Special Club" bottling from Didier (96 Points, $113.99) that performed beautifully at our recent Champagne tastings and a gorgeous Rosé from the tiny house of Huré Frères.
Supply of all of these wines is quite limited. Scroll down for the details, then click the Big Green Button to secure a few bottles!
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Pierre Gimonnet & Fils
Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Brut NV
Cuis, Champagne, France
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For over 25 years, no Côte des Blancs Champagne producer has been more significant to us and our Champagne loving customers as Pierre Gimonnet.
The house was founded by Pierre Gimonnet in 1935, and has for many years been skillfully run by his grandson, Didier Gimonnet.
Didier lovingly farms several parcels of old-vine Chardonnay, including a few rare vines over 100 years in age! His wines have been excellent since we first discovered them over 25 years ago, and. have just gotten better over the years. In a statement to how recognized his wines have become, the cuvée we bring you today landed a spot on last year's Wine Spectator "Top 100" list!
This latest batch of this flagship cuvée was disgorged in February of this year. Based on the 2022 vintage, it includes eight vintages in total with some juice dating back to the 2010 harvest! Youthful and fresh with a perfectly steady stream of pristine bubbles, it is tense and electric, featuring all the chalky minerality we’ve come to expect and love from Gimonnet.
Incredibly generous and rich, it presents a tasty combination of yellow plum, fresh citrus, white flowers and salinity along with beautiful mineral sizzle. Finished with 5 grams/liter of dosage, this complex Brut Champagne is long and lovely right now, and promises to be even better after another year under cork.
This powerful Gimonnet earns a solid 94 Points from our tasters. Grab a dozen oysters or a bucket of fried chicken and invite some friends to pop a few bottles. That’s what we’re going to do!
Vin Chicago Price: 58.99
Pierre Gimonnet & Fils
"Spêcial Club" Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2016
Champagne, France
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At the top level of Didier's lineup are his "Special Club" bottlings. This "Grand Terroirs de Chardonnay" cuvée is crafted from several top parcels, including a large percentage of Grand Cru fruit from Cramant and Chouilly. Aged on its lees for over 60 months, it is a very dense and complex wine, impressing those that tasted it at our recent Champagne tastings. As these 95- and 96-Point reviews indicate, it's wowed the wine writers too!
“This is showing fantastic aromatic complexity, exuding notes of walnut, quince, dried apricot, white cocoa and pastry. It’s creamy, sleek and layered. Very soft and fine bubbles. Long, caressing and fresh finish. Disgorged in 2023. Dosage 4,5g/L. Chardonnay from the Grand Cru villages of Cramant (58%) and Chouilly (27%) with wine from the 1er Cru village of Cuis (15%). Drink or hold.”
- 96 Points, James Suckling (7/18/2024)
“Entirely Chardonnay and coming from the villages of Cramant, Chouilly, and Cuis, the shimmering yellow-golden 2016 Champagne Special Club Grands Terroirs De Chardonnay Extra Brut is rounded and attractive with aromas of fresh baked croissant, honeyed green apple, and lemon bars. Approachable and medium-bodied, it fills the palate with an elegant mousse, a soft texture of citrus oil, and a clean, chalky finish. It’s already showing balanced layers and classic charm with a promising ability to enjoy over the coming 12 or more years. Disgorged April 2023, it has the addition of 4 grams per liter dosage. Maturity: 2023 - 2035.”
- 95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (11/17/2023)
If you’re looking for a special occasion bubbly, or a fantastic gift for the Champagne lover in your life, consider this amazing wine. Only a few bottles.
Vin Chicago Price: 113.99
Our Favorite Grower Rosé Champagne this Year!
~ 95 Points of Sparkling Pink Deliciousness ~
Huré Frères "Insouciance" Rosé Extra Brut NV
Champagne, France
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We were extremely fortunate to meet François Huré, one of the two winemaking brothers at Champagne Huré Frères, at an intimate lunch in October 2024 hosted by his importer. At the time, the wines were new to Chicago, and our first encounter was revelatory.
Unfortunately, there was so little of the wine available that while we were able to bring in a few bottles for the shop, there was not enough to feature more broadly.
Today, we are beyond excited today to introduce his special Rosé Champagne to a larger audience. Even though we bought every bottle we could, the supply is still quite small.
Why is this wine so great? It is not a simply a white wine turned pink in order for the Huré brothers to have a Rosé to sell. This is Rosé with a purpose! It is a wine made as a Rosé, which is rare in Champagne.
A blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier sourced from 35+ year old vines, primarily in the 1er Cru village of Ludes in the Montagne de Reims, this serious dry pink bubbly was disgorged in October 2024 and finished with a dosage of 4 grams per liter.
The red-fruited purity here is incredible. There is an intense mineral core, decadent bubbles, natural energy and absurd length. Awestruck by this wine, we award it 95 points.
It is an outstanding bottle of wine and, as with the Gimonnet, this superlative artisan Champagne is priced right around the level of what you'd pay for a run-of-the-mill bottling from one of the big names. When it comes to Champagne, the smart shoppers truly drink better!
Vin Chicago Price: 63.99
