From: Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France
Varietal: Chardonnay
Taste: Pierre Gimonnet’s 2019 Cuvée Fleuron is an elevation in elegance and balance, building upon the foundation of the 2017 vintage with a more lifted and refined expression. While it maintains the same aging potential and nuanced complexity, the 2019 vintage introduces a graceful density to the palate that feels smoother and more restrained, making it a standout for those who prize finesse in their champagne.
In the glass, this vintage offers delicate yet captivating aromas of satsumas, calamansi, starfruit, apple blossom, and hints of Japanese honey toast, now subtly interwoven with a bouquet of wildflower blossoms, lemon meringue, and citrus cream. These aromas evolve into flavors of honeyed Perry and Asian pear that are less pronounced than in 2017 but translate to more of a textural density on the palate. The racy, oceanic, rocky minerality remains, providing structure and a poignant, lasting impression.
Pairing: This timeless champagne will be a hit at any indulgent moment, be it a dinner party, romantic night in, or evening to treat yourself. Because this elegant bubbly carries freshness, richness, and minerality, you’ve got many options for food pairings. Some ideas include soft shell crab (check out the recipe below), honey walnut prawns, silken tofu with mild curry, vegetarian mandu, roasted chicken with white wine sauce, pork chops with apple butter, sautéed scallops with citrus and brown butter, flatbreads with excellent olive oil bases, garlic and butter combinations as pasta, bread, grains, etc. Of course, fried foods are wonderful with champagne, and if you decide to go this pairing route, many successful “high/low” matches create magic. Chicken nuggets with honey mustard or sweet and sour sauce, chicken, corn, or squash blossom empanadas, Korean fried chicken, fried apple pie with vanilla ice cream, crunchy fries dipped in vanilla ice cream, and the classic fish and chips or crab/fish cakes.
Soft-Shell Crab With Preserved Lemon and Almonds
By David Tanis
About: Before 1750, the Gimonnet family had been tending vineyards in the premier cru village of Cuis in the Côte des Blancs. They supplied the great Champagne houses with grapes until the 1930s when grape sales fell during the prolonged recession of the period. Monsieur Pierre Gimonnet finally decided to take up the challenge of vinifying and commercializing his harvest. It was a great struggle at first to establish a clientele who were not, at that time, accustomed to "Blanc de Blancs" Champagnes, not least from a new and small independent producer.
Pierre Gimonnet built this reputation from the ground up based on his exceptional vineyard, his half a century of experience, and the uncompromising standards he imposed upon himself. In the tradition of all great winemakers, Gimonnet sought to limit the production of grapes in search of quality from the beginning.
