Pierre Gimonnet Fleuron '17 Blanc de Blancs

- Meaning the 'best of' this is the highlight from the house

- Stunning blanc de blancs which is all about minerality, purity and freshness

- Seared scallops with olive oil and shaved truffle

So, ‘Fleuron’ is a term that identifies ‘the best of’ and this is exactly what the Gimonnet brothers have done. They have picked their best parcels from Grand and Premier Cru’s and taken a snapshot of the 2015 harvest. We love the nose on this, there are notes of citrus (lemon and grapefruit), followed by biscuit and ginger spice.

The difference between a good wine and an exceptional wine is only a question of very, very small details, but we must focus on every detail all of the time,’ declares Didier Gimonnet, who oversees his family’s glorious estate with his brother, Olivier. The champagnes of Pierre Gimonnet & Fils are intricately assembled by masterful hands exclusively from enviably positioned and painstakingly tended old vines. Every cuvée sings its aspiration of ‘precision, purity and minerality’, each speaking articulately of its place in the northern Côte des Blancs through expressive, chalky minerality, without one molecule of detail out of place. With high-strung tension, crystalline structure and rapier-sharp precision, these are blanc de blancs champagnes charged with an energy that will sustain them long indeed. They represent some of the best-value apéritif champagnes of all.

Cold fermented (to preserve freshness and aroma), full malolactic fermentation, aged 4 years on lees and then 3 months post-disgorgement. Dosage: 5 g/l dosage. 100% Chardonnay with a blend of 74% Grand Cru fruit.

Seared scallops with olive oil and shaved truffle