PENFOLDS X Thienot Lot 1 175 Blanc de Noirs , Champagne

The champagnes of Pierre Gimonnet & Fils are intricately assembled by masterful hands exclusively from enviably positioned and painstakingly tended old vines. Every cuvee sings its aspiration of 'precision, purity and minerality’, each speaking articulately of its place in the northern Cote des Blancs through expressive, chalky minerality, without one molecule of detail out of place.

A masterpiece among the finest wines of Champagne. The quintessence of the Pommery style. 2005 aka the year of stillness. It was a plentiful and quality harvest that took place in cool,dry and sunny conditions. All the ingredients required for an excellent vintage were present, leading to Cuvée Louise. Having taken the time to choose the best plots, having waited patiently before going to harvest, having picked only the finest bunches and selected onlythe purest pressed juices, we managed to perfectly unleash the potential of this vintage, while preserving the identity of the terroirs of the three Grands Crus that make up CuvéeLouise by Pommery: Ay, Avize and Cramant. Cuvée Louise is the perfect champagne to celebrate an exceptional moment. Great accompainment to oysters, steamed fish as well as grilled vegetables such as asparagus, mushrooms and artichokes.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged December 2021. This wine offers the “quintessence of the Chavot terroir”, says Aurélien. It is always a selection of Laherte’s five best barrels from each of his two finest Chavot plots: old-vine Chardonnay from Les Chemins d’Épernay (planted in 1957 on clay with chalky subsoils, with around one-third of the fruit the rare Chardonnay-Muscaté); and Pinot Noir from Les Rouges Maisons (planted in the late ‘80s on a deep soil rich in clay, flint and schist). The wines were vinified separately and raised in old Burgundy oak (with some portions fermented in second-hand DRC Le Montrachet barrels). The dosage was 4 g/L. The old vines and clay of Les Chemins d’Épernay impart genuine depth and texture, and this opulence is vibrantly balanced by crystalline freshness and a long, classy finish. This superb, unique Champagne clearly speaks of its terroir. If you love great white Burgundy, this has similar textural and mineral qualities.