2018 Gaston Chiquet "Millesime Carte d'Or" 1er Cru Brut, Champagne, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

A blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir is sourced from Hautvillers 1er Cru (Colombier – old vines 30 year old vines). The Chardonnay comes from: 28% Dizy 1er Cru (Haut de Souschienne) and 22% Hautvillers 1er Cru (La Grange). Soils are clay and limestone over chalk. Fermentation and aging in stainless steel with malolactic. Then aged 48 months on the lees. Dosage is 6 g/l.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Nicolas Chiquet farms 23 hectares in the Valle de la Marne in the villages of Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay. All of the fruit (including that which is used in the non-vintage cuvee) comes from premier and grand cru grapes. Nicolas does not employ any oak aging at Gaston Chiquet; he believes that concentration, fruit maturity and malolactic fermentation impart enough body and texture to make aging in barrel unnecessary.

The vineyards are planted to equal (forty percent each) parts chardonnay, pinot meunier and twenty percent are planted to pinot noir. Gaston-Chiquet also produces a vintage dated chardonnay from 5 parcels on the western side of the grand cru village of Ay. Usually recognized as a grand cru village for pinot noir, these vines of chardonnay were planted in Ay in the 1930s.