Gerbais/Pierre Extra Brut Champagne Champ Viole NV

92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Aurélien Gerbais has just launched this range of new, single parcel bottlings, all based on a series of soleras he has begun for each wine. The new releases all hail from the base year of 2017, with the perpetual reserve cuvées having been started several years before and added to the base year. Each bottling is also a single cépages, with the Champ Viole parcel being planted to chardonnay and the solera for this bottling started in 2011. The vins clairs for this wine were aged in cask until June of 2018, half of the bottling is comprised of perpetual reserve wine and the new release was disgorged in April of 2021 and finished with a dosage of three grams per liter. It delivers a splendid nose of pear, delicious apple, hazelnut, chalky soil tones, fresh-baked bread and just a touch of buttery oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and zesty, with a full-bodied format, a rock solid core of fruit, outstanding mineral drive and cut, snappy acids, pinpoint bubbles and a long, complex and very nicely balanced finish. This could do with a year or two in the cellar to let its acids relax a bit more, but in a pinch, it is already pretty tasty! A fine new range from Monsieur Gerbais! 2024-2045. (Nov/Dec 2021)"