Gimonnet Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Cuvée Cuis 1er Cru NV

94 points James Halliday (Wine Companion): "In these days of sharply rising prices, this family-run house offers great value thanks to its magnificent chardonnay vineyards. This is Gimmonet's entry-point wine, the bouquet of white flowers/apple blossom, the palate with elegance and balance, fruit finish fresh thanks to the modest dosage of 5.5g/l. Closure: Cork. (Nov 2020)"

93 points & '#63 Top 100 Wines of 2024' Wine Spectator: "[$62 list] There's a subtle succulence to this graceful Champagne, framing flavors of peach skin, ripe pear, Marcona almond and orchard blossoms. The fine, detailed mousse is raw silk–like in texture. Finishes with minerally fleur de sel and oyster shell notes. Disgorged December 2023. Drink now through 2029. (9/25/24)"

93 points Wine & Spirits: "From north-facing vineyards in Cuis, this is 2017 chardonnay, enhanced with 27 percent of reserve wines aged in bottles, from the 2010 to 2015 vintages. The pale-white fruit holds mineral freshness in its depths of white-cherry and white-peach flavors. The acidity provides tension and limestone abrasion, while feeling completely integrated into the fruit. It's a gripping cold-climate chardonnay for meaty game fish. (Dec 2021)"

92 points James Suckling: "This delightful Blanc de Blancs marries excellent depth of character – all the citrus, crisp pear and floral aromas of chardonnay – with charm. Properly dry, but very harmonious, thanks to the excellent balance of citrusy freshness and creaminess. Long, clean finish, accentuated by the lively mousse. A cuvee of 2/3rds 2018 with a third of vintages between 2016 and 2011, disgorged in July, 2021. Drink now. (1/5/22)"

92 points Falstaff: "Light yellow-green with silver reflections and a lively delicate mousse. Fresh aromas of yellow apple and a touch of pear and lime zest, with a mineral undertone and some walnut. Medium-bodied, taut and racy in the mouth, with white fruit and a tight-knit emphatically salty style. An assemblage from seven vintages. (11/19/21)"

91 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuis 1er Cru (2020 base) sizzles with energy. White flowers, chalk, mint, white pepper, green pear and lime all race across the palate. Medium in body and finely cut, the 1er Cru is a jewel of a wine. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy taut, airy Blancs de Blancs. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: April 7, 2023. Drink: 2023-2030. (Nov 2023)"

91 points Tom Hewson (Decanter): "The entry-level bottling from the estate’s home village of Cuis is always Didier Gimonnet’s priority, despite the house having holdings throughout the Côte des Blancs. The village’s cool, north-facing aspect comes across in the wine’s crispy-fresh, delicate build, bright with lemon macaron and pear juice, but the unusual addition of 27% reserve wine aged in magnums adds a touch of creamy almond depth. Based on the taut, almost nervy 2021 vintage, showing assured purity and zip. Drinking Window: 2024-2026. (May 2024)"

91 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(tasted in 2023 in France; 100% Cuis chardonnay; 70.4% 2020 (including 16.5% from ‘excellent’ 1st tailles), 10.3% 2018, 3.2% 2016, 8.8% 205, 2.1% 2014, 5.2% 2013; 29.6% reserves of the previous year’s bend, aged in magnum to preserve freshness and the autolytic complexity of maturity, without the oxidation of ageing in tank; aged at least 24 months on lees; 5.5-6g/L dosage). A fresh and lively Cuis of bright, pale straw hue and classic purity of apple, pear, lemon and grapefruit, even a hint of lime here. The phenolic texture of a warm vintages builds a fine structural backbone that works in concert with saline chalk minerality. A fresh and vibrant apéritif with an elegant, light and airy mood. (Edition VII; 2024)"

90+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The new bottling of Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs “Cuis Premier Cru” non-vintage Brut in the market is from the 2017 vintage, with reserve wines included in the blend dating a back to 2010. It was disgorged in February 2021 after three years aging sur latte and finished with a dosage of six grams per liter. The wine delivers a bright and stylish bouquet of pear, apple, almond, chalky minerality, a hint of brioche and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied and still fairly tensile, with a fine core, lovely mineral undertow, pinpoint bubbles and a long, nascently complex finish. This is a very good bottle of non-vintage Blanc de Blancs that I would be inclined to give a couple of years in the cellar to allow its girdle of acidity to relax a bit more. Good juice. 2021-2040. (Sept/Oct 2021)"

90 points Tom Hewson (TimAtkin.com): "Chardonnay from Cuis. This cuvée, despite its relative youth at the moment (2019 base), remains impeccably made and utterly refreshing. Super bright and zesty with sweet green apple and super clean pear and almond, it glides along with charming clarity without displaying any of the overly-primary or simplistic side-effects that can come with very young wines made entirely in stainless steel. (Dec 2022)"