Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

⚡️⚡️⚡️I ordered more before starting my notes.

I would normally wait on a PGSC for 5 plus years, but wanted to know if I wanted more.

2019 was a challenging growing year in early & mid season but favorable August-September conditions created a quality vintage that should prove to be cellar worthy.

The Champagne Special Club, initially called Club de Viticulteurs Champenois, was founded in 1971 with 12 members. Three of those founding members, Pierre Gimonnet, Gaston Chiquet, and Paul Bara, are still active within the club of now 24 members today. The number of members changes yr to yr.

Beautiful nose of; green apple, lime zest, Meyer lemons to meringue pie, tropicals, stone fruits, kiwi, some heather honey, white spice-ginger, sea fossils/foam, yeasty bread dough, whipped cream, subtle caramel notes, limestone/volcanic minerals, white spring flowers, yellow lilies and whiffs of jasmine.

The palate is dazzling & has everything one would want. Incredible mousse & mouthfeel. It has a slight creamy texture. Simply beautiful in every way. Ripe & rich; green apple, lime zest, Meyer lemons to meringue pie, tropicals, stone fruits-yellow & white peach-nectarines, apricots & kiwi. Heather honey, nougat, some toffee/butterscotch, white spice-ginger limestone/volcanics burro their way into the center tongue/palate, subtle herbaceous quality, sea fossils/foam, yeasty bread dough, cream to whipped cream, caramel, vanillin, crumbled chalkiness for days, white spring flowers, yellow lilies, jasmine, perfect acidity, well; knitted, balanced, tension, structured, polished finish that lasts minutes starting fruit and landing on mineral-spice. So balanced.

This at $112 for Champagne is a good value today.

Bottle data: 4,020 bottles produced. 100% Chardonnay-90% from Croix-Blanche and 10% from Les Roualles. 4g dosage & my personal sweet spot. Disgorgement 9/2024.

Photos; long view of House of Gimonnet & vines, their very old rootstock, Olivier & Didier Gimmonet and their beautiful Chardonnay grapes. — 11 hours ago

Chris MacLean

9.0

Standard solid white burgundy when you need to scratch the white burg itch on the (relative) cheap. — 4 years ago

with Sarah

Jake Hajer

9.0

Licorice. — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Happy holidays. 🎅🧑‍🎄 ☃️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️

This is delicious. When it first hits your palate, it’s like hey, woah. It is super soft, micro-micro oxygenation. Delicate mousse, some maltiness, red apple cider reduction, pear, lemon meringue, lime pulp, grapefruit, orange peel, tropical melon, ripe pineapple, saline, sea fossils, chalky powder with an edge as it sets, white spice-ginger, white pepper, love the perfect limestone powder, brioche, baguette, some dough & light yeast, orange blossoms, white, spring flowers, racy, crisp acidity, excellent tension, structure, balance with beautiful long finish that lingers 90-120 seconds. Certainly one of the best and different champagne I’ve had in some time.

This cuvée is 100% Chardonnay and comes from the villages of Cramant, Chouilly, and Cuis.

Special Club Champagne must be produced with grapes from outstanding vintages harvested from the estates own vineyards. The cuvée must also be estate bottled and aged. It is the tête de cuvée(the most premier bottle of a grower’s estate) selection for the Champagne house.

There were 12 founding members, three of which currently remain: Pierre Gimonnet, Gaston Chiquet and Paul Bara. New members come and go every year. As of 2021, there are 28 members.

The process to become a Special Club is as follows. The wines must pass two rigorous stages of selection. Before that happens, members gather each February to taste each other’s still wines from the previous vintage. The members vote on whether to declare a vintage year, which would mean that the vintage was outstanding, and worthy enough of a vintage-dated Champagne. The vote must be unanimous. — a year ago

Jason Li

9.1

Very perfume, more on the light and delicate side with aromas of Rose and cherries, getting sweet at the middle, medium to short finish. Good value and ready to drink. — 4 years ago

romo

9.3

Correct C-C with good restraint. — 9 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

2016 vintage. Solid representation. No particular essence with greater distinctiveness than any other. Good balance and value. — 2 years ago

Galaad

9.0

Un vin qui se boit sans soif, si doux si précis, ce léger côté iodé et ce bon fruit aérien — 3 years ago

Chris MacLean

9.0

Easy, quick and a good value — 4 years ago

with Sarah

Pat Taylor

9.0

Top notch Ladoix. A few more years should take the heat off the finish. Otherwise, exceptional value. Loaded with fruit and flinty graphite. I’d really like to revisit this. — 6 years ago