Pierre Gimmonet Rosé de blancs 1er Cru Brut NV

Grower Champagne is all the rage but it can sometimes be a bit hit and miss.  Gimmonet applies the grower philosophy – care in the vineyard, expression of site, purity of fruit; with the luxury of substantial holdings of old vines. 

The unusual name refers to a Rosé made with only a small volume of pinot noir added to the chardonnay base wine – blanc de blancs being the hallmark of the estate.

It pours a beautiful peachy salmon colour. There’s pink grapefruit, white cherry, and watermelon wedges dripping juice down your chin as you munch them by the seaside. At least 2 years on lees expresses itself as delicate Victoria sponge cake sandwiching layers of fresh strawberries and fluffy whipped cream. All this beguiling prettiness interplays with nutty,  pine mushroom savoury notes, ultra fresh acidity, a fine chalky texture and a lingering finish. 

Drink with fresh calamari, lightly pan fried and spritzed with Meyer lemon juice.