2016 Gaston Chiquet 1er Cru Special Club Brut

Aromas of dried apricot, yellow plum, and toasted hazelnut integrate with notes of honeyed citrus and crushed chalk. The palate is broad and vinous, featuring a fine, creamy mousse and a concentrated core of orchard fruit that is balanced by a persistent, saline finish.

The Chiquet brothers, Nicolas and Antoine, utilize sustainable farming for this vintage-dated bottling. In the cellar, the blend typically consists of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. Uniquely for the region, the wine undergoes a cool fermentation in small, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and completes full malolactic fermentation to soften the natural acidity. The wine is aged on its lees in the bottle for over seven years before being finished with a dosage of 8 grams per liter.

The fruit is sourced exclusively from the family's oldest estate vineyards in the Premier Cru villages of Dizy, Hautvillers, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. These sites are located at the intersection of the Grande Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. The soil is defined by a deep layer of Belemnite chalk, which provides the vines with excellent drainage and imparts the signature structural power and mineral precision found in the Special Club bottlings.