About The Wine
A bright and acid driven Blanc de Blanc. Notes of crunchy green apple, ripe citrus peel and a strong mineral line, finished off with a lick of cream.
100% chardonnay from a south-facing, mid-slope site beside the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Mores, one of the earliest vineyard sites established by the Cistercian monks for its ideal exposure and shallow Kimmeridgian soils. The wine is a blend of base vintage and solera reserve wines dating back to 2011. Certified sustainable since 1996 (Ampelos).
Grapes are hand-sorted and gently pressed using a Coquard press, primary and maloactic fermentations take place in tank without added SO2, followed by secondary fermentation in bottle with cultured organic yeasts. Aged for 36 months on lees, the wine is disgorged six months before release with an Extra Brut dosage of 3 g/L.
"From a south-facing parcel that was once the cemetery of the monks who planted the first vineyards in Celles-sur-Ource, the NV Extra-Brut Champ Viole is drawn from a perpetual reserve spanning the 2011-2018 vintages that's been matured in tank. Delivering complex aromas of pear, sweet orchard fruit, white flowers, buttery pastry and nutmeg, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, with a deep core of fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse."
93 points - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
About Pierre Gerbais
Pierre Gerbais is in the Côte des Bar, the Southernmost region of the Champagne AOC. Currently at the helm is Aurélien Gerbais a 4th generation winemaker.
Pierre Gerbais has been following organic practices since 1996 and believe in truly letting the terroir speak through the Champagne. The Côte des Bar is known for having clay and limestone soils, leading to preference of Pinot Noir and Blanc.
With the house owning 17.5ha of land with 50% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Blanc and 25% Chardonnay and a single parcel of Pinot Meunier. Like his grandfather Aurélien continues the Champagne House’s legacy of producing breathtaking and occasionally experimental wines from a highly sought after region in Champagne.
Critics like William Kelley have identified Aurélien as one of the Aube’s most promising talents, praising his Champagnes for their clarity, maturity and sense of place. While some peers embrace natural wine aesthetics or the opulence of modern Burgundy, Aurélien’s work is quieter and more disciplined - a pursuit of excellence for those who understand the language of detail.
For the thoughtful Champagne drinker, the wines of Pierre Gerbais offer something profound: a bridge between Champagne and Burgundy, and a compelling example of Grower Champagne - honest, precise and expressive.
“Today [at Pierre Gerbais], a decade's work is finally coming to fruition in the form of complex, refined, elegantly vinous Champagnes that are emerging as some of the region's most compelling, taking this estate from the ranks of the region's solid producers into the category of the exceptional.”
William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
Snapshot
Region: Côte des Bar, Champagne
Country: France
Alcohol: 12.5%
Vintage: NV Disgorged: Dec 2023
Size: 750ml
Closure: Cork
Varieties: Chardonnay
