Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles Champagne

The Grains de Celles Extra Brut Grower Champagne The blend echoes the domaine’s holdings at 50% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Blanc aged for 2.5 years on the lees and finished with 3 grams of dosage. The nose shows a light apple skin and spice with florals and stone fruits and a just there hit of minerality. The palate is moderate in weight with a clean yellow plum, hibiscus, and clean minerals. Try this with an easy savory Burgundian pastry: Gougères. D&M Tasting Notes

The village of Celles sur Ource is quite unique as it sits at the confluence of the rivers Seine, Arce, Laigne and Ource. The Ource river here runs its course from east to west, with vineyards located on both of its banks. The domaine, now called Pierre Gerbais, began four generations ago when Ulysse Gerbais formed the domaine in the time between the world wars. He is fondly and ruefully remembered in the family for his admonition: “Si tu beuve pas l’Champagne tu sora jamais un homme.” Translated by the family as If you don’t drink Champagne you will never be a man. Ulysse’s nephew Pierre next took up the mantle for the family. As many of his neighbors rode the post-WWII boom for Champagne to lives of the nouveau-riche, he and his wife continued to buy vineyards in and around the village. Thanks largely to the shrewdness and thriftiness of Pierre Gerbais, the family has 44 acres of vineyards. Of this acreage, 24 acres are planted to Pinot Noir, 10 to Chardonnay, and quite rare 10 to Pinot Blanc; the vines are an average of 30 years old, with some over 100 years old. The vines are planted on soils that are mostly Kimmeridgian dominated by marl and limestone, much the same as Burgundy and Chablis. Michael Kennel, D&M Wine Buyer