Tradition reveals an inviting bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, honeycomb, citrus oil and warm biscuits. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, fleshy and charming, with a classy mousse, a succulent core of fruit and ripe but racy balancing acids. It’s already drinking well.
cépage 40% Meunier, 35% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir
assemblage 80% 2014, 20% 2013
village/vyd Hautvillers 1er Cru, Dizy 1er Cru,
Mareuil-sur-Aÿ 1er Cru, Aÿ Grand Cru;
Clay and limestone over chalk
malo Yes
élevage Stainless steel
sur latte 48+ Months
dégorgement January 2020, February 2021 (6)
Nicolas Chiquet farms 23 hectares in the Valle de la Marne in the villages of Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay. All of the fruit (including that which is used in the non-vintage cuvee) comes from premier and grand cru grapes. Nicolas does not employ any oak aging at Gaston Chiquet; he believes that concentration, fruit maturity and malolactic fermentation impart enough body and texture to make aging in barrel unnecessary.
The vineyards are planted to equal (forty percent each) parts chardonnay, pinot meunier and twenty percent are planted to pinot noir. Gaston-Chiquet also produces a vintage dated chardonnay from 5 parcels on the western side of the grand cru village of Ay. Usually recognized as a grand cru village for pinot noir, these vines of chardonnay were planted in Ay in the 1930s.
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