Champagne Pierre Gerbais
Cuvée Expérimentale N°18

Pinot Blanc is one of the four "Cépages Oubliés" (forgotten vines) and most of its cultivation takes place near the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Côte des Bar, home of Domaine Pierre Gerbais. This rare variety resistant to humidity and spring frosts, Pinot Blanc grows favourably in Celles-sur-Ource and it is the precise and masterful expression of this vine that puts Pierre Gerbais at the forefront. Here, the family owns the largest share of Pinot Blanc, with over 4 hectares of vines, as well as the oldest vines, over a century old.

The Cuvée Expérimentale N°18 by Domaine Pierre Gerbais is a Champagne dedicated to enriching knowledge and creating new experiences through innovative varietal expression each year.

This avant-garde Cuvée is made from 100% Pinot Blanc from the 2018 vintage, selective harvest and optimal maturation, where the must is left to macerate with its skins for 12 hours, resulting in greater structural complexity and a unique aromatic expression of Pinot Blanc that is rarely, if ever, seen in Champagne. Vinified in stainless steel tanks and matured for 36 months on its yeasts before reaching the final dosage of 3 g/l - making it an Extra Brut - for a total production of only 1,158 bottles.

The Cuvée Expérimentale N°18 by Domaine Pierre Gerbais presents a deep, sparkling lemon colour of incandescent quality on the nose, intensely floral notes drawn on fleshy apricot, pear and citrus pith - wonderfully aromatic and persistent. It opens briskly and then expands into flavours of dried fruit, cream and jam, while flecks of raw almond and minerality bring a crisp dimension to the mid-palate. In the end it is memorably dry and briny, with a subtle smoky character, incredibly charming and refreshing.