Last fall a few of the SommSelect team embarked on a whirlwind tour of Burgundy and Champagne searching for exclusive import opportunities. Though Burgundy always has a surprise up its sleeve, I was skeptical that we’d find great Champagne that wasn’t already imported. Turns out I was dead wrong. Bonnet-Gilmert is a tiny estate that has been family owned and operated for five generations, and not only do they make exquisite, terroir pure wines, but they happen to do it in the heart of one of Champagne’s most rarefied Grand Cru villages: Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger. How have these gems never been introduced to the U.S.? Turns out they make such a tiny amount of wine–and sell almost all of it in France and other European markets–that importers haven’t even noticed them. So, the wines must be super pricey, right? Nope, they’re outrageously good deals!
BONUS: The Bonnet-Gilmert family was gracious enough to send us a few cases of the 750mL Brut "La Réserve", and exactly two Jeroboams of the Brut “La Réserve” These are extremely rare, and just like the 750mls they’re only available at SommSelect.
*NOTE: This is a pre-arrival offer, wines are en route from France and are estimated to arrive in mid-October.
Long before Le Mesnil-sur-Oger was the home base for some of the most exclusive, and pricey, Champagnes on the planet, the Gilmert clan was farming grapes and selling them to négociants to eke out a living. Then, in 1910 the enterprising Emile Gilmert decided to bottle some wine himself, and his son Marcel increased the bottling production when he took the helm. Marcel’s daughter Colette and her husband Robert Bonnet begin bottling the entire harvest in the 1950s, and that is the birth of what is now the Grower-Producer Bonnet-Gilmert.
Today the fifth generation is at the helm, with Aude Vauban leading the charge, but this is truly a full family affair as it was her niece who greeted us in Mesnil to lead the tasting and give us a tour of the cellar. With access to prime parcels in the heart of this famous Grand Cru, the general philosophy of their winemaking is to let that sublime terroir do all the talking. The only “spice” they add is using neutral French oak barriques to age the wines prior to bottling and secondary fermentation. This adds depth and texture to the pure, chiseled, extra chalky minerality for which Mesnil is famous. Indeed it is the same approach that ultra-lux house Krug takes with their own bottling from nearby vineyards–of course that wine will set you back a cool four digits, about 15 times the price on today’s “La Réserve!”
That a small, hardworking, and convivial clan of grower-producers continues to not just survive, but thrive surrounded by the likes of Krug, Salon, and Pierre Peters is frankly astounding, but thrive they do and the wines speak for themselves. The “La Réserve” is the perfect calling card for Bonnet-Gilmert, expertly balancing the soaring, chalky minerality with luxurious texture and depth. Serve cool, but not ice cold, in an all-purpose glass (or even better, go for a Burgundy bowl!) and you’ll be treated to a kaleidoscope of aromas: Yellow apple, white peach, Meyer lemon, marzipan, Madagascar vanilla, white flowers, fresh cream, and loads of chalky, wet rock. The fruit and spice lead the charge, the mid-palate is exquisitely textured and just the right amount of rich, while the finish is long, taut, and loaded with saline minerals. Serve with your favorite fresh seafood, truffled eggs, or any luxurious hors d'oeuvres you like. And remember, we have just 30 Magnums for the entire U.S., and then it’s gone!
