GARDET MILLÉSIME 2016 Extra Brut Pinot-Led

A wet spring, a dry summer, a late rescue in August. From a year that asked for patience, the Maison drew a vintage we held back eight years before releasing it. 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, Premiers & Grands Crus only. James Suckling 92, Drinks Business Master 2025 Gold.

Composition

Grapes & Origin

Pinot Noir: 70%
Origin: Montagne de Reims (Ludes) · Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Hautvillers).

Chardonnay: 30%
Origin: Vallée de la Marne (Hautvillers) · Côte des Blancs (Cuis).

Premiers & Grands Crus only.

Fermentations & Ageing

Stainless steel first, eight months, clean and without oak. We wanted to read the profile of the vintage before drawing it into bottle.
+ Then the bottle. Around eight years on the lees, in the silence of our cellars and the cool of the chalk. The lees worked for us: they refined the acidity, they brought brioche, they opened the aromas.
+ And at least three months' rest after disgorgement, before the wine left the House. We let the dosage breathe.

Dosage

Dosage Extra Brut: 4 g/L, from a liquor and beet sugar.

Timeline of the bottle

Production timeline

The Vintage. A year that taught us watchfulness, from the rain-soaked spring to the dry days of summer, from the threat of mildew to the relief the sun brought in August. It is not the easiest vintage we have ever made. But it is one of those years that forces the grower to look, to listen, to walk the vines, and that rewards in the end with a ripeness no easy year could ever give.

Main harvest

Harvest. After a long, demanding growing season, the fruit came in with excellent health and remarkable ripeness: Pinot Noir with concentrated dark fruit, Chardonnay with the mineral tension that only a long dry summer on chalky soils can give.

Reserve wines

Summary, from the oenology office. After an intense year, the dynamics of ripening and the quality of the grapes offered the chance to close the vintage on a good impression and a fine substance. A cuvée whose complexity was already legible in the cuverie.

Tasting

Tasting

A wine for moments of attention. For a glass you look at before you drink it, for a conversation that should not begin too quickly. The 2016 was held back eight years; it asks for a little of that patience in return.

Optimal serving temperature

8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F)

Colour

Delicate golden yellow with slightly silvery highlights, the mark of a cuvée that kept its youthful tension through about eight years on the lees

Nose

First nose discreet and elegant, gradually revealing a complex and delicious range of aromas. Fruit aromas (pear and redcurrant) evolve harmoniously towards pastry notes, lemon tart and frangipane. Marked minerality with chalky accents. Concludes with hints of honey and hazelnuts.

Taste

Fresh, acidic attack, lively character affirmed, the Pinot brightness setting the pace. Taut, chiselled palate echoing the minerality of the nose: pear confirmed, a crunchy touch reminiscent of Granny Smith, a fine chalky salinity from the Côte des Blancs. The finish is zesty, with a slight bitterness from the white of the zest that adds to its elegance, and a remarkable persistence.

Fine cuisine pairings

Three ways to enjoy it. With a fish tartar, marinated the day before with citrus. With scallops, seared briefly and left almost raw at the centre. Or with a slow-roasted poultry and a purée of freshly picked chanterelles. The 2016 holds its own at the table and lengthens each plate.

Bottling & cellaring

Bottling data

Bottling date: June 2017.
Container types: bottles & magnums.
Initial closure: crown cap.

Shipping & cellaring

Final cork (after disgorgement): classic cork.
Post-shipment cellaring: ready to drink, can be kept in cellar conditions for up to 5 years.

Awards

La Sélection Bettane + Desseauve 2026 · 90 points
James Suckling 2025 · 92 points
Drinks Business · Champagne Master 2025 · Gold

Available formats

Click a format to see all price tiers · United Kingdom (based on your delivery address)

75cl · Bottle 750 ml · 6×/case €183 / case ▾

150cl · Magnum 1500 ml · 3×/case €179 / case ▾

Official product sheet

↓ Download official product sheet (PDF)