GARDET MILLÉSIME 2016 Extra Brut Pinot-Led

A modern, bold vintage cuvée. 70% Pinot Noir for fruit and structure, 30% Chardonnay for the mineral line, drawn exclusively from Premiers & Grands Crus across the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. Eight months in stainless steel, then about eight years on the lees. 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

Alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.
+ Stainless steel ageing for 8 months, with the focus on freshness and a mineral directness, no oak aromatics.
+ Bottle-aged on lees for around 8 years, developing brioche, almond and honey notes without losing the youthful tension.
+ Minimum 3 months' rest after disgorgement before shipping, while the dosage liqueur settles in.

Dosage

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

Timeline of the bottle

Production timeline

The Vintage. 2016 was a particularly atypical year, cultivating its originality right up to the end of the campaign. An extraordinarily wet and cool spring brought frost risk to the young shoots and mildew pressure across many vines, followed by a very dry summer that saved and concentrated the fruit. August returned warm, sunny days and allowed a late but healthy harvest. A year that demanded oenological vigilance and rewarded it with exceptional ripeness.

Main harvest

Harvest. Conditions: August gave way to warm, sunny days. Characteristics: the grapes were in excellent health and exceptionally ripe.

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 technical cuvée for sommeliers: modern, precise, clearly drawn. Pinot fruit in the foreground, Chardonnay minerality for the backbone, Extra Brut directness as the frame. The Gardet signature of the 2016 harvest.

Optimal serving temperature

8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F)

Colour

Delicate golden yellow with silvery highlights, the youth that survived eight years. A colour that promises something

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

Sommelier pairings: fish tartar of salmon, sea bream or tuna; scallops snacked or served raw as carpaccio; poultry with a chanterelle mushroom purée. The Pinot fruit answers the protein, the Chardonnay acidity cuts the richness.

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

Three international voices for a vintage that earned its recognition only after eight years of patience:
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)