GARDET SELECTED RESERVE Extra Brut Perpetual Reserve in Foudres

Extra Brut built solely on oak-aged wines. Equal thirds of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay from Premiers & Grands Crus, raised in Allier oak Foudres (25-40 hl, 50 to 100 years old) under a Réserve Perpétuelle begun in the 1990s, then 7 to 9 years on the lees.

Composition

Grapes & Origin

Pinot Noir · ⅓ · structure and directness
Pinot Meunier · ⅓ · roundness and mouthfeel
Chardonnay · ⅓ · mineral tension

Origin: Premiers & Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir), the Vallée de la Marne (Meunier) and the Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay). A strict, plot-by-plot selection.

Fermentations & Ageing

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks.
+ Ageing in Allier oak Foudres (25-40 hl, 50 to 100 years old), a Réserve Perpétuelle begun in the 1990s: micro-oxidation in wood for at least 12 months.
+ Bottle ageing on the lees for 7 to 9 years.
+ At least 3 months' rest after disgorgement before shipping.

Dosage

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

Timeline of the bottle

Production timeline

Two-step maturation. The Selected Reserve cuvée is made out of a very high quality blend which will age very slowly in time. These wines undergo a first maturation in oak barrels using a perpetual reserve method and then in bottle.

Main harvest

1. Foudres, those large barrels are made out of oak from l'Allier; their capacity varies between 25 and 40 hl and their age goes from 50 to 100 years old for some. The blend is matured in these barrels for a minimum of 12 months, in the form of a perpetual reserve started in the 1990s, giving it a very slight and slow controlled oxidation.

Reserve wines

Then the bottle. In the chalk, on the lees, in the dark. Seven years. Eight. Sometimes nine. The aromas shift in that time: the fruit turns to marmalade, the brioche turns to toasted bread. We do not step in. We let time do the work.

Tasting

Tasting

A powerful, complex cuvée built for the table, the traditional Gardet style expressed through Perpetual Reserve.

Optimal serving temperature

8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F)

Colour

A shining deep yellow gold, the colour of a late afternoon through an oak cask

Nose

Delicate. Clean and direct on the attack, then wheat, caramel and vanilla, with ripe fruits set behind. The long ageing pushes the aromatics toward riper, gently toasted territory.

Taste

Direct on the attack with a precise acid frame. Through the mid-palate, fruit jelly, candied orange and a marmalade weight; then a hint of spice, cinnamon and vanilla, over a croissant note. The finish runs clean on an underlying minerality and holds for a long time.

Fine cuisine pairings

A cuvée for the table, not the aperitif. Duck breast fillet, scallop creamy risotto, grilled vegetables and marinated skewers "a la plancha". The structure also takes a mature hard cheese in its stride.

Bottling & cellaring

Bottling data

Bottling period: June.
Container types: bottles.
Initial closure: crown caps.

Shipping & cellaring

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

Awards

Wine & Barrel 2022 · Silver Medal
Wine Enthusiast 2020 · 90 points

Available formats

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

75cl · Bottle 750 ml · 6×/case €173 / case ▾

Official product sheet

↓ Download official product sheet (PDF)