Gimonnet Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Cuvée Fleuron 2010 1.5L

94 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): “(disgorged July 2018; 40.5% Cramant, 27% Chouilly, 6% Oger, 16% Cuis, 10.5% Vertus; aged on lees more than 4 years; 5.5 atmospheres of pressure; 4.5g/L dosage).‘Fleuron’ means ‘best of’, created when there was only one non-vintage and one vintage wine in the house. Today it is Gimonnet’s signature vintage cuvée, a blend of the best parcels from each village, boasting almost three-quarters grand cru Côte des Blancs, a preposterous proportion for a wine of this price. Gimonnet’s goal here is to capture the taste of the domaine and the spirit of the season in a single blend of complexity, more about structure and focus than the immediacy of Gastronome. A complex and immediate take on this mandate, 2010 is a vintage that fast developed on its release three years ago into a medium-straw hue (bright by any standards, yet deep for Gimonnet) and grand complexity. Amazingly, it has since held its own magnificently. After three more years on lees, its subtle evolution for a fast-evolving vintage is testament to the endurance of this house and its terroirs. Its vivacious core of lemon and grapefruit remain, as does its progression into mixed spice, toast, ginger and honey, now adding vanilla, nougat and toasted marshmallow to the party. It presents integrity and persistence remarkable for this weaker harvest. The impact of salty grand cru minerality remains transfixed, defining a long finish of vibrant acid line, invisible dosage and subtle, well-handled phenolic grip. I admired it then years ago, and I love it even more now. (2020-2021)”

93 points Wine Spectator: “[$78/750ml list] Featuring rich accents of pastry, chopped hazelnut and lemon curd, this well-cut Champagne offers a finely detailed bead and a delicate skein of aromatic spice, layered with poached apricot and white cherry fruit. Minerally finish. Disgorged April 2018. Drink now through 2029. 30 cases imported. (2019)”

92 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): “Disgorged in April 2018 with five grams per liter dosage, Gimonnet’s 2010 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Fleuron is showing very well, unfurling in the glass with aromas of white flowers, lemon oil, mandarin, fresh hazelnuts and oyster liquor. It’s medium to full-bodied, elegantly textural and incisive on the palate, with ripe but racy acids, a crystalline core of fruit and a fine, low-pressure mousse, concluding with a saline, chalky finish. Drink: 2019-2029. (Aug 2019)”

92 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): “The 2010 Brut Blanc de Blancs Fleuron is a very beautiful wine. Light tropical notes, passionfruit, mint, orange peel and spice are all lifted in an airy, understated Champagne that has so much to offer. The 2010 is not an obvious wine, but rather a Champagne that speaks to finesse and nuance above all else. Disgorged: December, 2017. Drink: 2019-2027. (Dec 2019)”