Today, we have an exceptional, recently disgorged Blanc de Blancs Champagne from the fantastic 1996 vintage from a small grower in the Côte des Blancs. Jean Gimonnet is a very small producer that typically sells only in Europe. Jean is from a long lineage of Vignerons and strives to make authentic wines, putting in tons of work with some cuvees like this one, spending nearly 28 years on the lees, which is why there is no malo used here, preferring to build weight with time. The vines for this cuvee are grown on chalk and provide a wonderful mineral backbone to the Champagne. The 1996 is one of the best Champagne vintages of all time, and the high acidity of the year supports the maturing flavors here, showing off some fantastic complexity that comes with time in the bottle. This is showing very well right now and is a beautiful example of traditional Champagne that has been perfectly aged, but because this was recently disgorged, it will be a bit fresher than other examples. We have the only bottles of this one available in the US, and it's a great choice for fans of aged Champagne and the perfect way to grab something from the '96 vintage without spending hundreds.