Self-titled and bold, L’Originale proudly personifies the revolutionary ethos of Champagne Pierre Gerbais through the pioneering of centenarian Pinot blanc vines.
$215.00
10 in stock
L’Originale is the most renowned cuvée from Champagne Pierre Gerbais and pays homage to the family’s innovation of the Pinot blanc variety—one of the four ‘rare’ or ancestral grape varieties that together comprise a mere 0.3% of total growth in the Champagne A.O.C. today.
In the village of Celles-sur-Ource, Pinot blanc accounts for 25% of the House’s total plantings at just over 4 ha, including the oldest Pinot blanc vines of the appellation, certifying Champagne Pierre Gerbais as the most influential producer of this heirloom varietal.
Through L’Originale—first crafted in 1996 and the first champagne to be made from 100% Pinot blanc—the House’s reputation as a trailblazer is further solidified. Fruit is manually harvested from the region’s oldest Pinot blanc vines, which were planted on a historical lieu-dit (single parcel of vines) named Les Proies in 1904. The plot is south-facing, an ideal aspect for catching sunlight to lend greater richness and ripeness to Pinot blanc. Dosage is 3–4 g/L, and production is limited to 3000 bottles each year.
The perfume is concentrated and complex, displaying a bouquet of lemon, ripe brown pear, apple, butter, biscuit and honey—all of which translate with precision and depth on the palate, joined by seasonal flavours of peach, tangerine and yellow plum along a gentle savoury note. An electric current of acidity carries a fleshy, rounded mouthfeel, resembling a resonant pulse on the lasting finish.
Best enjoyed from the Lehmann Jamesse Prestige, Synergie 75 handmade glass.
Crumbed and fried fillet of Lakes Entrance whiting topped with caviar or a classic cheesy croque monsieur sandwich with a kick of Dijon mustard.
