The Gimonnets restrict themselves to working solely with Chardonnay sourced from high quality plots on the Côtes des Blancs, with about 26 hectares all told, 14 hectares of premier cru vineyards in Cuis and 12 hectares of grand cru vines in Cramant and Chouilly. Since 2005 they have also tended vines in a 1 hectare plot in Oger, again rated as a grand cru site. The vineyards in Cramant include two plots first planted in 1911 and 1913, and the Gimmonnets are endowed with many old vines, the majority being more than 30 years old, with many over 40 years of age. Once harvested by hand, the fruit goes through a pneumatic press, and the juice is vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel cuves which vary in size from 25 to 125 hectolitres, to facilitate fermentation plot-by-plot. The malolactic fermentation is encouraged, before what is now the vin clair is fined, a practice undertaken since 1996, and then chilled whilst they clarify, over a period of about six months. They are then cold-stabilised, given a light filtration, the liqueur de tirage is added to get the second fermentation underway, and the bottles are left in the cellar, for up to three years for a non-vintage wine, up to seven for one based on a single vintage. When the wine is finally being prepared for market, a heavy dosage is avoided, 5-8 g/l of sugar is a typical target. The non-vintage wines may incorporate up to 50% reserve wines, these being stored in bottle, an unusual practice the aim of which is to maximise freshness in the wines, until they are needed.
There is a philosophy against Chaptalisation at the domaine; the very old vines, those that have more than 80 years under their belt, are rarely manipulated in this fashion, with 1987 and the terrible 2001 vintage being the only recent vintages where this was deemed necessary. But across the domaine as a whole Chaptalisation is avoided, with none in any wines in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 2002. A full review of the range should begin, however, with the non-vintage Cuis Premier Cru, after which comes Fleuron, the entry-level vintage wine, accounting for 30-50% of the harvest; it is selected from a number of terroirs, and is never purely grand cru, apparently benefitting from the acidity brought by the inclusion of wine from Cuis which accounts for 30-50% of the blend, the balance being Cramant and Chouilly. 60% Grand Cru fruit in the blend adds layers of richness and extended lees aging provides lifted notes of brioche and hazelnuts. The finish is long with underlying raciness.