CUVEE GENTILHOMME 1996
GRAND CRU BLANC DE BLANCS

Expression of an Art de Vivre
Elegance and Refinement
Prestige and Nobility
of a Great Wine

Made with Chardonnay grapes from the best plots of vines and produced only in the great years, the Cuvée Gentilhomme Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is a hymn to the nobility of Champagne wines.

Its name, Gentilhomme, evokes the values of AR Lenoble, values that it has perpetuated for 4 generations: respect for the past, a sense of duty and the determination to pass on our skills.

Anne and Antoine Malassagne watch over the heritage of their ancestors and apply the traditional methods learnt from their forefathers each and every day with passion. The family spirit is safe in their hands.

 Grape varieties and origins

Grape varieties : 100 % Chardonnay from Chouilly, one of the 6 villages classed as a Grand Cru in Côte des Blancs (100%)

Selection of grapes from the best plots of vines in Chouilly for this cuvée limited to
25 000 bottles per vintage and produced only in the great years.

Year of harvest : 1996

Thanks to exceptional weather conditions, the 1996 harvest was quite remarkable. The grapes revealed unusual characteristics promising high-quality wines with excellent ageing potential: a high acidity level of 10.1 g/l and an unhoped-for sugar degree of 10.6% vol. The most notable feature was without a doubt the alcohol level/acidity pairing, which was the best since this data started to be collected in 1950.

With this in mind, and with the aim of respecting the gifts of Nature, we decided to break with the traditional chronology of vintages and offer you the 1999 vintage before the 1996.

This choice was guided by our obsession with quality, which we always put above financial and commercial considerations.

Your patience is now rewarded!

Proportion of wine aged in oak casks : 25 %.

Dosage : 4 g/l. A very low dosage, letting this wine express all its freshness and elegance

Tasting characteristics

Visusal aspect : A deep golden colour with very fine, sparkling bubbles.

Nose : The aromas are complex yet mellow and characteristic of a perfectly developed Chardonnay. Nose of medlar-wood, pear, rosemary, wax, honey and under-wood, showing signs of opening out to mature aromas.

Palate : Powerful but lively and fresh on the palate, with excellent aromatic length. The contrast is surprising and typical of the 1996 vintage. Notes of apple and strong mineral hints. Dense, powerful.

Serving suggestions : Its complexity and elegance make it an exceptional champagne to drink as an aperitif or with refined dishes such as scallops lightly fried in a cream sauce, or a roasted hen with truffles.

Do not hesitate to serve at between 10 °C and 12 °C to appreciate all its aromatic richness.

We put every care and effort into making this Champagne. To appreciate all its qualities to the full, keep it in a dry, cool dark place. Do not hesitate to serve it at between 10 °C and 12 °C to appreciate all its aromatic richness