Gruet makes around 100,000 cases of wine with a NV lineup of Brut,
Blanc de Noirs, Rose, and Demi-Sec. The vintage cuvees
consist of the Blanc de Blancs, Grand Rose (which is the Blanc de
Blancs with some barrel aged Pinot added to the mix), and Cuvee
Gilbert Gruet Grande Reserve. In the past a NV Blanc de Blancs has
been made and a few other one-offs have also hit the market. Magnums are
aged 12 months longer than 750 mL bottles and all orders are disgorged on
demand. I wish the bottles gave us info on the disgorgement dates (and other
technical information), but Laurent Gruet is a classic traditional Champagne
winemaker in his belief that there is no reason to be too technical in the
details (I will note that the
website has a lot of good
information).
Laurent believes very much in staying true to what
nature gives you. No pesticides are used on the vines and malolactic
fermentation is avoided. He also feels that his wines are best enjoyed
with a breath of youth left in them and outside of the high end Cuvee
Gilbert Gruet recommends aging the wines no more than 7-8 years post
vintage. As for the Cuvee Gilbert Gruet, it is Laurent’s baby with a
tiny production (1000-2000 bottles) and extra care. How it will age is
still up in the air a bit as it is a newer cuvee and has yet to be made
the same way twice. I have only had this once (2000 vintage; tasting
note is below) and this is one bottle you should hunt down to drink now
and later.
The notes on the wines below will give you an idea of my
individual thoughts on the wines, but as a whole I have to say that I am
impressed by what Gruet is putting out. The house style seems to be one
of lemon led citrus and minerals for the Chardonnay that is quite
striking when young and more relaxed and creamy with white bread notes
as it ages. The Pinot takes on a creamy, dry, black cherry and
strawberry note that is equally impressive. Before this tasting, Gruet
wasn’t on my list of the top new world sparking wine makers, but they
are now and while I think there are better producers, the value and
range of wines Gruet offers is hard to top. The NV Blanc de Noirs, NV
Rose, vintaged Grand Rose and killer Cuvee Gilbert Gruet all have a
place in my cellar and compare admirably with Champagnes that cost much
more. Who would have thought New Mexico could make wine like this?
NV Gruet Brut
(75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir;
Engle, Deming, and Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA; All stainless steel
fermentation/aging; No malolactic fermentation; Minimum of 2 years aging
on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $11-15 US)
This is a basic and easy to drink sparkler. A big dose of tartness
immediately jumps out, but eventually some fluffy and slightly bitter
fruit mixes in with hints of slightly sweet bread. For the price, it is
a very good buy. Grade of C+ (77-79 pts).
Find this wine
NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs
(25% Chardonnay, 75% Pinot Noir;
Engle, Deming, and Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA; All stainless steel
fermentation/aging; No malolactic fermentation; Minimum of 2 years aging
on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $11-15 US)
While this isn’t a true Blanc de Noirs (as it has the white Chardonnay
grape in the blend), it is a wonderful wine. This is clearly the star of
the NV lineup and one of the best sparkling wine values out there. Black
cherries and biscuits with hints of sweetness sum this baby up. It is
yummy stuff that compares admirably with my old NV Gloria Ferrer Blanc
de Noirs standby. This is going to become a wine I drink much more
often. Grade of B (83-86 pts). Find this wine
NV Gruet Rose
(100% Pinot Noir with 8% still
stainless steel aged Pinot Noir added; Engle, Deming, and Lordsburg, New
Mexico, USA; All stainless steel fermentation/aging; No malolactic
fermentation; Minimum of 2 years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $12-17
US)
When compared to the Blanc de Noirs, this is much more subdued and dry.
While it may lack the fun and perkiness of that wine, it has a
mysterious and sexy mystique about it that draws you in. Red cherry
skins join with concentrated red berry and spice potpourri to make this
a perfect Champagne to sip on an early autumn evening. There is even a
touch of tannin on the finish which suits this perfectly. If there is a
Gruet built for the dinner table, this is it.
Grade of High B- (81-83 pts). Find this wine
NV Gruet Demi-Sec
(50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir;
Engle, Deming, and Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA; The Pinot Noir for this
is pressed much more lightly than for any of the other wines; All
stainless steel fermentation/aging; No malolactic fermentation; Minimum
of 2 years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $11-15 US)
Just as the Blanc de Noirs is not a true Blanc de Noirs, this is not a
real Demi-Sec. Where a Demi-Sec sees 33-50 g/L of residual sugar, this
wine only has 25 g/L and is actually a Sec. When compared to a normal
Demi-Sec, this is quite dry as the acidity in the wine is quite striking
and really levels off the extra sugar. However, with this big dose of
tartness is a sharp greenness that sticks out a bit. There are some nice
white biscuit notes, but I can’t help but think that either the green
notes need to go or this needs more sugar to cover them up. I’m sure
this cuvee varies from year to year, but this comes off as a wine that
is the destination for the lowest quality juice.
Grade of C (73-76 pts). Find this wine
NV Gruet Millennium Cuvee Brut
(80-90% Chardonnay, 10-20% Pinot Noir;
Engle, Deming, and Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA; all stainless steel
fermentation/aging; no malolactic fermentation; Approximately 3 years
aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $12-18 US)
Regrettably, this bottle was flawed and we only had one bottle of it.
This was a special one off cuvee released for the year 2000
celebrations. If you have ever seen the label on this bottle (old Atari
Space Invaders style graphics), it is not one you will easily forget.
Flawed - Not Rated Find this wine
1996 Gruet Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay; Engle, New Mexico,
USA; all stainless steel fermentation/aging; no malolactic fermentation;
3-4 years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $20-26 US)
This wine is quite Champagne-like with its acidity and slightly racy
sherry notes. It is a mix of young, tart flavors and more mature spicy,
toasty, nutty ones. I wish I could say it would age longer, but the
longer this is open the more it fades. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good
wine, it just means you should drink it up now.
Grade of B (83-85 pts).
Find this wine
2000 Gruet Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay; Engle, New Mexico,
USA; all stainless steel fermentation/aging; no malolactic fermentation;
3-4 years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $20-26 US)
A light citrus filled body mixes with a touch of cream and earthiness.
The tartness that you see in this wine as a youngster has started to
mellow and dough notes are starting to blossom. A burst of fresh
minerals shows through on the finish. I think this wine is drinking
about as good as it will get right now. Grade
of B (83-85 pts).
Find this wine
2002 Gruet Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay; Engle, New Mexico,
USA; all stainless steel fermentation/aging; no malolactic fermentation;
3-4 years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; $20-26 US)
This wine is full of potential, but for right now it is full of tart
flavors. Grapefruit, lemon, and lime dominate the palate. The long,
juicy, lemon and mineral finish show that this has the potential to
settle down and grow into what the 2000 is, but for now it needs to
sleep. Grade of B- for today (80-82 pts) with B
potential in a couple years
(83-85 pts). Find this wine
1998 Gruet Grand Rose
(92% Chardonnay with 8% oak aged Pinot
noir added; Engle, New Mexico, USA; all stainless steel
fermentation/aging for the Chardonnay; no malolactic fermentation; 4
years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; only a few hundred cases
produced; $26-32 US)
Wonderful dry flavors of cherry skins and crumbly strawberry biscuits.
Of course, this carries a good dose of crisp acidity, but everything is
mellowed. Some spicy and tannic notes join the mix and make this a tasty
wine with or without the bubbles. Pop and enjoy now.
Grade of Low B+ (86-88 pts). Find this wine
1999 Gruet Grand Rose
(92% Chardonnay with 8% oak aged Pinot
noir added; Engle, New Mexico, USA; all stainless steel
fermentation/aging for the Chardonnay; no malolactic fermentation; 4
years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; only a few hundred cases
produced; $26-32 US)
Full of Sweet Tarts ® , raspberry, and bit of brett. This has a nice
balance of sweet and dry that lifts it up and above the NV Rose
offering. With time flavors of honeyed buttery biscuits and creamy
strawberry come out. The only worrisome note is that day 2 saw the
tartness turn a bit sour which leads me to believe that this is best not
cellared for too long. Grade of B (83-85 pts). Find this wine
2002 Gruet Grand Rose
(92% Chardonnay with 8% oak aged Pinot
noir added; Engle, New Mexico, USA; all stainless steel
fermentation/aging for the Chardonnay; no malolactic fermentation; 4
years aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; only a few hundred cases
produced; $26-32 US)
Oh man is this one young, tart wine. Tons of lemon-lime and strawberry
flavors are present. This is not dark like the 98 or 99 vintages, but a
bright burst of tartness. I hope age will mellow this because four days
did not. Grade of High B- (81-83 pts) for today
with the possibility for improvement. Find this wine
2000 Cuvee Gilbert Gruet Grande Reserve
(100% Chardonnay; Engle, New Mexico,
USA; oak fermentation and aging; no malolactic fermentation; 5-7 years
aging on the lees; 8 g/L dosage; only a few hundred six packs produced;
$40-50 US)
Named after Laurent Gruet’s father (who founded and ran Gruet et Fils
Champagne in France, this has only been produced in three vintages so
far (1997, 1999, and 2000). The 1997 and 1999 vintages saw a mix of
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as a mix of steel and oak aging. After
experimenting, Gruet decided that a pure Chardonnay made from the best
and oldest vines and fermented and aged in oak would make the best wine.
They used Krug’s Clos du Mesnil as a model and put everything they had
into this.
Some oak is apparent in this wine, but it isn’t overpowering, rather it
gives the citrus notes a lemon meringue pie flavor. The acidity is
excellent and mellowed nicely by the fruit and cream flavors. There is a
structure and elegance about this wine that lifts it up above all the
other Gruets. The flavors flow together and complement each other plus
they appear to have plenty in reserve to age. This is a worthy tete de
cuvee and one of the best coming out of the United States.
Grade of B+ (87-89 pts). Find this wine
1999 Gruet et Fils Champagne Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay; Co-op from the
village of Bethon in the Cote de Sezanne; $35-45 US)
This is quite a contrast to the New Mexico based Gruets as clean
minerals and a dose of tart peach make up the initial palate impression.
As the wine opens up, some floral spice and sweet cream appear. With a
bit more air, an earthiness comes out and then giant waves of lavender
and dough. This holds it together nicely until the finish where a burnt
rubber flavor takes this wine backwards. Grade
of B- (80-82). Find this wine
THE CHALLENGERS
2001 Domaine Carneros Le Reve Blanc de Blancs
(99-100% Chardonnay, 0-1% Pinot Blanc;
Carneros, California; All estate vineyards; Stainless steel fermentation
and aging; No malolactic fermentation; Disgorged 2006; 11-12 g/L dosage;
$45-70 US)
A light, fluffy, doughy citrus concoction that is easily enjoyed by
diverse palates. This is very easy to drink and has a wonderful creamy
finish. Give this a couple years in the cellar and it will only get
better. Grade of B+ (87-89 pts) for today with
High B+ potential (88-90 pts). Find this wine
NV Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs
5-10% Chardonnay, 90-95% Pinot Noir
made via the saignee method; Stainless steel fermentation and aging;
$14-20 US)
I don’t know what I need to say about this wine that I haven’t said
before. It remains my benchmark for judging NV new world sparklers.
Light, fluffy raspberry and strawberry fruit fill your mouth as touches
of bready biscuits dance around. When young it has a nice dose of
acidity that meshes perfectly with a lovely sweet and creamy red fruit
mid palate. With a year or so of age, this fills out nicely.
Grade of B (83-86 pts). Find this wine
1996/95/93 Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle
(55% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir; 20%
1993, 20% 1995, 60% 1996; 100% Grand Cru; Disgorged 2005; $70-90 US)
Wonderful dough notes mix with citrus, apples, pears, and peaches. This
is just a killer bottle. It easily blew away everything else on the
table and was quickly drained. I can still taste the mouth wetting,
creamy, citrus finish. Grade of A (93-96 pts). Find this wine
NV Jacquesson Cuvee No. 730
(48% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir, 20%
Pinot Meunier, 60% 2002 base vintage; Mix of Grand and Premier Crus: Ay,
Cumières, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay in the Grande Vallée de
la Marne, & Avize, Chouilly and Oiry on the Côte des Blancs; Some oak
aging; 3.5 g/L dosage; Disgorged early 2006; $30-40 US)
Wafting from the glass are aromas of nutty dough and citrus. The palate
mirrors the nose as dough, creamy peaches, pears, and a sprinkling of
nuts makes for a tasty treat. This seemed to thin out a bit over an hour
or two, but when freshly popped, it is a nice drink and step up from the
Cuvee 729. Grade of low B+ (86-88 pts). Find this wine
Cheers!
Brad Baker
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