GASTON CHIQUET CHAMPAGNE BRUT SPECIAL CLUB MILLESIME 2016

Nicolas Chiquet farms 23 hectares across Aÿ grand cru and Dizy, Cumières, and Hautvillers premier cru sites, continuing eight generations of winemaking since ancestor Nicolas planted vines in 1746—Fernand and Gaston Chiquet pioneered selling their own champagne in 1919, registering the company in 1935. Spécial Club 2016 blends 68% Chardonnay from five parcels in Dizy premier cru (Haut de Souchienne, Veilots, Crohaut Guillemoinel) and Hautvillers premier cru (Lagrange, Croix Courcelles) with 32% Pinot Noir from Dizy's Griboury parcel on clay and limestone over chalk. Fermented and aged in stainless steel with malolactic conversion, then 90-plus months on lees with 6g/L dosage, this vintage champagne relies on concentration, fruit maturity, and extended aging rather than oak for body—Chiquet avoids barrels entirely, trusting terroir and time.