9/6/26 - 

Today we travel to the Aube, the southernmost subregion of Champagne that is actually closer to Chablis then it is Reims, and Epernay. Here, Aurélien Gerbais (photo above) represents the fourth generation to lead Domaine Pierre Gerbais where he has been at the helm since 2011.  In more recent years it feels like there continues to be more and more incredible talent and delicious wines coming from the Aube, and winemakers like Aurélien, as well as Cedric Bouchard and Vouette and Sorbee, have helped draw attention to not only the Aube, but the small village of Celles sur Ource.

Aurélien farms 15 hectares of vines that are planted to about 50% Pinot Noir, and 25% each Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, with just one small plot of Pinot Meunier. The strong presence of Pinot Blanc is due to the fact that historically it was planted in the area to protect against spring frosts as it buds and flowers later than Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Pinot Blanc creates Champagnes with great fruit and incredible acidity. You can experience the presence of Pinot Blanc in not only one of his five single parcel, single varietal wines, but also in his 2021 experimental cuvee. Every year, Gerbais releases an experimental cuvee where he plays around with different blends, aging, or winemaking processes. The vintage is expressed in the cuvee number and for this release he used the taille, the juice from the end of the pressing process that is often underestimated and left out of many wines. I think this cuvee is always a fun way to explore what could one day become the norm in Champagne.   

Across the board, each parcel is picked and vinified on its own in stainless steel tanks providing what Aurélien believes is the best expression of his terroirs. The area has great Kimmeridgian and Portlandian soils as opposed to the chalk, limestone, marl, and clay found elsewhere in Champagne. This provides a really special terroir that Aurélien aims to highlight. When he took over the domaine in 2011, he began a perpetual reserve for each of his single vineyard wines (Bochot came later in 2016) and you will see this reflected in each item name. The current release shows the fantastic 2021 vintage as its base with a decade of perpetual reserve to back it up. 

To reintroduce Aurélien's complete lineup to the shelves we are offering special Labor Day pricing on every single wine. Each bottle is at least $10 less than we would normally have them at, including the Grains de Celles and Grains de Celles Rose from 2022 which are two can't miss wines showing a real window into the winemaking of Gerbais and perfect for opening any night of the week. Sale pricing is just today-tomorrow (9/6-9/7) but it's possible that quantities won't last until then...

-Hanna Krilov Cohen

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