Maison de Champagne Gaston Chiquet | Dizy, France

Eight generations have passed since Nicolas Chiquet planted his first vines in 1746. In 1919, brothers Fernand and Gaston Chiquet came together to create their house, “Chiquet Frères (brothers).” They were pioneers in Champagne, among the first winegrowers to take the initiative, bold at the time, to keep their grapes and make their own wine instead of selling their grapes to the bigger Champagne houses.

In 1935, Gaston Chiquet separated from his brother to create his own brand. At the beginning of the 1950s, Gaston and his son Claude extended the family domain into the areas of Aÿ and Hautvillers, bringing new blending possibilities. Gaston Chiquet is known for making the only Blanc de Blancs from the Pinot Noir village of Aÿ. Aÿ was the big name in the area long before wines became sparkling, and many were the kings and popes who counted Vin d’Aÿ as their favorite wine.

Nicolas Chiquet, Claude’s son, today farms 55 acres in Champagne. All the fruit comes from premier and grand cru grapes. Nicolas does not employ any oak aging at Gaston Chiquet; he believes that concentration, fruit maturity and malolactic fermentation impart enough body and texture to make aging in barrels unnecessary. He also uses very little dosage, the Tradition Brut has 6 grams of sugar per liter.

> For more information:
– visit Champagne Gaston Chiquet official website.
– check out the tasting notes of Champagne Gaston Chiquet, Tradition, Premier Cru, on GAYOT’s Best Non-Vintage Champagnes.