Champagne Gremillet Ambassadeur Brut NV

Champagne Gremillet Ambassadeur is a non-vintage Brut from the Gremillet family’s house in Balnot-sur-Laignes, in the Côte des Bar. Like much of the region’s best Champagne it is built on Pinot Noir, which ripens fully on the Côte des Bar’s limestone soils, blended with Chardonnay for freshness and finesse. The wine is made by the traditional method, with its second fermentation in bottle, and aged on its lees in the family cellars before release.

Gremillet Ambassadeur is a rich, complex Champagne. The nose shows baked brioche and toast alongside green apple, white peach and a hint of sweet spice. The palate is fresh and energetic, with a fine mousse, juicy orchard fruit and a delicate, slightly saline finish that keeps it lively.

It makes a stylish aperitif and has the weight to go with food: try it with smoked salmon, prawns, crab, scallops, roast chicken or a creamy Brie or Chaource. Serve well chilled at 8–10°C in a white wine glass rather than a narrow flute to show off the aromas. Champagne Gremillet Ambassadeur is ready to enjoy now and will hold well for a couple of years.

Champagne Gremillet is a family house in Balnot-sur-Laignes, in the Côte des Bar at the southern tip of Champagne in the Aube. Jean-Michel Gremillet began making his own Champagne in 1979, starting from a small plot of vines inherited from his mother. Today his children, Anne and Jean-Christophe, run the house with their spouses, with Jean-Christophe as winemaker. The family estate covers around 40 hectares, where Pinot Noir thrives on the region’s limestone soils, alongside Chardonnay, and they also buy grapes from partner growers. Gremillet has six hectares of certified organic vines, used for its Forget-me-not cuvée. The style is generous and fruit-forward, reflecting the ripe Pinot Noir of the Côte des Bar.