B-21 Top Recommendation
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Described as “the finest Champagne house virtually no one has ever heard of” by the Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker Jr. and garnering 95 plus pt. ratings across the board, these richly textured Champagnes from cult producer Domaine Henri Giraud are crafted in “a rich, hedonistic style that will appeal most to readers who enjoy lush, opulent Champagnes” according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, these rarely available selections offered at best on the market pricing and a must for Champagne aficionados and collectors.
Boasting a family history dating back in the region to 1625, Champagne Henri Giraud is located west of Epernay in Ay at the foot of the Reims Mountains, established in 1975 and now run by 12th generation Chef de Cave Claude Giraud. Sourced from estate vineyards spanning 10 hectares mainly planted to Pinot Noir as well as purchased grapes grown in top sites including Grand Crus, Claude is an outlier in the region, renowned for fermenting and aging many of the cuvees in barrels sourced from the Argonne forest, once a tradition in Champagne, the rough terrain inhibiting growth and yielding densely grained oak barrel staves that limit the Champagne’s contact with oxygen while still allowing it to breathe. Blended by Claude into the non-vintage cuvees to add further complexity, the estate’s perpetual reserve started in 1990 is stored in steel-lined concrete tanks in cellars beneath the Marne River and replenished each year with about 20% of the current vintage. Crafted from 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, the entry level 95 pt. NV Henri Giraud Esprit Nature Brut was vinified and matured in oak barrels and blended with 50% of reserve wine before aging another 2 years on the lees, revealing fresh, richly textured fruit reflecting the house style with precise acidity and a fine beaded mousse. Described as a “thought provoking and sensual” Blanc de Blancs by James Suckling, the 96 pt. NV Henri Giraud Blanc de Craie was crafted from 100% Chardonnay and aged for 3 years on the lees while the 100% Pinot Noir 96 pt. NV Henri Giraud Hommage au Pinot Noir aged for a total of 54 months on the lees to yield a richly concentrated and silky Blanc de Noirs cuvee. Crafted entirely in amphora, the 95 pt. NV Henri Giraud Dame-Jane Brut Rose is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir including 6% still wine with 30% Chardonnay, described as a “gastronomic Rose” by the Wine Independent’s Sarah Mayo offering lush, mouth filling fruit and a long, chalky finish. A blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, the 95 pt. NV Henri Giraud MV 17 Grand Cru Fut de Chene mixes the 2017 vintage brought up in new oak with a third from the perpetual reserve, undergoing at least 4 years of lees aging to yield a “fine and creamy” Champagne according to the Wine Spectator’s Alison Napjus with “a luxurious layer wrapping the racy spine of acidity” that’s built for long-term enjoyment. Crafted from 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay and compared to powerhouse cuvees Clos des Goisses and Billecart Salmon's Clos Saint Hilaire by Decanter, the alluringly complex 98 pt. 2014 Henri Giraud Argonne Ay Grand Cru is the house’s impressive vintage flagship cuvee rested for 12 months in new Argonne oak barriques and 7 years longer on the lees in the bottle, each individually numbered and presented in an ornate box designed by internationally renowned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban that’s certain to be a focal point in any collection.
Continuing to make “some of the most exciting wines in Champagne” according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, these selections from Champagne Henri Giraud are meticulously crafted by “a modern legend in the making” according to Decanter, the exciting cuvees of Claude Giraud among Champagne’s most innovative and exclusive and now value priced for Champagne lovers to discover one of the region’s best kept secrets. | 
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