Description
“This is the way I think Krug SHOULD taste” – Robert Parker on the Henri Giraud Argonne
Champagne Henri Giraud is one of the few houses (Krug is another example) that conduct primary fermentations in oak. They believe in terroir in the forest as much as the vineyard, sourcing wood for their barrels from the slow growing, tight grained, high quality trees of the ancient forest of Argonne, working passionately with forestry and local coopers and fastidiously selecting individual trees for each oak barrel with the identity of each tree recorded on each barrel. Sébastien explains “We take advantage of the different terroirs of the forest so that we can adapt the exact source of the wood to the stylistic profile of a vintage, also taking into account how heavily the inside of the barrels will be toasted, depending on the grape ripeness of the harvest. My goal is not to overpower the wines, but rather to magnify the expression of our Aÿ terroir by means of a carefully calibrated barrel-aging.” - Importer Note
"Golden color with intense aromas of lemon, tar, oak, bark, mushroom, and hints of salted caramel. Full-bodied and so powerful wi-th an energy and drive as it spreads across the palate. It's like Batard Montrachet with tiny bubbles. This is a very great wine for great dishes at the table. 100% new barrels from selected parcels of the Argonne forest." - 98 Points, James Suckling
"The Argonne 2015 unfurls with pure notes of poached white peach, Meyer lemon confit, dried orange peel, honey wafer biscuits, marzipan, and toast. Vinified in new Argonne oak barrels, it is a 100% Aÿ fruit from five plots and a predominantly Pinot Noir (90%) with a 10% dash of Chardonnay. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is opulently textured around red fruit, spiced pear, hints of orange peel and mouthwatering salinity. It possesses a pulsating acid energy throughout and finishes long with oodles of honeyed notes." - 98 Points, Sarah Mayo, The Wine Independent
