Champagne Henri Giraud is the oldest Champagne house still owned by its founding family the Giraud-Hémart family has farmed vines at Aÿ since 1625. However, it is only since current head Claude Giraud took over that the wines have been released under the family name.

Argonne is a fusion between the vine and the forest, of these two great historical terroirs in Champagne
the grapes from Aÿ and the oak barrels from the nearby Argonne forest, this cuvee is both fermented and aged in new wood for 15 months. This brings distinct toasty notes from the barrel combining with the power of the Pinot Noir red fruits. There is a powerful champagne a mix of spicy vanilla and bright concentrated Pinot fruit.

Weather:In 2013, the growth cycle was delayed, with the vines flowering as late as July in some places due to the long winter and cool spring. Hailstorms caused some damage, but overall the summer was hot and dry. The weather turned wet towards mid-September, causing outbreaks of rot. The harvest was long and started late, on September 24th. However, most of the picking of the abundant yield (12,0008 kg/ha) took place in cool conditions in October thus contributing to a classic cool and linear style of Champagne. Taking into consideration the challenging season, the wines have positively surprised with their pure fruitiness, racy palates and stylish restraint. There is heterogeneity in the results, but the best belong to the Champagne elite. This vintage is greatly underrated and will likely become better appreciated over time, when the region's most iconic wines are released.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Aÿ-Champagne
Grape Varieties: 90% Pinot Noir | 10% Chardonnay
Fermentation: Vinified and raised in new barrels from the Argonne Forest.
Ageing: 6 years on the lees
Disgorged: 15th December 2020
Dosage: 6 g/l
Production: 5000 Bottles
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink: Now to 2040

Tasting Note: Unwinding in the glass with aromas of tarte tatin, apricot, honeycomb, nutmeg, brioche and spices. Full-bodied, vinous and intensely concentrated, it's layered and elegantly structured, with vivid acidity and a dry, racy finish

Contemporaries of Henri IV and his descendants, the Hémart family settled permanently in Aÿ at the beginning of the 17th century. Their history took root there and became closely interwoven with the momentous historical events relating to Champagne from the 18th century onwards. At the opening of the 20th century, Léon Giraud married Miss Hémart and reconstructed the magnificent family vineyard, which had been ravaged by phylloxera. Today, Claude Giraud, the 12th generation of the Giraud-Hémart family, is in charge of the fortunes of the family business.

The Giraud-Hémart family own 20 hectares - 35 parcels of Grand Cru land of which 26 is planted with Pinot Noir and 9 with Chardonnay. Only 17 of the Champagne region's 323 Crus are classed as Grand Crus (rated 100%). The wine production of Giraud estate is environmentally-friendly, subscribing to the 'lutte-raisonnée' (limited intervention grape growing).

The overall production is limited to 250 000 bottles a year, making the Giraud Champagne stand apart from the majority of bulk-producing champagne houses.

Winery Location: Ay | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Grande Vallée de la Marne
Annual Production (bottles): 250,000 bottles