Guide to the House of Henri Giraud | Grand Champagne

We'd like to introduce you to one of our partner estates: Domaine Henri Giraud. Have you ever heard of Champagne House Henri Giraud ? This article will help you get to the heart of this estate's history, with cuvées each more harmonious than the last. Thanks to this guide, I invite you to discover this beautiful champagne manor. You can also find our other guides to the most beautiful wine estates.

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The history of the Champagne house 

The history of the Champagne Giraud estate began in 1625 with the contemporary period of Henri V and his heirs. The Hémart family returned definitively to Aÿ in the early 17th century, where they put down roots and began the age of champagne in the 18th century.

In the early 20th century, Léon Giraud married Madeleine Hémart and restored the family vineyards, which had been ravaged by the phylloxera crisis. Their offspring, Henri, founded the company now run by his son Claude. The vineyard extends over a commune of Aÿ, as well as Dizy and Mutigny. Claude also buys the grapes from friends and family, which are then harvested by the pickers. In 1980, Claude Giraud increased the proportion of wines aged in oak barrels. Today, much of the champagne is barrel-aged, and the grape wines are kept in stainless steel tanks.

 

The estate today

Today, Claude GiraudThe 12th generation of the Giraud-Hémart family runs this Champagne House, a member of the UMC, whose best-known vintage cuvée bears the name "Argonne". Focusing on the pillars of the House: Aÿ Grand Cru, Pinot Noir grapes and Argonne barrels, since 1990 he has returned to the roots of history and rebuilt the first oak barrels from the historic Champagne forest 60 km east of Reims, where the famous Champagne barrels were made for over ten centuries.

Experts come to the workshops every year to learn more about the impact of the different terroirs and geological compositions of the forest soils on the taste and texture of the wine. The balance of Maison Henri Giraud's champagne is the success of the region. With just 250,000 bottles produced, and a few thousand bottles for the vintage cuvées, the champagnes are now sought after the world over by connoisseurs of fine wine.

Our champagnes are marked by the Pinot Noir d'Aÿ grape variety. Those from the range developed in stainless steel tanks are full-bodied and powerful. They are ideal as aperitifs, but also go well with lightly spiced dishes. Those vinified in barrels are even fuller and more dominant. Powerful, expressive and full-bodied, they are among the most concentrated champagnes in the entire region, making them ideal for the entire meal.

 

The house's great vintages :

Find the most famous champagnes of the House on our website. Visit Henri Giraud's bottles come directly from the estate and are available for immediate purchase, in stock and at the best price on Comptoir des Millésimes. But before tasting, here's some advice on these little Champagne gems.

 

• Henri Giraud Cuvée Esprit Brut Nature :

This cuvée best represents the evolution of the estate. The blend is composed of 70 % Pinot Noir and 30 % Chardonnay. It combines greed, pleasure and balance. This is the spirit of the house, and its aim is to produce the very best. The house is open to everything: in other words, it forbids itself nothing. This cuvée comes from the Reims mountains. It is matured in vats and malolactically fermented. The dosage is between 6 and 12 g per liter. On the palate, it gives off fresh, fruity notes. It is ideal as an aperitif, but can also be enjoyed with a meal.

 

• Henri Giraud Cuvée Blanc de Craie :

This exceptional cuvée comes from the best chalky terroirs of the Montagne de Reims. Made exclusively from Chardonnay, it embellishes this grape variety by giving it a new facet, combining the fatness of the fruit with the minerality of the chalk. Vinification is traditional, and the wine is aged in oak barrels for 6 months. The wine is a delicate yellow/gold color, with light green reflections that are pierced by the fine strands of foam. The nose is marked by fresh, pleasant citrus notes. There are also aromas of exotic fruits (pineapple, lychee, etc.). On the palate, it's very greedy, with a clean, invigorating attack thanks to its fine minerality.

 

• Henri Giraud Tribute to Pinot Noir :

 

This cuvée is aged for 54 months, including 12 months on whole lees in small oak barrels, followed by 6 months on fine lees. It is then bottled and cellared for 3 years on laths for optimal ageing. This cuvée is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, harvested only on the Grand Cru d'Aÿ terroir. It has very fine bubbles on opening. The color is slightly amber. The nose is composed of white flowers with hints of honeysuckle, yellow fruit and green almonds with a hint of menthol. On the palate, there are notes of pear and yellow fruit, dried apricot with a finish of orange zest and burlat (a variety of cherry), plus a hint of chocolate. It goes well with sea bass with fennel, pork filet mignon, or duck with citrus. It's best served at around 12 degrees, except as an aperitif, when it should be served cooler, between 8 and 10 degrees. Aperitifs include foie gras and quinoa verrines; smoked trout canapés flavored with ginger.

 

• Henri Giraud Aÿ Grand Cru:

The blend for this cuvée is composed of 70 % Pinot Noir and 30 % Chardonnay, vinified in wood for 12 months, aged on lees for at least 8 years, barrel-fermented and made from 50-year-old vines. It is only produced in the best years, such as 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 or 2005. In time, when wood vinification has had a major impact, the latest vintages have proved to be more harmonious and complex. This cuvée has a deep yellow/gold color. It's a luxurious blend, with lots of toasted oak and speckling. Flavors of acorn leaf and ripe fruit with great purity and astonishing freshness. The Chardonnay is very well articulated on the nose and palate. It's rich and intense, perfectly structured, exceptionally fruity and aromatic. The finish is grippy, long, complex, salty and very aromatic. It's a great reflection of the Aÿ terroir. While magnificent and very rich, it may not be for everyone. Total production is 30,000 bottles.

 

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