Disgorged June 2023. Limited. 100% Grand Cru, with the fruit sourced only from great sites across four revered villages in the Côte des Blancs: Avize, Cramant, Oger and Oiry. Together with the terroir, vine age is a key factor in quality. The average age of the plantings is more than 50 years.
This release is based on 2019 and 2018, with the reserve wine making up a remarkable 80% of the cuvée—another key to the quality. After natural fermentation, half the wine matured in large-format, neutral oak and then spent more than 36 months on lees.
Dosage is limited to 5 g/L, and disgorgement was carried out by hand in March 2023. These winemaking standards, combined with organic viticulture, set a benchmark far higher than any Grande Marque prestige cuvée we know of. This disgorgement is flat-out stunning. Perhaps this is down to the quality of the vintages involved, or perhaps it’s the dominance of reserve wines in the blend. Regardless, it’s evidence of a stellar grower in perpetual movement; dense and layered yet racier and more mineral than ever. It is wonderful now and will, as always, benefit from another year under cork. Again, the reviews below refer to a previous disgorgement (and this release is even finer!).
“The latest rendition of Agrapart’s NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Terroirs is excellent. Based on the 2018 vintage, with fully 60% reserve wines from 2017 (some 40% of which mature in wood), it’s medium to full-bodied, seamless and chiseled, evocative of citrus oil, buttered toast, mint and fresh bread. It derives from holdings in Avize, Oger, Cramant and Oiry.” 93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
“Creamy and flavorful, yet it remains precise and vertical, with an array of lemons, green apples, pie crust, almonds, hazelnuts and chalk. Medium-bodied with creamy, fine bubbles. Lots of energy, with zesty citrus notes at the end. Layered blanc de blancs.” 95 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
