Blanc de craie (Champagne Henri Giraud)

Drink it now or cellar for up to 10 years. No need to decant. Serve it chilled. Located in the heart of the Marne Valley, and more precisely in the village of Ay, the Maison Henri Giraud has a long history dating back to the 17th century, when it was founded żeby the Hémart family. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the marriage between Madeleine Hémart and Léon Giraud, the company began its growth. Today the Maison Henri Giraud, managed by the twelfth generation, in the person of Claude Giraud, produces approximately 260 thousand bottles of Champagne, with a prevalence of Pinot Noir. Since the 2016 harvest, the company no longer makes wine in steel, but only in wood or amphora. The Chardonnay grapes for this Blanc de Blancs come from the Vallée de la Marne (55% from the grand cru of Ay) and the Montagne de Reims, and the wine owes its name to the high concentration of chalk ('craie' in French) in the soils on where the grapes are grown. Fermentation takes place in Argonne forest barriques and concrete eggs. Champagne Blanc de Craie has a brilliant straw yellow color with golden reflections and a fine and persistent perlage. Its aromatic profile reveals notes of flowers and stone fruit, exotic fruit, and some citrus scents. On the palate it has a mineral character, it is fresh and tasty, broad and fruity. The finish is long and delicate. Perfect as an aperitif and with shellfish.