Tasting Notes
Disgorged June 2022. (Formerly known as Expérience). The price here obviously reflects: firstly, the demand for a cuvée that is utterly unique in the world of Champagne; and secondly, the rarity (there is next-to-none to go around). Finally, we should not forget that this is a wine style that is extremely difficult to make.
Some background for those new to this wine. In 2002 Agrapart sought and (remarkably) received permission from the local authorities to begin experimenting with a small quantity of wine that he wanted to produce without any sugar additions; no chaptalisation and no additions for the second fermentation and final dosage (liqueur de tirage and liqueur d’expédition). Not using sugar and yeast for the liqueur de tirage (to prompt the second fermentation in the bottle) is actually against the AOC laws, which is why Agrapart needed to request permission. So how does Agrapart achieve the bottle fermentation? Instead of sugar, he uses must (grape juice), from the same vineyards that produce the wine, thus enabling him to produce a Champagne that is solely the product of estate-grown grapes.
The current release is an equal blend from sources that also contributed to the Avizoise and Minéral cuvées (Les Robarts in Avize and Les Bionnes in Cramant), ‘dosed’ with around 20% of the juice of 2017 from these same vineyards to drive the secondary fermentation in the bottle. No sugar or yeast additions were used for either fermentation, and the wine was not fined or filtered. Regardless of the methodology, this is simply a strikingly beautiful Champagne. - Importer Note
In the heart of the Côte des Blancs, in the village of Avize, Pascal Agrapart carefully tends his vines in one of the 70 (!) micro plots that he grows. His 10 or so hectares of vines are scattered mostly throughout Avize, but with small holdings in Cramant, Oiry and Oger as well - all classified Grand Cru.
Pascal is a proud grower-producer, relying on his own natural viticulture and grapes, rather than buying in fruit from elsewhere. In this way he controls every step of the process, choosing to farm organically with no pesticides or herbicides used, and the rows ploughed by horse. The grapes are, of course, all harvested by hand. His vines are some of the oldest in the Côte des Blancs with the majority over 40 years of age and naturally low-yielding.
Originally established in 1894 by Pascal's grandfather, the estate was managed by Pascal's father from the 1950s, until 1984 when Pascal himself took over. The wines have never been better, and Agrapart was recently awarded the coveted Trois Etoiles (three stars) by La Revue du Vin de France. To put this in perspective, there are only 9 Champagne houses that hold this honour, and Pascal is among the esteemed company of houses such as Selosse, Krug, and Egly-Ouriet.
The wines of Agrapart are typified by an intensity and precision that sets them apart from some of the houses making richer, fuller styles. Pascal picks earlier, uses larger, older wood and bottles earlier, resulting in wines that are less influenced by oxygen. In the winery, Pascal vinifies using natural yeasts, emphasising the truest expression of his terroir. Dosage, which is done with a traditional liqueur d'expédition of cane sugar, varies from wine to wine, although it is usually around 3 or 4 g/L, showcasing the exceptional precision and linear focus of his Champagnes.
| Product Type | Wine Sparkling Champagne |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Sub Region | Avize |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |