Wine Advocate (94)

The first word that comes to mind in tasting Giraud’s 2002 Brut Argonne – which, as its name suggests, was initially raised in new Argonne oak barrels – is “sumptuous.” I cannot recall having previously tasted such an envelopingly and almost thickly rich Champagne. The selection of Ay Pinot Noir chosen here is more than capable of subsuming any overt influence that new oak might otherwise have bestowed on it. Lightly baked apple, quince, and marzipan inform the nose and silken, expansive, plush palate, accompanied by subtly resinous and smoky black tea. The combination of breadth, textural allure, and fine yet intensely active mousse is spine-tinglingly impressive, striking its balance between vinosity and effervescence at a remarkable high energy level. Hints of salt and iodine add interest, local color, and saliva-inducement to a powerful finishing wave of fruit and nut essences. I suspect one will be rewarded for following this 8-10 years down the pike; though I confess to lack of directly relevant experience.

James Suckling (99)

This is an extraordinary, hand-crafted Champagne with aromas of strawberries, spice, dried apples, clementines and subtle bread dough. Dried oranges, too. Full-bodied, yet so tight, compact and powerful with a solid core of fruit and a finish that goes on forever. 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay, all from the village of Ay and fermented and aged in new wood for 15 months. Then aged in bottle. Superb structure and complexity. One for the cellar.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2013 Brut Grand Cru Aÿ Argonne is the latest in a series of superb releases from Giraud. Unwinding in the glass with notes of buttered toast, crisp yellow orchard fruit, honeycomb, warm spices and ripe stone fruits, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with a layered core of concentrated fruit, incisive acids and an elegant pearly mousse. Long and penetrating, it's finer-boned than its richer, more muscular 2012 predecessor; but like that more structured wine, it will reward bottle age.

James Suckling (98)

Beautiful interplay of vivacity and silkiness. Vibrant and phenolic, yet also supple with long, caressing layers of crushed almond, brown butter, apricot, praline, white chocolate and hints of sage. Really opens up. Fantastic integration. 100% new barrels from selected parcels of the Argonne forest. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (98)

Beautiful interplay of vivacity and silkiness. Vibrant and phenolic, yet also supple with long, caressing layers of crushed almond, brown butter, apricot, praline, white chocolate and hints of sage. Really opens up. Fantastic integration. 100% new barrels from selected parcels of the Argonne forest. Drink or hold.

The Wine Independent (98)

The Argonne 2015 unfurls with pure notes of poached white peach, Meyer lemon confit, dried orange peel, honey wafer biscuits, marzipan, and toast. Vinified in new Argonne oak barrels, it is a 100% Aÿ fruit from five plots and a predominantly Pinot Noir (90%) with a 10% dash of Chardonnay. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is opulently textured around red fruit, spiced pear, hints of orange peel and mouthwatering salinity. It possesses a pulsating acid energy throughout and finishes long with oodles of honeyed notes.

The Wine Independent (98)

The Argonne 2015 unfurls with pure notes of poached white peach, Meyer lemon confit, dried orange peel, honey wafer biscuits, marzipan, and toast. Vinified in new Argonne oak barrels, it is a 100% Aÿ fruit from five plots and a predominantly Pinot Noir (90%) with a 10% dash of Chardonnay. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is opulently textured around red fruit, spiced pear, hints of orange peel and mouthwatering salinity. It possesses a pulsating acid energy throughout and finishes long with oodles of honeyed notes.

Matthew Jukes (19.5)

“It must be said that tastings take all shapes and forms, but tasting this wine was the single most extraordinary event of the year. I have written up a couple of Henri Giraud Champagnes in the last twelve months, and they are all masterpieces, but this wine takes the biscuit. As always, the Argonne forest plays a leading role in this wine’s makeup. Giraud uses new Argonne oak, lots of it, and great Aÿ fruit in perfect harmony to make astonishingly impactful wines. But this rosé uses a ‘few liters of extraordinary Aÿ Grand Cru Rouge’ to transform this white wine into a rosé, and the result is game-changing. I tasted this wine at Hawksmoor Seven Dials before a ‘Monday Night £5 corkage’ dinner. I then popped a stopper in it and brought it out during the main course, after a couple of stellar white Burgundies and before a Vieux Château Certan, a Grange and a couple of other impressive reds. Having already road-tested 2013 Argonne at The Clove Club earlier in the year and finding it one of the most gastronomically-skilled wines on the planet, I was confident that this insanely beautiful rosé would step up to the mark. And boy, it did not disappoint. But, as well as it romancing Hawksmoor’s finest steaks, I was more interested in the impression this wine made on the assembled wine aficionados. While I am familiar with the Henri Giraud legend, the other five fellows around the table were not. This meant they could comment on the flavour without getting hooked up in the impeccable presentation and astronomic price tag. We all agreed that this statesmanlike wine was like nothing we had ever tasted before. One of our brigade was so baffled and befuddled that he admitted defeat early on. He loved the flavour but, not surprisingly, couldn’t find a place to file it in his wine memory, so he bowed out. The other four chaps were spellbound, carving out ever more fantastical descriptors and admiration for this unique wine. There is no doubt that the artistry and individualism of the Henri Giraud range are shocking to many and, in some cases, polarising, but if you crave Champagnes of the very highest standards with tremendous depth of fruit and an all-encompassing and otherworldly presence on the palate, you must taste these wines. 2011 Argonne Rosé hails from one of the world’s most famous villages and is embellished with some of the most revered oak on earth. The fact that it is a sparkling wine is a detail, a mere delivery mechanism, a vector of flavour. It is an elite messenger of the most elemental vine and wood flavours in drinkable form, and it blows my mind.

James Suckling (100)

This is something else on the nose, with saltines, dried orange, grapefruit, flowers, white pears, peaches, white pepper, rust and five spice. Crazy spice, citrus and rusty minerality. Very fine bubbles. Energy and softness combined. Copper colored, but otherwise hard to compare to other rosé Champagnes. Savory and intellectual. Unique in the wine world. 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay. 800 bottles. Try this if you can. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

Gorgeous notes of hazelnuts, apricots, salted almonds, lemons and pistachio shells. Medium to full body with opulence, yet elegance, and a silky quality to the bubbles. Saline and gourmand finish. Nutty and light French-butter notes come through. Only 2,000 bottles. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

Gorgeous notes of hazelnuts, apricots, salted almonds, lemons and pistachio shells. Medium to full body with opulence, yet elegance, and a silky quality to the bubbles. Saline and gourmand finish. Nutty and light French-butter notes come through. Only 2,000 bottles. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

An edgy, lively Champagne with bread dough, dried apples and apricots. Toffee with caramel with a lifted sense. Light oxidation with some nuts and saltiness. Full-bodied and very layered with so much going on. Creme brulee, pie crust and zingy acidity. Minty and lively. Strawberries and oranges coming through. This is 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay, all fermented in wood, 60% new. Drink now.

Vinous (97)

The MV 16 is bright, fresh and airy and yet has the natural richness of Aÿ that Giraud fans have come to expect. Apricot, tangerine oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, chamomile and dried flowers all meld together in a creamy, ample Champagne that hits all the right notes. A Champagne of towering presence, the MV 16 is classy, understated and undeniably alluring. It is also one of the most impressive Champagnes I have ever tasted from Claude Giraud. Even in the early going, the 70% new oak is so well-integrated. This set of new releases is full of highlights, but the MV 16 is especially fine. Don't miss it! Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 11, 2020.

Matthew Jukes (19)

Made from 100% Grand Cru Aÿ fruit – 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay – with 66% coming from the 2017 vintage. The balance is taken from a perpetual reserve that dates back to 1990. It sees a huge amount of oak, and this forest of staves forms the backdrop to this extraordinary performance. Deep gold in colour, there is a staggeringly full nose of brioche and panettone over an orange zest palate, and toasted almond notes come at you from all angles. The finish is thrillingly long with amazingly bold oak-smoke details. There is an air of luxury here that verges on the gastronomic as opposed to the vinous, and I swear I can detect notes of foie gras and roast chicken jus! I left a small amount of wine in the bottle with a stopper and tasted it a week later – it was incredible. Still sparkling, densely perfumed, hugely impactful and massively rich. If you love the wines of Salon, Selosse, Krug, Egly and other mighty Houses, then you will adore the intense fanfare of flavours that accompanies a bottle of Henri Giraud Champagne.

The Wine Independent (97)

Henri Giraud’s MV18 has a seductive nose with rich, gently oxidative aromas of spiced baked apples, peach cobbler, kumquats, almonds and spun honey. Medium to full-bodied and centered on precise, textured fruit concentration, it has a generous, mouthwatering palate trussed with fine threads of sizzling acidity and pure mineral freshness. It finishes long and elegantly. This opulent, barrel fermented style of champagne draws on a dearth of perpetual reserve wines to bring depth, power and finesse to the glass.

Vinous (93)

The NV Blanc de Craie, 100% Chardonnay from vineyards in Aÿ and Louvois, is bright and finely sculpted, with terrific aromatic intensity, tons of nuance and all the vibrancy from the chalk-rich soils that give this cuvée its name. Citrus peel, white flowers, white pepper, mint and anise lead into the vivid, persistent finish. The Blanc is done entirely in oak, but it is neutral, so there is virtually no oak imprint at all in the flavors, only in the textural feel. One of the unique aspects of the Blanc de Craie is that the base vintage (2017 in this case) accounts for only 30% of the blend. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June 3, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)

Vinous (93)

The NV Blanc de Craie, 100% Chardonnay from vineyards in Aÿ and Louvois, is bright and finely sculpted, with terrific aromatic intensity, tons of nuance and all the vibrancy from the chalk-rich soils that give this cuvée its name. Citrus peel, white flowers, white pepper, mint and anise lead into the vivid, persistent finish. The Blanc is done entirely in oak, but it is neutral, so there is virtually no oak imprint at all in the flavors, only in the textural feel. One of the unique aspects of the Blanc de Craie is that the base vintage (2017 in this case) accounts for only 30% of the blend. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June 3, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)

Vinous (93)

The NV Rosé Rose Dame-Jane is light and airy in the glass. Crushed flowers, sweet crushed berries, white pepper and mint are all beautifully lifted. Translucent and gracious, the Dame-Jane is quite a departure for a house that was previously known for rich, opulent Champagnes. The Dame-Jane is done with an "Oeil de Perdrix" base in which Pinot is given a short time on the skins for added color and structure. Right before bottling, touches of Chardonnay and still Pinot are added to fine-tune the blend. The Dame-Jane is aged entirely in sandstone terracotta, an approach that works beautifully. This release is based on 2017, with 40% reserve wines. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 21, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)

Vinous (92)

The NV Esprit Nature is a fabulous introduction to this range. Creamy, open-knit and so expressive, the Esprit Nature captures all of the textural intensity that is such a Giraud signature, but in an approachable style. The Esprit Nature is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay done mostly in oak, with a bit of sandstone amphora. This release is based on 2017, 50% reserve wines. Readers should note that the "Nature" is used here as part of the wine name, rather than an indication of dosage, which is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 21, 2020.

James Suckling (96)

A vinous Champagne with so much depth and soft power. Hazelnuts, apricots, peach pits, lemons, pomelos and seashells. Round, creamy bubbles. Complex, but with wonderful drinkability. Converges with precision at the end. Very deep. 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay. Blend of 2 solera systems of perpetual reserve, started in 1990. Drink or hold.