Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.

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Champagne Agrapart & Fils

Pureté, Densité, Minéralité: Terroirs is Back in Town
Champagne Agrapart & Fils

Today we offer the new Terroirs and 7 Crus bottlings from one of Champagne’s greatest growers. In short, Agrapart’s new disgorgements are emblematic of the radiance, chalky intensity and crystalline precision we have come to expect from one of the true reference points for Côte des Blancs Chardonnay. They are also staggeringly delicious. Today, it is Ambroise Agrapart, son of Nathalie and Pascal, who is running the show, with the active support of his father. Ambroise, pictured below, has achieved the highest level of education in his field and is a qualified oenologist. In the mould of his father, he is very much a grower, yet has a technical prowess that is his own. Even Pascal makes it clear that Ambroise has brought an even greater level of precision and organisation to the estate’s practice and wines.

 

The wines remain very much in the same style, but there is perhaps some subtle evolution with the wines showing more raciness and precision. The future of one of Champagne’s great grower domaines in in good hands!

The Wines

Champagne Agrapart & Fils 7 Crus NV (Base 21 Disg. March 2024)

Champagne Agrapart & Fils 7 Crus NV (Base 21 Disg. March 2024)

The Agrapart range begins with a non-vintage wine called 7 Crus. The name refers to the seven Côte des Blancs villages from which the wine derives. These include Avize (from younger vines aged 20 to 40 years), Cramant, Oger, Oiry, Avenay-Val-d’Or, Coligny and Vauciennes. Like all Agrapart wines, the fruit is from 100% estate-owned and farmed vineyards.

7 Crus is a blend of two harvests: in this case, 60% is 2021 from 1er Cru sites; and 40% is 2020 from Grand Cru sites. The reserve wine was raised in neutral, 600-litre oak casks from François Chidaine and Didier Dagueneau. The breakdown is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. Even at this first level, the wine is aged for three years on lees. It was disgorged with 6 g/L dosage. This is the most immediately seductive cuvée in the Agrapart range, yet it is still extremely fine. It’s long, deep and saline with some gentle grip. Sadly, we do not get nearly enough. The reviews below refer to a previous disgorgement.  

“The NV Brut 7 Crus is a very pretty, entry-level wine in this range. Bright, mineral and intensely vibrant, the 7 Crus is all energy. All the elements are so well proportioned. A blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this captures all the house signatures with tons of energy and better overall balance than in some previous editions. White flowers, chalk and citrus linger. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.”
90 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The NV Brut 7 Crus is a very pretty, entry-level wine in this range. Bright, mineral and intensely vibrant, the 7 Crus is all energy. All the elements are so well proportioned. A blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this captures all the house signatures with tons of energy and better overall balance than in some previous editions. White flowers, chalk and citrus linger. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.”
90 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Champagne Agrapart & Fils 7 Crus NV (Base 21 Disg. March 2024)
Champagne Agrapart & Fils Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs NV (Base 20 Disg. 2024)

Champagne Agrapart & Fils Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs NV (Base 20 Disg. 2024)

This is 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 with the average age of the plantings at more than 50 years.

This release is based on 2020 and 2019, with the reserve wine making up a remarkable 80% of the cuvée—another key to the quality. So, two outstanding Champagne vintages. After natural fermentation, half the wine matured in large-format, neutral oak and spent more than 36 months on lees. Dosage is limited to 5 g/L and disgorgement was carried out by hand in March 2024.

These winemaking standards―combined with organic viticulture―set a standard far higher than any Grande Marque prestige cuvée we know of. It’s another disgorgement that 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. It is wonderful now and will, as always, benefit from another year under cork. The reviews refer to last year’s disgorgement.

“Based on the 2019 vintage, but with a preponderance of reserve wines from 2018, Agrapart's NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Terroirs delivers notes of citrus oil, white flowers, freshly baked bread and hazelnuts, followed by a medium to full-bodied, creamy and satiny palate that's bright, lively and chalky.”
93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
“The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Terroirs Grand Cru is another terrific wine in the lineup this year. Chalk, white pepper, sage and mint meld into a core of lemon peel and crushed rocks. All the elements are so well balanced. An equal blend of 2019 and 2018 juice from 100% Grand Cru sites in Avize, Oger, Cramant and Oiry, the Terroirs saw natural fermentation and 100% malolactic fermentation. Dosage is 5 grams per liter.”
93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Champagne Agrapart & Fils Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs NV (Base 20 Disg. 2024)
Champagne Agrapart & Fils Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs NV (Base 20 Disg. March 2024) (1500ml)

Champagne Agrapart & Fils Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs NV (Base 20 Disg. March 2024) (1500ml)

This is 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 with the average age of the plantings at more than 50 years.

This release is based on 2020 and 2019, with the reserve wine making up a remarkable 80% of the cuvée—another key to the quality. So, two outstanding Champagne vintages. After natural fermentation, half the wine matured in large-format, neutral oak and spent more than 36 months on lees. Dosage is limited to 5 g/L and disgorgement was carried out by hand in March 2024.

These winemaking standards―combined with organic viticulture―set a standard far higher than any Grande Marque prestige cuvée we know of. It’s another disgorgement that 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. It is wonderful now and will, as always, benefit from another year under cork. The reviews refer to last year’s disgorgement.

“Based on the 2019 vintage, but with a preponderance of reserve wines from 2018, Agrapart's NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Terroirs delivers notes of citrus oil, white flowers, freshly baked bread and hazelnuts, followed by a medium to full-bodied, creamy and satiny palate that's bright, lively and chalky.”
93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
“The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Terroirs Grand Cru is another terrific wine in the lineup this year. Chalk, white pepper, sage and mint meld into a core of lemon peel and crushed rocks. All the elements are so well balanced. An equal blend of 2019 and 2018 juice from 100% Grand Cru sites in Avize, Oger, Cramant and Oiry, the Terroirs saw natural fermentation and 100% malolactic fermentation. Dosage is 5 grams per liter.”
93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Champagne Agrapart & Fils Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs NV (Base 20 Disg. March 2024) (1500ml)

“Pascal Agrapart embodies the best of the artisan tradition in Champagne, and his wines show it.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous

“Agrapart’s wines are of uniformly excellent quality, with a naturally vibrant and vinous character that makes them feel grown rather than made.” Peter Liem, champagneguide.net

“Pascal, now aided by his son Ambroise, is one of the great artisanal winemakers of Champagne, with beautifully situated and thoughtfully farmed parcels, careful winemaking and a terrific track record for producing wines of structure, concentration and complexity.” William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

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