2004 Henri Giraud Cuvee Argonne
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Tasting Notes
It felt like the perfect marriage of a Montrachet and Champagne—combining youthful finesse with the depth and complexity of a fully matured wine. Dark golden in colour, the nose opens with ripe yellow fruits, sun-kissed lemon, tropical hints, chalk, beeswax, and subtle oxidative and autolytic notes, beautifully framed by integrated oak. The palate is creamy yet focused, layered with lemon peel, sugarcane, baking spice, vanilla, and mineral undertones. Rich and honeyed, but vibrant and structured, this is a wine delivering immense pleasure now, with a long, mineral finish and years of life ahead.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2004 Brut Argonne (Collection) is a gorgeous wine with all of the signatures that make these Champagnes so distinctive. Orange marmalade, apricot jam, honey, mint, wild flowers and sweet oak are all laced together in a sumptuous, super-expressive Champagne that hits all the right notes. Rich, vinous and decadent, the 2004 will drink well for another decade or so. This is the best showing yet for the 2004. Disgorged: March 17, 2017.
Straw yellow towards golden in color, the sumptuous 2004 Ay Grand Cru Argonne Brut from 70-year-old Pinot Noir vines offers a very clear and discreet, yet complex and "Burgundian" bouquet with elegant flavors of white and yellow fleshed fruits, citrus aromas (the whole range from oranges and mandarins to lemons), gooseberries, mushrooms, juniper and fresh oak. Fermented and raised on the full lees for one year in Argonne oak barrels (30% of which were new), this is a full-bodied, rich and filigree-structured, very elegant, precisely defined and finesse-full Ay Champagne. It has remarkable freshness and mineral stringency. Less rich and round than the Fut de Chene, the tightly woven, yet bright and lifted Argonne is more built on mineral purity, finesse and elegance. The finish is firm but amazing, and indicates a great ageing potential. All in all, this is a fascinating, age-worthy new luxury cuvee. Total production is 8,000 bottles. Jun 2016, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Henri Giraud is one of the most exciting and pioneering Champagne houses today. Based in Äy, the property’s story begins in the early 17th century, when the Hémart family settled in the region.