2003 Agrapart Blanc de Blancs Mineral Extra Brut
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Tasting notes
This 100% old vines Chardonnay is cultivated on the chalky soils of Avize and Cramant and fermented with indigenous yeasts in demi-muids; the intensely colored 2003 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Minéral displays some bread and flor flavors in the beginning, intermixed with and unglued from super ripe and intense, almost tropical (mango) fruit and lime aromas on the rich and complex, but still clear, precise, minerally-fresh and finally fascinatingly pure nose. Full-flavored, rich, round and expansive on the highly elegant and complex palate, this sparkling beauty reveals a stunning purity, finesse and freshness in its tension-filled and lingering mineral finish. This is an intriguingly rich purist and subtly complex Champagne for many opportunities (the wine itself is one!). My sample was bottled in May 2004 and disgorged with a dosage of five grams in April 2010, and drunk in one day in September 2015. The wine is in a perfect shape today. Enjoy over the next 3-4 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2003 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Minéral is fat, rich and unctuous, as one might expect from a Champagne in this torrid vintage. Still, there is just enough minerality to keep the wine fresh and vibrant all the way through to the close. Pencil shavings, graphite and minerals add complexity on the close. The Minéral is made from vines averaging 40 years of age in the Les Champboutons (Avize) and Les Bionnes (Cramant). The 2003 was disgorged in June, 2009 and dosage was just 1 gram per liter. Despite the precocious nature of the vintage, the 2003 needs at least a few months to a year on the cork before it will offer its finest drinking.
Good Chardonnay nose with some autolysis and then very rich on the palate. Most unusual but rather comforting and certainly not too flashy. (JR)
About the producer
Undoubtedly one of the top growers in the Côte des Blancs, Agrapart has a unique traditional approach to producing Champagne, with the result being a loyal and fanatical following who adore this lean and precise style of wine.