n.v. Henri Giraud, Esprit, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Champagne, Ay, France.
Hand crafted Champagne, made by Claude Giraud, a small artisan producer making bubbly in the style of Vilmart of Krug with long lees contact and native wood aging. This Lot, disgorged in 2012, is magnificent and gloriously hedonistic with a rich palate, perfect mousse and stylish flair. I was completely seduced by this fantastic non-vintage Champagne, it is very much like Krug’s Grande Cuvee and more open knit than Vilmart’s non-vintage, but in their great company, and best of all the non-vintage Esprit quite a lot less money than wines of it’s class, I highly recommend finding some of this classy and lavish Champagne, it is a real pleasure and lovely wine. This all Chardonnay cuvee is aged on it’s lees about 3 years on average and was fermented in wood, the Oak used is all Champagne native and from hand picked sites and trees! This is intense perfection and total terroir effort, amazing detail and care go into each Champagne, and it shows and the experience is one of complexity and joy, Henri Giraud bubbly is a must try! The Blanc de Blancs Esprit is alive and dense in the mouth with a yellow/gold hue and superb beading in the glass and the mouth feel is lavish with toast, brioche, mineral and decedent in motion with baked apple, pear, white peach, lots of lemon, wet stones and baking spices along with hazelnut and a hint of tropical essence. This is utterly delicious Champers, a beautiful and gorgeous example of passion in the bottle, drink over the next 5 to 10 years.
($75 Est.) 93+ Points, grapelive
avail at www.sfwtc.com ($69.95)