We’ve been fans of the unique Champagne styles of Henri Giraud and mentioned their reappearance after a long absence from the marketplace as we talked about their delicious entry-level Henri Giraud Brut Esprit Nature. They put a couple of really interesting higher end efforts on the table this week that deserved their own attention.
The Henri Giraud Brut Hommage Au Pinot Noir NV is 100% Pinot Noir done in an unusual style that sees eleven months in oak followed by six months in tank, an approach that is much more common for white Burgundy. According to Antonio Galloni, “In fact, I have never seen this élevage in Champagne. No matter, though, it all works.” That it does. There’s plenty of savory red fruit to behold, ripe plum skin and dark cherry, and plenty going on with the weight on the palate, silky mousse, and notes of spice. Lifted and fresh, it also gives you some of that vinous character that suggest this could play nicely with a number of dishes. We took an immediate liking to it and thought the style, flair, and distinctiveness of this bubbly more than justified the tab.
Speaking of Champagnes with oak, we had the great fortune to revisit the wine that started it all with us all those years ago. The Henri Giraud Brut Grand Cru Fut de Chene MV 16 gets plenty of attention from the wine media with this version garnering a James Suckling 97, Antonio Galloni 97 and Wine Advocate 95. But it really is ‘all that’ with the 70% new oak creaming out the mid-palate in such a seductive way, the mousse so fine and silky and the finish a bit longer and more complex thanks to the process. A lot of folks don’t know this distinctive bubbly yet because it hasn’t been on the market that long and doesn’t have a ‘marketing team’ behind it like the ‘big brands’. There’s a few folks out there trying to marketing expensive, not that great Champagne with gimmicks and over the top packaging. This, however, is the real deal and we’ll put it up against any Grande Marque. Delicious.
On the other end of the price spectrum, we’ve gotten the newest version of the ‘who says you can’t buy French Champagne for under $20?’, the
Champagne Gouet-Henry Brut NV . It’s a blend of 50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay done in a clean, fruit-driven style. You’ll probably be seeing an email on this in short order but here’s an early warning. Yes, real Champagne, that tastes like real Champagne, for $19.98.