Argonne
⏳ Drinking Window
2025 - 2040
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted turbot, roasted veal chop, aged Comté cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Henri Giraud's Argonne is the ultimate expression of the house's philosophy, a prestige Grand Cru Champagne named after the historic Argonne Forest. For centuries, the oak from Argonne shielded and nurtured the wines of Champagne, but by the late 20th century, stainless steel had largely replaced wood. Claude Giraud single-handedly revived this ancient alliance, sourcing oak exclusively from specific parcels of the Argonne Forest to craft bespoke barrels. Each vintage of Argonne is vinified and aged in these virgin oak casks, creating a profound dialogue between the Grand Cru terroir of Aÿ and the unique terroir of the forest itself. This rare cuvée is celebrated for its rich, vinous character, remarkable texture, and complex notes of toasted brioche, baked stone fruits, and delicate spices, representing a luxurious marriage of history, forestry, and viticulture.
🍾 About the Producer
Rooted in the historic Grand Cru village of Aÿ since 1625, Champagne Henri Giraud represents a benchmark in vinous, artisanal Champagne production. Stewarded by 12th-generation proprietor Claude Giraud alongside cellar master and son-in-law Sébastien Le Golvet, the house is renowned for championing Pinot Noir cultivated on deep, south-facing belemnite chalk slopes. Henri Giraud is celebrated for reviving the historical practice of fermenting and maturing base wines exclusively in new and seasoned casks coopered from local Argonne Forest oak, as well as sandstone and terracotta amphorae, entirely eliminating stainless steel. Viticulture adheres to rigorous sustainable standards, eschewing pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides under a certified zero-residue protocol. The estate produces richly textured, vinous champagnes defined by intense chalky minerality, structural depth, and micro-oxygenated nuance. Flagship cuvées include the prestigious vintage oak-aged Argonne, the perpetual reserve multi-vintage Fût de Chêne MV series, and the PR Perpetual Reserve bottlings.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
12.5%