Blanc de Craie
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh oysters, grilled sea bass, goat cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the historic house of Henri Giraud, 'Blanc de Craie' is a brilliant exploration of Chardonnay grown on the region's iconic, mineral-rich chalk ('craie') soils. While Giraud is legendary for its Pinot Noir-dominant blends from Aÿ, this cuvée shifts the spotlight to Chardonnay sourced from the chalky slopes of the Montagne de Reims and Aÿ. The wine undergoes vinification in a combination of stainless steel and the house's signature Argonne oak casks, marrying the pristine, razor-sharp minerality of the chalky terroir with the rich, textured complexity that defines the Giraud style. It is a vibrant, luminous Champagne that pays homage to the ancient marine sediments that give the region its unique viticultural identity.
🍾 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
Chardonnay 100%
🍷 ABV
12%