Esprit Brut Nature
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2029
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
fresh oysters, roasted chicken, sashimi
✨ Technical Specifications
Champagne Henri Giraud's Esprit Nature represents a profound connection between the historic Grand Cru terroir of Aÿ and the ancient Argonne forest. This cuvée is distinguished by its striking label featuring an oak tree, symbolizing the house's commitment to environmental stewardship and traditional oak vinification. Crafted primarily from Pinot Noir sourced from the chalky slopes of Aÿ, alongside a touch of Chardonnay, Esprit Nature is vinified using a combination of stainless steel and oak casks crafted from Argonne forest timber. This approach imparts a signature vinous texture, subtle spice, and remarkable depth without sacrificing the pristine purity of the fruit. As a zero-dosage cuvée, it offers an unadorned, crystalline expression of the estate's artisanal craftsmanship, bridging the gap between historical tradition and modern ecological consciousness.
🍾 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%