Solera Vieillissement Exceptionnel
⏳ Drinking Window
Ready to enjoy upon release, with the structure to age beautifully for 10 to 20 years.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Foie gras, blue cheese, dark chocolate desserts
✨ Technical Specifications
Deeply rooted in the artisanal traditions of Champagne, Henri Giraud's Solera Vieillissement Exceptionnel is a legendary Ratafia Champenois that showcases a different side of the region's terroir. Crafted using a perpetual reserve (solera) system initiated in 1990, this fortified wine blends unfermented grape juice (primarily Pinot Noir from the historic Grand Cru vineyards of Aÿ) with local grape brandy (Marc de Champagne). The wine is aged in oak casks crafted from the nearby Argonne Forest, imparting a sublime complexity. This solera method allows younger vintages to adopt the wisdom and depth of the older reserves, resulting in a luscious, amber-hued elixir rich with notes of candied citrus, dried fruits, honey, and warm spices.
🍾 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.
🍇 Base Material
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
18%