Agrapart et Fils Experience Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Brut Nature, Champagne, France, 2007

Agrapart et Fils Experience Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Brut Nature, Champagne, France, 2007With the possible exception of Jacques Selosse, Agrapart et Fils are generally considered to be the best producer in the Cotes des Blancs. Although not officially certified, Agrapart farm biodynamically and use horses to plough the majority of their vineyards, some of which unusually are planted with the lesser know white grapes of Champagne Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier, Arbanne and Pinot Blanc. As a result Agrapart is a member of the Terres eat Vins de

With the possible exception of Jacques Selosse, Agrapart et Fils are generally considered to be the best producer in the Cotes des Blancs. Although not officially certified, Agrapart farm biodynamically and use horses to plough the majority of their vineyards, some of which unusually are planted with the lesser know white grapes of Champagne - Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier, Arbanne and Pinot Blanc. As a result Agrapart is a member of the Terres eat Vins de Champagne, a group of grower-estates who want to showcase their terroir driven, conscientiously farmed wines. The wines themselves are all fermented with natural yeast, the best of which are subsequently aged in 600 litre oak casks. 

The 2007 vintage began promisingly with a warm spring that led to early flowering, however the following months were disappointingly cool considering the  quality of the spring conditions. By September though, the weather improved resulting in a healthy crop of grapes with Chardonnay outperforming the Pinots.

Sourced from old vines in the Grand Cru village of Avize the Experience 07 is neither fined nor filtered before release. Now in its fifth release, this is the first vintage that the Experience has been allowed to call itself champagne. Previously Champagne’s regulating body had ruled that owing to the fact that the wine was fermented with natural yeast and grape must was used instead of adding sugar for the second fermentation, the wine did not hold enough similarities to classically made champagne to earn appellation status. The wine is aged for a minimum three years on its lees which adds a rich nutty flavour on top of its classic green apple and citrus notes.