Giraud’s history in Champagne began with the Hémart family, descendants of Henri IV, who settled permanently in Ay at the beginning of the 17th century. In the 20th century, Leon Giraud married a Miss Hémart where he reconstructed the magnificent family vineyard and grafted vines on the cuttings taken from certain American vines.
Over the centuries, the wines of Ay have been classed among the world’s fines and the Giraud-Hémart family own an incredible 35 parcels of Grand Cru land in Aÿ, 26 with Pinot Noir and 9 with Chardonnay. Today Claude Giraud is the 12th generation of the Giraud-Hémart family in Ay and lovingly oversees this family House.
97+ Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2008 Brut Grand Cru Aÿ Argonne Rosé opens in the glass with inviting aromas of pear, dried orange rind, marmalade, buttered toast, mocha and red berries. Full-bodied, vinous and chiselled, it’s even more concentrated and structured than its 2004 counterpart, its satiny and vinous attack segueing into a deep but youthfully tightly wound core, concluding with a long, intensely sapid finish. 800 bottles were produced, making it comparatively abundant by the standards of this tiny cuvée.