7 Crus is the opening act to Agrapart’s playbill of complex, clean and crisp cuvées.
$150.00
6 in stock
Agrapart introduces us to his champagne ensemble with 7 Crus, a cuvée that blends two vintages from the seven eponymous villages located in the Côte des Blancs (Avize, Cramant, Oger, Oiry, Bergères-les-Vertus) and Vallée de la Marne (Avenay-Val-d’Or, Mardeuil), revealing the qualitative depth and breadth a non-vintage champagne can accomplish.
The current release comprises 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot noir, with 60% of this from the 2015 harvest of Premier Cru sites and 40% from the 2014 harvest of Grand Cru sites. The cuvée is aged on lees for three years, reflecting Agrapart’s dedication to quality over quantity, as the minimum requirement for lees maturation in Champagne is 12 months for non-vintage wines.
Dosage is limited to 7g/L, and the current release was disgorged in March 2019.
Texturally creamy and rich, with flavours of citrus, apple, brioche and a sprinkle of sea salt. 7 Crus speaks with gravitas punctuated by an acidity that is high and lively, creating a clean and crisp, racy and riveting stage play on the palate, deserving of an encore.
Best enjoyed from the Lehmann Jamesse, Grand Champagne 41 glass.
Ceviche of langoustine and William’s pear.
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Region | Area of the Great Whites – Côte des Blancs, Coteaux du Morin & Côte de Sézanne |
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Village - HQ |
Founded in the Côtes des Blancs village of Avize in 1894, the small family-run estate has been led by Pascal Agrapart, fourth-generation vigneron and one of Champagne’s leading artisanal viticulturists, since 1984. Holding 70 plots over 12ha of vines mainly in the Grand Cru villages of Avize, Cramant, Oiry and Oger, Agrapart produces mostly Blanc de Blancs champagnes comprised of 100% Chardonnay. The vines are some of the oldest in the region (35–60+ years old) and yields are very low with yearly production limited to 6000 cases.
Pascal rejects prescribed systems and certification labels, instead observing lunar rhythms and adhering to natural winegrowing principles to ensure a sustainable ecosystem. Vineyards are managed organically and maintained through ploughing (some by traditional horse ploughing). Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts, which Pascal believes is integral to terroir expression.
It is through these attentive practices that Agrapart has produced exceptionally terroir-focused champagnes that truly emphasise their origins in unique vineyard soils. As a result, the House has earned three stars by the respected French wine publication, La Revue du Vin de France. This is the highest possible rating, which only nine Champagne Houses have been awarded to date.