Pascal Agrapart Avizoise 2016
One of the top grower-producers in the Côte des Blancs, producing racy, austere wines of terroir
Grape Makeup:
100% Chardonnay
Sweetness Level:
Extra Brut
Ageing on Lees:
6-7 years
Price:
$$$
Cellar:
10+ years
Category:
Collectible
Photos
What
A top grower-producer in the Côte des Blancs, founded in 1894 and producing wine ever since.
Where
Avize, Côte des Blancs; 10 hectares of vines mainly in Côte des Blancs Grand Cru vineyards; mainly chardonnay.
Why
Avizoise – although not technically a single-site wine, since it combines fruit from two plots above Avize – is one of the pioneering site-specific wines in Champagne and, coming from the oldest vines on the estate (60 years) it still offers something unique within Agrapart’s delightfully austere lineup. The sites sit on top of the hill facing an ideal South-Southeast on characteristically chalky soils. Each plot is individual fermented in an oak demi-muid giving the wine a beautiful sense of integration.
What Else
Try the Vénus -- a plot only ever ploughed by horse and untouched by machinery — and Avizoise side by side to compare wines of similar ambition but different origins and marvel over the power of terroir.
Tasting Notes
More rich and generous than many of Agrapart’s cuvées, this has a notably buttery nose but is still characteristically savoury, with notes of toasted wheat cracker and subdued fruit. The entry is rich and savoury with umami, while acidity becomes increasingly assertive on the back, though it remains integrated with the structure. The texture is chewy and mouth-filling on the back, with a subtle, lingering note of white citrus.
Try It With
The perfect chicken, whether roast or white sliced.
When To Drink
Entrées.
Perfect For
The friend who could teach Gwyneth Paltrow about quiet luxury.
TL/DR
Savoury, aloof and refined.
Supplier
Champagne Asia
