NV Henri Giraud - Esprit

The NV Brut Esprit is a gorgeous entry-level wine bursting with red fruit, pastry, sweet herbs and spices. There is nothing fancy here, rather this is a bold, immediate Champagne bursting with class and personality. The subtle, refined mousse lends an element of sophistication. This is an excellent introduction to the wines of Giraud. This is Lot O1M44E50. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. Importer: Old World Wines Inc., Destin, FL; tel. (850) 267-3719

The NV Brut Esprit is a gorgeous entry-level wine bursting with red fruit, pastry, sweet herbs and spices. There is nothing fancy here, rather this is a bold, immediate Champagne bursting with class and personality. The subtle, refined mousse lends an element of sophistication. This is an excellent introduction to the wines of Giraud. This is Lot O1M44E50. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. Oct 2011, www.robertparker.com

The current release of Henri Giraud “Esprit de Giraud” non-vintage Brut is from the base year of 2011, with five percent of the blend made up of reserve wines. The cépages is seventy percent pinot noir and thirty percent chardonnay. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and spends fully a year aging before being bottled. The bouquet is deep and complex, offering up a fine constellation of apple, fresh-baked bread, a fine base of soil, gentle smokiness and a topnote of caraway seed. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and nicely balanced, with good, but not great depth at the core (perhaps this is the 2011 vintage?), elegant mousse and lovely complexity on the impressively long and zesty finish. Good juice. Nov 2016, www.viewfromthecellar.com, Drink: 2016-2026+.