Dear *|FNAME|*,

Champagne Henri Giraud is one of the oldest Champagne families and ‘a modern legend in the making’, says Decanter. Almost two decades ago, Robert Parker wrote that ‘this may be the finest Champagne house virtually no one has ever heard of’. Today Henri Giraud is the darling of collectors, producing some of the most allocated Champagnes on the planet.

Their Dame-Jane Rosé NV is one of our favourites from this producer. From organically grown grapes, mostly Pinot Noir with a bit of Chardonnay, the wine is aged in sandstone terracotta – ‘an approach that works beautifully’, writes Antonio Galloni of Vinous. This rosé is copper coloured and offers aromas of wild strawberry, candied orange and ginger, with a distinctly chalky, saline finish. It’s elegant, savoury and almost weightless.

The family have been tending vines in Aÿ since 1625 and today 12th generation Claude Giraud looks after his family’s legacy. For him, ‘Champagne is wine’  first and foremost. Apart from the Dame-Jane, which ages in amphorae, they are known for their textured, ‘barrel-fermented, muscular and vinous wines’ (Wine Advocate) like the MV17 Fût de Chêne. The oak comes from the Argonne Forest, 85km away from Champagne.

Because of their commitment to sustainability in all facets of the business, Henri Giraud have partnered with the ONF (French National Forestry Office) to plant 45 000 oak trees over 10 years – they have already exceeded this and planted more than 50 000 trees. For every bottle they sell of their top cuvée, Argonne, they also plant two-year-old oak trees and maintain them for five years to replace the oaks they fell for their barriques.

‘From top to bottom, this is some of the most impressive ranges Champagne readers will come across.’ – Vinous. See the rest of their incredible range here.

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Tasting notes

‘Beginning with the striking, pale copper color, this is very unconventional rosé champagne. Wonderful fruit aromas that range from cherry and wild strawberry to persimmon and candied orange with a touch of sushi ginger. Then comes the mouth-filling and well-structured palate that has an amazing grainy-chalky feel to it, unlike anything else in this category. Very long, saline finish. A cuvée of pinot noir with a small amount of chardonnay that was vinified in amphoras. From organically grown grapes.’ – James Suckling, 95/100

‘The NV Rosé Rose Dame-Jane is light and airy in the glass. Crushed flowers, sweet crushed berries, white pepper and mint are all beautifully lifted. Translucent and gracious, the Dame-Jane is quite a departure for a house that was previously known for rich, opulent Champagnes. The Dame-Jane is done with an ‘Oeil de Perdrix’ base in which Pinot is given a short time on the skins for added color and structure. Right before bottling, touches of Chardonnay and still Pinot are added to fine-tune the blend. The Dame-Jane is aged entirely in sandstone terracotta, an approach that works beautifully. This release is based on 2017, with 40% reserve wines. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.’ – Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 93/100

‘The latest release of Giraud's NV Brut Rosé Dame-Jane is showing very well, unfurling from the glass with complex aromas of red plums, cinnamon, orange zest, warm bran and smoke. On the palate, it's full-bodied, broad and textural, with all the house's signature vinosity, displaying superb depth at the core, ripe but racy acids and beautiful balance despite its muscular, textural style, concluding with a sapid finish. This is another success.’ – William Kelley, Wine Advocate, 92/100

‘There's a plush creaminess to this rich and balanced rosé, as well as a pleasing juiciness that enlivens the flavors of plumped cherry, grilled nut and tangerine peel, with a tangy hint of fleur de sel. Lingers on the well-cut finish.’ – Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator, 92/100

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