James Suckling (98)

Beautiful interplay of vivacity and silkiness. Vibrant and phenolic, yet also supple with long, caressing layers of crushed almond, brown butter, apricot, praline, white chocolate and hints of sage. Really opens up. Fantastic integration. 100% new barrels from selected parcels of the Argonne forest. Drink or hold.

The Wine Independent (98)

The Argonne 2015 unfurls with pure notes of poached white peach, Meyer lemon confit, dried orange peel, honey wafer biscuits, marzipan, and toast. Vinified in new Argonne oak barrels, it is a 100% Aÿ fruit from five plots and a predominantly Pinot Noir (90%) with a 10% dash of Chardonnay. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is opulently textured around red fruit, spiced pear, hints of orange peel and mouthwatering salinity. It possesses a pulsating acid energy throughout and finishes long with oodles of honeyed notes.

Matthew Jukes (19.5)

“It must be said that tastings take all shapes and forms, but tasting this wine was the single most extraordinary event of the year. I have written up a couple of Henri Giraud Champagnes in the last twelve months, and they are all masterpieces, but this wine takes the biscuit. As always, the Argonne forest plays a leading role in this wine’s makeup. Giraud uses new Argonne oak, lots of it, and great Aÿ fruit in perfect harmony to make astonishingly impactful wines. But this rosé uses a ‘few liters of extraordinary Aÿ Grand Cru Rouge’ to transform this white wine into a rosé, and the result is game-changing. I tasted this wine at Hawksmoor Seven Dials before a ‘Monday Night £5 corkage’ dinner. I then popped a stopper in it and brought it out during the main course, after a couple of stellar white Burgundies and before a Vieux Château Certan, a Grange and a couple of other impressive reds. Having already road-tested 2013 Argonne at The Clove Club earlier in the year and finding it one of the most gastronomically-skilled wines on the planet, I was confident that this insanely beautiful rosé would step up to the mark. And boy, it did not disappoint. But, as well as it romancing Hawksmoor’s finest steaks, I was more interested in the impression this wine made on the assembled wine aficionados. While I am familiar with the Henri Giraud legend, the other five fellows around the table were not. This meant they could comment on the flavour without getting hooked up in the impeccable presentation and astronomic price tag. We all agreed that this statesmanlike wine was like nothing we had ever tasted before. One of our brigade was so baffled and befuddled that he admitted defeat early on. He loved the flavour but, not surprisingly, couldn’t find a place to file it in his wine memory, so he bowed out. The other four chaps were spellbound, carving out ever more fantastical descriptors and admiration for this unique wine. There is no doubt that the artistry and individualism of the Henri Giraud range are shocking to many and, in some cases, polarising, but if you crave Champagnes of the very highest standards with tremendous depth of fruit and an all-encompassing and otherworldly presence on the palate, you must taste these wines. 2011 Argonne Rosé hails from one of the world’s most famous villages and is embellished with some of the most revered oak on earth. The fact that it is a sparkling wine is a detail, a mere delivery mechanism, a vector of flavour. It is an elite messenger of the most elemental vine and wood flavours in drinkable form, and it blows my mind.

James Suckling (100)

This is something else on the nose, with saltines, dried orange, grapefruit, flowers, white pears, peaches, white pepper, rust and five spice. Crazy spice, citrus and rusty minerality. Very fine bubbles. Energy and softness combined. Copper colored, but otherwise hard to compare to other rosé Champagnes. Savory and intellectual. Unique in the wine world. 90% pinot noir and 10% chardonnay. 800 bottles. Try this if you can. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

Gorgeous notes of hazelnuts, apricots, salted almonds, lemons and pistachio shells. Medium to full body with opulence, yet elegance, and a silky quality to the bubbles. Saline and gourmand finish. Nutty and light French-butter notes come through. Only 2,000 bottles. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

Gorgeous notes of hazelnuts, apricots, salted almonds, lemons and pistachio shells. Medium to full body with opulence, yet elegance, and a silky quality to the bubbles. Saline and gourmand finish. Nutty and light French-butter notes come through. Only 2,000 bottles. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

An edgy, lively Champagne with bread dough, dried apples and apricots. Toffee with caramel with a lifted sense. Light oxidation with some nuts and saltiness. Full-bodied and very layered with so much going on. Creme brulee, pie crust and zingy acidity. Minty and lively. Strawberries and oranges coming through. This is 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay, all fermented in wood, 60% new. Drink now.

Vinous (97)

The MV 16 is bright, fresh and airy and yet has the natural richness of Aÿ that Giraud fans have come to expect. Apricot, tangerine oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, chamomile and dried flowers all meld together in a creamy, ample Champagne that hits all the right notes. A Champagne of towering presence, the MV 16 is classy, understated and undeniably alluring. It is also one of the most impressive Champagnes I have ever tasted from Claude Giraud. Even in the early going, the 70% new oak is so well-integrated. This set of new releases is full of highlights, but the MV 16 is especially fine. Don't miss it! Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 11, 2020.

Matthew Jukes (19)

Made from 100% Grand Cru Aÿ fruit – 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay – with 66% coming from the 2017 vintage. The balance is taken from a perpetual reserve that dates back to 1990. It sees a huge amount of oak, and this forest of staves forms the backdrop to this extraordinary performance. Deep gold in colour, there is a staggeringly full nose of brioche and panettone over an orange zest palate, and toasted almond notes come at you from all angles. The finish is thrillingly long with amazingly bold oak-smoke details. There is an air of luxury here that verges on the gastronomic as opposed to the vinous, and I swear I can detect notes of foie gras and roast chicken jus! I left a small amount of wine in the bottle with a stopper and tasted it a week later – it was incredible. Still sparkling, densely perfumed, hugely impactful and massively rich. If you love the wines of Salon, Selosse, Krug, Egly and other mighty Houses, then you will adore the intense fanfare of flavours that accompanies a bottle of Henri Giraud Champagne.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

The NV Blanc de Craie (2022 base) is another stellar Champagne in this range from Henri Giraud. Bright and finely cut, the Blanc de Craie sizzles with tension. Lemon peel, chalk, mint, white flowers and slate drive through the mid-palate and finish. This is so precise and elegant. Disgorged: March 2025.

Vinous (93)

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. Disgorged: March 21, 2019. (Originally published in May 2021)

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The NV Esprit Nature (2022 base) is a fabulous introduction to the range. Citrus peel, chalk, mint and white pepper give this Esprit gorgeous freshness to play off its mid-weight personality. There's lovely transparency and nuance. Bottling with slightly lower pressure yields a Champagne of excellent textural finesse. Disgorged: May 2025.

Wine Advocate (92)

Anchored in the 2020 vintage and incorporating one-third wine from a perpetual reserve initiated in 1990, Giraud’s NV Hommage au Pinot Noir was disgorged in April 2024 with a dosage of five grams per liter. Sourced primarily from Aÿ and supplemented by fruit from Mutigny, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Dizy and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, it was matured in barrels between three to six years old. It unfurls with aromas of mirabelle plum, candied orange and apricot mingling with exotic spices. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and precise, with vibrant acidity and a long finish. While the 2021-based releases show a more incisive profile, this 2020-based bottling offers greater gourmandise and textural appeal.

James Suckling (96)

A vinous Champagne with so much depth and soft power. Hazelnuts, apricots, peach pits, lemons, pomelos and seashells. Round, creamy bubbles. Complex, but with wonderful drinkability. Converges with precision at the end. Very deep. 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay. Blend of 2 solera systems of perpetual reserve, started in 1990. Drink or hold.

Vinous (91)

The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is a beautifully balanced, harmonious wine. There is just enough roundness and generosity to balance the focus of the Chardonnay in this accessible, harmonious Champagne. Hints of butter, smoke and spices wrap around the generous finish. This is Lot L1107221010. Disgorged October 2010.

Decanter (96)

An undramatic, cloud-filled season came right in a late harvest in October. A textbook cool vintage of great ageing potential. The perfect 50/50 balance of mineral-stamped Chardonnay and powerful, masculine Pinot makes this a champagne for patient drinkers, as it will take time to reach its peak. Vibrant acidity is joined by notes of white flowers and that magnificent mineral structure.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Very pale gold, plenty of lively mousse on pouring. Intense, rich and inviting toasty aroma, deep and yeasty with ripe lemon and clementine freshness of fruit. Terrific combination of intensity and freshness on the palate, the marked autolytic character giving an impression of sweetness even though it tastes dry. Toasty on the palate and there's still lovely citrus fruit at the core. Fine mousse, vibrant freshness through the deep and long flavours. (JH)

James Suckling (95)

A superprecise, reductive style due to bright lime-peel aromas enhanced by chalky minerality with linden tree and yellow plums. Light-bodied, it has zesty acidity with pinprick bubbles, a tight-knit structure and a chewy yet very polished finish. Mineral-laden aftertaste. Drink or hold.

Vinous (96)

The Non-Vintage Cuve 38 from Henriot is another exceptionally rare champagne. Released only in magnum, it was tricky trying to check the disgorgement date, but the cork was branded “0616” inferring June 2016. This réserve perpetuelle, which is to say that it is constantly topped up like a solera, comes from fruit originating from Avize, Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger, Oger and Chouilly. It is named, perhaps a tad unimaginatively, after the tank in which it ages and limited to 1,000 magnums. Very fresh and energetic on the nose, there are hints of citrus lemon and petrichor - vibrant and penetrating. The palate is likewise surfeit with energy and tension, perfect acidity with a very harmonious and slightly minty, spicy finish. Surprisingly youthful, you would not guess that it is a blend of mature reserves.