Champagne Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 'L'Avizoise' Agrapart 2009

Founded in 1894 by Arthur Agrapart, this outstanding estate in Avize acquired much of its present vineyard land during the 1950s and ’60s, thanks to Pierre, Arthur’s grandson. Since 1984 it has been run by Pascal Agrapart and his brother Fabrice, who have taken the domaine to ever-greater heights, emphasizing natural viticulture and the expression of terroir. Pascal Agrapart is uninterested in be¬ing labeled as either organic or biodynamic, but he does feel that it’s important to work according to natural rhythms and sensibilities, and both the vineyard work and the work in the cellar follow this philosophy. No chemical pesticides or weedkillers are ever used, and all of the vineyards are worked manually, encouraging the roots to descend deeper. Beginning with the 1995 vintage, Agrapart has made a great wine called L’Avizoise, sourced from vines up to 50 years old in the vineyards of Les Robarts and La Voie d’Epernay. L’viziose it’s a wine that expresses a very particular terroir, but as Pascal tells, it’s only one facet of the unique terroir of Avize. This Champagne is truly unique, with a balance and an extraordinary minerality, a symbol of a maison and a territory who can give the wines a unique personality.