Henri Giraud

The history of Champagne Henri Giraud

The story begins in 1625, when François Hémart established his vineyard in Aÿ, making the family one of Champagne’s oldest winemaking dynasties. By the 18th century, the family name had become closely entwined with the history of champagne, with Aÿ then the benchmark cru of Europe’s royal courts. The early 20th century brought a turning point: Léon Giraud, a cavalryman who fought in the Battle of the Marne, married a member of the Hémart family and took on the enormous challenge of rebuilding a vineyard devastated first by phylloxera and then by World War I. From this union came the name Giraud-Hémart.

Claude Giraud, the twelfth generation, took the helm of the house and, from 1990, accelerated a remarkable return to its roots. He had barrels made again from Argonne oak, sourced from a forest in Champagne some 60 kilometers east of Reims that had supplied the region’s barrels for more than ten centuries before being abandoned in favor of stainless steel around 1950. That same year, he invested in a membrane press and Champagne’s first temperature-controlled winery, introduced cold settling immediately after pressing, and created the Fût de Chêne Aÿ Grand Cru cuvée, whose first 10,000 bottles entered the cellar on September 1, 1991. In 2025, the house celebrated 400 years of family history. It is now led by Emmanuelle Giraud-Patour alongside cellar master Sébastien Le Golvet.

Terroirs and vineyards of Champagne Henri Giraud

Aÿ is classified as Grand Cru and ranks among the most historic terroirs in all of Champagne. Its south-facing slopes, backed by the Montagne de Reims and cooled by air currents from the Marne Valley, lie over chalk bedrock that provides drainage and minerality. This combination of warmth and freshness produces Pinot Noir of exceptional ripeness and vinosity, the backbone of the entire range. The estate farms approximately 15 hectares of its own vineyards in Aÿ and Louvois, supplemented by grapes from plots belonging to family and friends in Dizy and Mutigny.

The house recognizes a second terroir, just as important as the first: the Argonne forest. Convinced that there can be no fine wine without a great forest, it selects exceptionally fine-grained oaks, some up to 200 years old, from sites such as Châtrices, with its gaize soil, and Beaulieu, with its green clay. Each barrel is then tracked and geolocated. In partnership with France’s National Forests Office, more than 45,000 oaks have been replanted to safeguard this resource for the very long term. In the vineyard, herbicides and insecticides are excluded, while intervention and sulfite use are kept to a minimum under a certified sustainable viticulture program.

Winemaking at Champagne Henri Giraud

Since 2016, stainless steel tanks have no longer been used for vinification or aging; the few remaining tanks serve only for transfers and stabilization. The base wines ferment and age on the full lees in small Argonne oak barrels made by Tonnellerie de Champagne, as well as in stoneware and terracotta vessels, notably egg-shaped tanks. A stoneware barrel head patented by the house helps soften the harshest tannins and achieve well-integrated oak that never overwhelms the chalky character.

Malolactic fermentation is always carried out, bringing roundness and suppleness, while aging generally takes place in two stages: several months on the full lees, followed by a period on the fine lees before bottling for secondary fermentation. The cuvées then rest for several years on racks in the cellar—up to 54 months or more for the most ambitious wines. A perpetual reserve begun in 1990 preserves a record of each harvest and contributes to the multi-vintage blends. Finally, the wines are bottled to achieve a deliberately lower pressure, giving these champagnes exceptionally fine bubbles and an unmistakably creamy texture.

The cuvées of Champagne Henri Giraud

Esprit Nature: the introduction to the house’s wines, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vinified and aged in barrels three to five years old, then rested on the lees for approximately two years. Made without pesticides and with minimal sulfite use, it emphasizes freshness, fruit and a clear mineral character. Perfect as an aperitif or with oysters.

Hommage à François Hémart: a distinctive cuvée honoring the founder, blended from approximately 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay grown on the slopes of Aÿ. It is vinified for six months on the lees in egg-shaped tanks, then aged for six months in Argonne oak barrels. Straw-yellow in color, with honeysuckle, yellow fruit and cinnamon, it has a round palate of stewed apple and dried apricot.

Hommage au Pinot Noir: a pure blanc de noirs that captures the character of Aÿ’s leading grape variety. Full and silky, it reveals honeysuckle, yellow-fleshed fruit and almond, with a savory, chalky finish. It can be served as an aperitif or with fine seafood such as lobster, spiny lobster or line-caught fish.

Blanc de Craie: a Blanc de Blancs made entirely from Chardonnay and extensively aged in oak to reveal chalky character rather than exuberant fruit. Lemon-like brightness, white flowers, a creamy texture and a lingering saline finish. This is the cuvée the house recommends with caviar, shellfish and the most delicate fish. Also available in magnum.

Dame-Jane: a distinctive rosé named for the demijohn used in its production, which also evokes a mythological goddess of fertility. This slow aging lends it uncommon purity and elegance, with fresh red fruit, a subtle vinous character and a mineral finish. It is also available in a three-liter format.

Fût de Chêne MV: the house’s signature cuvée, released vintage after vintage under the names MV12, MV15, MV16, MV17, MV18, MV19, MV20 and subsequent editions. Made entirely from Aÿ Grand Cru fruit, it blends a predominant harvest with the perpetual reserve and is aged exclusively in Argonne oak barrels. Remarkable vinosity, depth, gentle spice and a long, chalky finish.

Fût de Chêne MV Rosé: the rosé version of the flagship cuvée, built on the same base of oak-aged Aÿ Pinot Noir and enriched with a portion of red wine from the village. Copper-colored, with aromas of stewed red fruit, hazelnut and toast, it has a dense, vinous palate better suited to the table than to an aperitif.

Code Noir: one of the very first single-varietal Pinot Noir cuvées from Champagne, vinified and aged entirely in oak barrels. Powerful, intense and profoundly vinous, it expresses the darker, fleshier side of Aÿ, with notes of dark fruit, cocoa and spices. It pairs well with roast squab or game in sauce.

Argonne: the pinnacle of the house’s range, a vintage cuvée produced in tiny quantities that celebrates the union of Aÿ Pinot Noir and Argonne oak. Aged in meticulously selected barrels, it reveals ripe dark fruit, chalk and gentle spices of rare depth. Made to age for ten years or more.

Argonne Rosé: the rosé expression of the prestige cuvée, made by adding a few liters of Aÿ Grand Cru red wine to carefully selected Argonne oak barrels. Full-bodied, with refined oak and citrus freshness balanced by notes of hazelnut and caramel. A collectible rosé champagne, served in a Burgundy glass.

Fût de Chêne Aÿ Grand Cru vintage releases and Collection G: historic vintages of the founding cuvée, from the first in 1990 through 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2007, reissued in Collection G. Made from 100% Aÿ Pinot Noir, they spend approximately 54 months aging, including 12 months on the full lees in small barrels, followed by three years on racks in the cellar.

Cuvée PR (Perpetual Reserve): a rare champagne made entirely from the perpetual reserve begun in 1990. Each edition bears the years that mark the span of its blend, such as PR 90-21. It offers a journey through three decades of Aÿ harvests, with mature complexity and remarkable persistence.

Coteaux Champenois Cuvée des Froides Terres, Aÿ rouge Grand Cru: a still red wine from a named vineyard site in Aÿ, aged in Argonne oak barrels and produced in very small quantities. A deep Pinot Noir with fine tannins, marked by black cherry, pepper and the cool-climate freshness typical of Champagne’s finest slopes.

Coteaux Champenois Cuvée Croix de Courcelles, Aÿ blanc Grand Cru: a rare still white wine from the estate, aged in oak, showing what Aÿ’s chalky terroir can offer without bubbles. Full-bodied, precise and saline, it pairs with fine fish or poultry in cream sauce.

Coteaux Champenois Rouge R000, known as Triple Zéro: a still Pinot Noir made without added sulfur, a bold expression of the house’s natural winemaking philosophy. Pure fruit, a supple texture and vibrant energy. It pairs readily with white meat or a long-aged hard cheese.

Ratafia de Champagne Solera: a traditional fortified wine made from approximately 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from the best harvests, fortified with wine distillate and aged in small oak barrels using a solera system. Candied fruit, walnuts, honey and spices come together in a rich, smooth style, ideal with foie gras or a dried-fruit dessert.