95 Wine Advocate – From Les Bionnes in Cramant (vinified in barrel) and Champbouton in Avize (vinified in tank), two parcels that share a similar geological profile, Agrapart’s 2016 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Minéral offers up aromas of crisp stone fruits, wet stones, lemon oil and fresh mint. Full-bodied, satiny and vinous, with terrific texture and cut, it’s a vibrant, dynamic wine that’s worth a special effort to seek out.
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Champagne Agrapart was founded in 1894 by Arthur Agrapart in the village of Avize in the Côte de Blancs region of Champagne. Since the beginning, Agrapart has estate-bottled all of their wines under their own label. Today, fourth-generation vigneron Pascal Agrapart runs this venerable estate, one of the most historic and important in the Côte de Blancs. Pascal’s deep knowledge of both farming and winemaking have helped him become a leading figure in Champagne’s grower-producer revolution. Pascal’s son, Amboise, helps him manage nine and a half hectares of predominantly Chardonnay vineyards — the vast majority of which are Grand Cru — in the heart of the Côte de Blancs, primarily in the villages of Avize, Oger, Cramant and Oiry. Vine age is among the oldest in the Côte de Blancs, with many of the Agrapart’s vineyards in excess of seventy years of age, and the average overall age of the vines is a healthy forty years old. The estate has also farmed organically for years.