At last, Champagne for wine lovers! Pascal and Fabrice Agrapart have run the domaine since the mid-eighties and using many techniques of biodynamics, though not bothering with the labels, have turned the estate into the source of intense and terroir reflective Champagne. There are several reasons for this, not least the average age of their vines, which is far higher than the norm in the region. Their viticulture includes a lot of ploughing for aeration and to force the roots deep into the chalk subsoil, and the use of organic composts and homeopathic treatments - no inorganic chemistry here!

The grapes are harvested very ripe and so chaptalisation is hardly ever practised here. An old style press is still used and natural yeasts start the fermentation. All these factors contribute to the terroir character of the wines and their interest. Their Venus cuvee is named after the horse that worked it and comes from just two of their sixty plus plots. All in all, Agrapart`s wines are some of the most authentic and vivid expressions of what Champagne can be but rarely is. They are a fabulous addition to our portfolio. (CW 25/06/13)