His family have been Champagne growers since the 17th century, tending vines across a variety of top Ay sites. Why, asked Claude Giraud, were they not making their own Champagne? Which is just what he went on to do. Soon Robert Parker was calling Giraud `the best Champagne you`ve never heard of`. The signature style that makes Giraud distinct comes as much from their great sites (and in particular, great Pinot Noir) as from Claude re-thinking Champagne top-to-bottom. Like Krug and Bollinger before him, Claude quickly decided oak was the way to go. But he went a step further - not just any oak. It had to be local Argonne Forest oak, whose gently flattering qualities, he decided, would marry especially well with the Ay fruit. At a time when there were no guarantees about the origin of oak, Claude bent over backwards to make sure only Argonne barrels could get near his Champagnes. That still wasn`t enough. The barrels have to be toasted in house to guarantee the particularly soft, slow toast Claude wants. He is philosophical about this. `Exceptional Champagne demands exceptional commitment`. The result is a range of opulent Champagnes that are not obviously oaky at all, but which have an impressive depth and textural richness. (NT 20/04/22)