Pascal Agrapart: Master of his Domaine
3/24/13 -
(Thanks to Peter Liem of Champagneguide.net for the use of his picture.)
In the first few minutes of a recent visit to Pascal Agrapart, a friend and sommelier described Agrapart as having, “that master of the universe thing going on,” and I knew what he meant. This description is reserved for vignerons who have figured it out - “it” - being the elusive art of making exceptional wine. Over the course of our tasting with him, we came to realize how truly masterful Pascal Agrapart is. For some time it seemed that this winemaker, though extremely well-regarded in France (the village leader in Avize aside from Selosse), was barely known this side of the pond. Now, however, the secret is out, and for good reason; we find ourselves fighting tooth-and-nail for our allocation of these wines, which will arrive in April, amid much fanfare and excitement at 148 Chambers Street.
Pascal took over the Agrapart Domaine, which dates back to the late 19th century, in 1984. It’s a ten hectare estate that comprises more than 60 small parcels predominantly in the Grand Cru villages of Avize, Cramant, Oiry, and Oger (though the “7 Crus” bottling incorporates three 1er Crus as well). The changes Pascal has wrought at the Domaine include working more naturally in the vineyard and cellar; he works the soil manually and has ceased using chemicals in the vineyards, though he has no plans to become certified in organics as he prefers to retain the right to treat if necessary. In the cellar, all base wines are fermented with native yeast, which is uncommon in Champagne, where many very good growers will resort to cultured yeast if fermentations don’t start spontaneously. Agrapart uses wood in the cellar for his top wines, preferring older barrels that do not impart oaky flavors to the wines. In fact, Agrapart’s base wines (vins clairs) taste very much like finished wines; this is a fantastic harbinger of what’s to come once the second fermentation and lees aging are finished.
What can we say about the “house style” at Agrapart? The wines are chiseled and impeccably balanced with lots of chalk on the nose, gorgeous, dense Chardonnay fruit on the mid-palate that tapers into a long and extremely chalky finish. These wines taste great. For the first time ever we are thrilled to offer Agrapart’s “Complantée” (read more below…) and for the first time in several years, Agrapart’s fabulous “Cuvée Venus” will grace our shelves (unless you, valued customer, snap the bottles up first…) These wines are extremely limited; we'll do our best to fulfill demand. Salut! -Sophie
