Yellow with a greenish shine. The bubbles rise slowly and endlessly, forming a beautiful ring of bubbles on the liquid surface. It has an extremely elegant and sparkling appearance. The first impression of the aroma is appetizing. Candied fruits, vanilla, and almonds are present with hints of smokiness. When exposed to air, its fresh character develops into complex flavors such as sponge dough, fresh cream, pineapple, ginger, and spices. The texture is smooth and creamy. The taste is mellow and blends perfectly with the delicate bubbles. The acidity, which gently stimulates the taste buds, pairs pleasantly with the caramelized pineapple flavor. The elegant aftertaste lasts for a long time, giving you a sense of elegance and coolness. There is also a chalky nuance at the end. We were able to harvest a pure and lively Chardonnay that shows its potential. It embodies Alfred Gracien's commitment to making no compromises. Grapes are selected, vinified, and aged in accordance with inherited traditions. We use small 228-liter oak barrels instead of large barrels for brewing and maturing, and we have devised ways to bring out the unique characteristics of each section. Another unique feature is that malolactic fermentation is not carried out in order to respect the characteristics of the grapes and the individuality of the terroir. This is what makes Alfred Gracien unique. <History>
Alfred Gracien founded the Maison in Epernay in 1864 at the age of 23. In the same year, the great entrepreneur also established a sparkling winery in Saumur, in the Loire region. Ten years later, Alfred Gracien found a new business partner in Albert Jean Mayet and changed the company name to “Gracien et Mayet”. Subsequently, Albert Jean Mayer's descendants inherited the winemaking philosophy of founder Alfred Gracien and developed the breweries in these two regions. Alfred Gracien's cellar master has been in the Jeje family since 1905. After Gaston Jegier took office in 1905, his son Charles took over the position in 1950, and in 1966, his son Jean-Pierre became the third generation, continuing his duties until his retirement in 2007. Did. Nicolas, the fourth generation, began making wine under his father Jean Pierre in 1990 and became cellar master in 2007. And in 2018, Mr. Nicolas achieved the feat of being selected as the best champagne maker by Guido Hachette magazine. Alfred Gracien's techniques and traditions have been strictly and accurately passed down by the Jeje family for over 100 years, from 1905 to today. <Cultivation>
Owned fields: 2haBouzy, Ambonnay, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Monthelon, Mardeuil, Grauves, Damery
In addition to the above, we have long-term contract cultivation agreements with approximately 65 grape growers (approximately 55 ha).
Terroir has a huge impact on the quality of grapes. "Special grade fields" where the highest quality grapes can be obtained, followed by "first grade fields" are so rare that every Champagne maison will compete for them, and their area only accounts for 25% of the entire Champagne region. . Alfred Gracien obtains 62% of the grapes he purchases from special and first-grade vineyards. Equally important in making Champagne is securing the highest quality grapes by strengthening relationships with excellent grape growers. We do our best to improve quality by tasting the finished wine with growers to check its quality, and once every two years, we invite all growers and their wives to a training and opinion exchange meeting.
The best vineyards yield the best grapes and the best Champagne. <Brewing>
We are one of the few producers who ferment all their base wines in barrels. We own over 1,000 old barrels (228L barrels). We purchase barrels from Chablis producers that are more than 5 years old. It is carefully maintained every year and can be used for 12 to 20 years.
Fermentation is carried out by each grape farmer and each field. Fermented in old barrels at 20-23℃ for about 15 days, then aged in barrels for 6 months in a sur-lie state. However, batonnage and malolactic fermentation are not performed at all. We value the ``flavorful acidity'' that is originally required for Champagne. After fermentation in barrels, the wine is allowed to rest for a long time, allowing micro-oxidation to take place with the small amount of oxygen that passes through the old barrels. This moderate oxidation gives the wine a roundness and also produces antioxidant effects. When it comes into contact with a very small amount of air, the ``umami-tasting acid'' turns into ``umami-tasting soft acid.''
In addition, we create a stable taste by using only ``cuvée'' and assembling 40% of the vin de reserve that has been aged using the solera system. Furthermore, even standard cuvées can be bottle aged for 4 years or more to give them a deep flavor and always produce a Champagne of excellent quality. Annual production is 300,000 bottles.