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If you want to be impressed with an exceptional Grand Champagne and avoid paying for the name, here is one produced in tiny quantities. Gratien’s prestige cuvée is one of Champagne’s little secrets.
Alfred Gratien, "Cuvée Paradis" 2013 , Epernay, Champagne, France
Exemplary champagne brut for its category, with a greater emphasis on bubbles than wine. It has benefited from its reserve wine content and its maturation in cellars. Superb complexity that combines young aromas with notes gained through maturation in cellars.
This chardonnay-led blend, all from Premier Cru and some Grand Cru vineyards, is effortlessly gentle yet satisfyingly round and textured, with immense class and purity.
VINTAGE: 2013
STYLE: Brut
METHODE: Traditional
GRAPES: Chardonnay 65%, Pinot Noir 35% (Only Premiers and Grands Crus)
SOIL: limestone
PRACTICE: Sustainable
MATURATION: Fermented and aging 6 to 7 years in bottles before second fermentation (Non-Malolactic)
COLOR: Yellow, bright young gold
BODY: Full Body (9 to 10)
TASTE: Dry with a hint of sweetness
YEAST: Medium-moderate
BUBBLES: Fine (Gustative)
PRIMARY AROMAS: White Peach, grapefruit, orange peel, minerality
SECONDARY AROMAS: White flowers, vanilla, crème patissiere
FORMAT: 750 ml
ALCOHOL: 12.0
SERVICE AND SUGGESTION: Serve at 8 to 10°C.
Its balanced qualities mean it can be paired quite liberally. Avoid anything too salty, sugary, fatty, or spicy, opting instead for balance. Ideal for your savoury or sweet-and-sour hors d’œuvre, and for aperitifs.
Alfred Gratien founded this estate based on the philosophy that Champagne is not manufactured, it is created. His commitment to quality was reflected in his insistence on selecting only premium fruit, vinification exclusively in small oak casks, limited production, and consideration for the character and individuality of the vineyards. Following in his footsteps, Nicolas Jaeger, as the fourth generation, remains dedicated to his ancestor's ideals and traditions. Under his watchful eye, only the very best cuvées of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier spend a minimum of six months in 228 liter oak casks without malolactic fermentation, followed by at least three years in the bottle before release. This special care, coming from one of the few remaining handmade champagne houses in the world, defines Alfred Gratien as truly exceptional.