Agrapart & Fils "7 Crus" Extra-Brut Champagne NV
(Champagne, France) - [JS 93] [VM 91]

About the Estate:
The winery is based in the grand cru village of Avize, famous for its cuvees of 100% Chardonnay. Pascal and Ambroise farm 10 hectares from some 60 different vineyard plots in the Côte de Blancs, including Oger, Cramant, Oiry and Avize. They prefer not to label their viticultural methods; they farm using only homeopathic vine treatments, composts, manures, and regular plowing. The Agraparts were one of the first families to bring the draft horse back to the vineyards, and named a cuvee in honor of their first four-hooved friend, Vénus. In plowing the old-school way, they expose the clay and limestone soils to immune-boosting properties of the wind and sun. While they once were the object of ridicule, they now lead a return to authentic, ancestral practices. Their quality control extends to manual harvests, a selective triage of the grapes, and the use of native yeasts during fermentation. Malolactic fermentations are employed to round out the intensity of these mineral-driven Champagnes. The wines age on their lees for an extended period of time, and then are racked to both stainless steel and neutral oak barrels—the latter being a rarity in Champagne before Pascal started using them. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Up until the time when he passed away in 1996 at the age of 96, Pascal’s grandfather, Auguste Agrapart, took great pride in hand-riddling each bottle of Agrapart Champagne.  When asked for the secret to his long life was, his reply was “one bottle of Champagne a day.”

About this Wine:
This bottling no longer bears the Grand Cru designation. The source grapes for this bottling remain 85% Grand Cru & Premier Cru from the seven villages of Avize, Oger, Oiry, Cramant, Avenay Val d’Or, Bergeres Les Vertus and Mardeuil, thus the name 7 Crus.

This non-vintage cuvée is produced from wines of two consecutive years and the older of the two is aged in oak barrels for one year before bottling. The wine is then aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 2 years. The dosage after disgorging is 3-6g/liter. Disgorged 60 days prior to shipping.

Made of 90 percent chardonnay and 10 percent pinot noir, this is ripe and generous, though its rich depth of fruit is also tethered by fresh, zesty acidity. It’s notably fine in texture and sophisticated in tone, and it’s strongly marked by a stony, saline minerality that increases in intensity on the finish. It’s an excellent non-vintage champagne, and should become even more satisfying as it settles down with more post-disgorgement age.

Ratings & Reviews

93 Points - James Suckling:
"A fresh and floral wine with forthright aromas of lime zest and chalk. Very silky on the palate, with zesty yet integrated acidity, a touch of licorice flavors and a minerally finish. 90% chardonnay and 10% pinot noir." (Oct 2025)

91 Points - Vinous Media:
"The NV (2022) Brut 7 Crus is such a fabulous introduction to this range. In this release, the 7 Crus is especially generous, which makes it all the more appealing in the near term. Citrus confit, marzipan, dried flowers, mint and crushed rocks build in the glass, finishing with notable substance and power. This release, based on 2022, is one of the best recent 7 Crus I can remember tasting. A standout. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: June 2025; multiple disgorgements throughout the year. (Drink between 2025-2034)" - Antonio Galloni (Nov 2025)