It was with the release of the 2017 vintage of their tête de cuvée, Aÿ Grand Cru Argonne, that Champagne Henri Giraud celebrated its 400th anniversary of having owned and tended vines in Aÿ. Today, the house is led by Claude’s daughter Emmanuelle and her sister Anne’s husband Sébastien Le Golvet, who has been cellar master at Henri Giraud since 2002. In fact, Le Golvet referred to the Argonne cuvée as “fragile.” This idea explains the gold leaf on each bottle of Aÿ Grand Cru Argonne, attached by hand. Photography courtesy of Champagne Giraud2011 Argonnne Aÿ Grand CruInitial creaminess wraps itself around smooth peach and apricot notions, leaving a smooth nose. | 912004 Argonnne Aÿ Grand CruAn almost peachy gold hue shows the age of the wine, 21 years, in comparison to its younger siblings.