Bright and shiny golden color. Gentle, fine, and endless bubbles form a beautiful ring on the surface. The aroma is rich and mellow. The first impression is toast, butter, mirabelle, and grilled pineapple. The aroma of tobacco and vanilla provides the base.
The attack is full, evoking the warmth of the vintage. As the wine ages, it becomes more rounded, revealing its inherent balance and beautiful harmony. Grapes are selected, vinified, and aged in accordance with the traditions passed down through the generations. Small 228-liter oak barrels are used for vinification and aging, instead of large barrels, and the winery is devised to make the most of the different characteristics of each plot. Another unique feature is that malolactic fermentation is not performed in order to preserve the characteristics of the grapes and the terroir. Vintage Champagne is aged using agraffe clasps and corks. The excellent breathability and flexibility of cork allows the passage of the small amount of oxygen necessary for wine aging. <History>
Alfred Gratien founded the house 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. Ten years later, Alfred Gratien found a new business partner, Albert Jean Meyer, and changed the name of the company to "Gratien et Meyer". Albert Jean Meyer's descendants continued the winemaking philosophy of their founder, Alfred Gratien, and developed the wineries in both regions. The Jeger family has been the cellar master of Alfred Gratien since 1905. Gaston Jeger took over in 1905, and his son Charles took over in 1950. In 1966, his son Jean-Pierre became the third generation, and continued the role until his retirement in 2007. Nicolas, the fourth generation, began winemaking under his father Jean-Pierre in 1990 and became cellar master in 2007. In 2018, Nicolas achieved the feat of being selected as the best champagne maker by the Guide Hachette magazine. Alfred Gratien's techniques and traditions have been strictly and precisely passed down by the Jéjé family for over 100 years, from 1905 to the present day. <Cultivation>
Owned fields: 2ha Bouzy, Ambonnay, LeMesnil-sur-Oger, Monthelon, Mardeuil, Grauves, Damery
In addition to the above, the company has long-term contract cultivation agreements with approximately 65 grape growers (approximately 55ha). Terroir has a huge impact on the quality of grapes. Grand Cru vineyards, which produce the highest quality grapes, and the next highest grade, Premier Cru vineyards, are so rare that all Champagne houses fight over them, and they only account for 25% of the total area of the Champagne region. Alfred Gratien obtains 62% of the grapes he purchases from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. Equally important in making Champagne is to secure the highest quality grapes by strengthening relationships with excellent grape growers. The company is dedicated to improving quality by tasting the finished wine with the growers to check the quality, and inviting all the growers and their wives to a meeting to exchange opinions every two years. And the best grapes are harvested from the best vineyards, and the best Champagne is produced.
<Brewing>
We are one of the few producers who ferment all of our base wines in barrels. We own over 1,000 old barrels (228L barrels). We purchase barrels that have been used for more than five years from producers in Chablis. We carefully maintain them every year and use them for nearly 12 to 20 years. Fermentation is done by the grape farmer and each field. The wine is fermented in the old barrels for about 15 days at 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, and then aged in barrels for six months on the lees. However, we do not perform batonnage or malolactic fermentation at all. We value the "flavorful acidity" that is originally required for champagne. After fermentation in barrels, the wine is left to rest slowly, and the small amount of oxygen passing through the old barrels causes micro-oxidation, and the moderate oxidation gives the wine a mellowness and also creates an antioxidant effect. When the wine comes into contact with a very small amount of air, the "flavorful acidity" turns into "flavorful soft acidity."
In addition, they are particular about using only the "Cuvée (first pressing)" and blend 40% of the Vin de Reserve, which is aged by adding to it using the Solera system, to create a consistent taste. Furthermore, even the standard Cuvee is aged in the bottle for more than four years to give it a deep flavor, resulting in a champagne of consistently excellent quality. The annual production volume is 300,000 bottles.