New Champagne Release At An Incredibly Low Price: 2015 Henri Giraud Argonne

Henri Giraud - Bottled Masterpieces

Henri Giraud is an independent and family-owned Champagne house that has written itself into a grower movement. Here, the focus is to get the best out of each and every parcel, with a special emphasis on expressing terroir - with an inevitable and drastically reduced yield as a result.

Claude Giraud represents the 12th generation of this nearly 400-year-old company, and now his daughter Emmanuelle has taken over the reins. And her vision is clear: the impressive know-how of the house must be maintained and gently passed on to the next generation. Although Henri Giraud has a long history that makes it one of the oldest houses in Champagne, it is only in recent years that Giraud has really attracted the attention of Champagne lovers.

The significant and distinctive nature of Henri Giraud's Champagnes is not just about their stunning parcels, many of which have Grand Cru status. The masterpieces actually begin in the nearby Argonne forest, where ancient oak trees provide the wood for the house's special oak barrels used in production and, according to Claude Giraud, the barrel is the piece that completes the house's Champagnes. The use of oak barrels in Champagne production was almost phased out with the introduction of steel tanks in the 1960s, but Henri Giraud, Krug, and Selosse all use oak barrels with pride.

Behind every great wine is a great cellar master, and Sébastian Le Golvet is the name of the master at Henri Giraud. According to him, great winemaking takes time - and terroir is the key to any great wine. If you do not understand how to work with your terroir, you will never be able to make great wine.

RareWine visited Henri Giraud and in the video below, Emmanuelle Giraud and her brother-in-law Sébastian Le Golvet explain the essence of Henri Giraud and Argonne.

Argonne: A Golden Rarity In Champagne

“This is the way I think Krug SHOULD taste”

– Robert Parker about Henri Giraud Argonne

Henri Giraud has a wide range of different cuvées, but at the top of the hierarchy is the Champagne that bears the same name as the Argonne forest, Argonne. These bottles are masterpieces and are treated as such: From the avant-garde bottle sealing used in the video above, the signature Argonne writing on the gold foil label, to the fact that they are delivered individually in high-quality cases.

The very first Argonne to see the light of day came from the 2002 vintage, and since then, seven vintages have been released, with the 2015 Argonne representing only the eighth release - a release of inherent rarity. It has not been possible to confirm exactly how many bottles were produced in 2015, but according to Wine Advocate, 8,000 bottles of 2004 Argonne and 4,000 bottles of 2008 Argonne were produced.

A search for the different vintages on wine-searcher.com will also quickly reveal that there are very few (if any) offers for previous vintages of Henri Giraud Argonne in whole cases. This only emphasises the extremely sparse production.

Predecessors Are Quality Consistent

The 2015 has only just been released, so we are still awaiting scores from the critics. However, it should be added that Wine Advocate has never awarded lower than 94 points to an Argonne, while this figure for Vinous is 93 points. Across the two critics, however, scores have been 96.6 across the 2012, 2013 and 2014 vintages. It is hard to imagine that the 2015 scores will deviate significantly from these - especially since, according to Wine Advocate's vintage chart, both the 2015, 2014 and 2013 vintages represent an "outstanding" vintage in Champagne.

Henri Giraud Argonne: Triple-Digit Returns Set The Stage

A wine in such limited production quickly disappears from the market. Therefore, price data can also be difficult to obtain. However, Liv-ex has sufficient data from the last five years to comment on the first three^* vintages of Argonne - over the last five years, these three vintages have delivered an average return of 229.5%.

And assuming that 2015 performs qualitatively like its three predecessors, it is also obvious to look at how the offer prices for these have developed at wine-searcher.com since their respective releases. 2014 Argonne has been on the market for a year, and in one year the offer price has developed +31%, according to wine-searcher.com. For 2013 Argonne, the figure is +16% per year since release, while the figure is +17% per year since release for 2012 Argonne.

In Other Words: Argonne Performs Across All Vintages.

Add to that the lowest price for 2015 Argonne on wine-searcher.com right now is 377^**. Your price is €335^**.

*2002, 2004 and 2008.

**Per bottle excluding duty, VAT and tax in full cases and perfect condition

Future Demand For Champagne

According to the Champagne bureau, more than 33 million bottles of Champagne were shipped to the US in 2022, and in terms of value, exports to the US alone increased by 58%. Worldwide, total Champagne shipments reached $6.6 billion, of which the US drank close to $1 billion.

And while demand for the world's best Champagne appears to be on the rise in the United States, it seems China will provide the US with significant competition in the future.

"According to research and consulting firm GlobalData, the wine market in China will nearly double by 2026, growing from USD 42 billion in 2021 to USD 72.2 billion in 2026, representing an average annual growth rate of 11.5%. Growth is predicted to be led by still wine, while the sparkling wine category is estimated to grow at 11.3% on average per year until 2026"

The above is an excerpt from our market analysis: Analysis: The Prospects In Champagne - Will The Corks Pop In The Future?

RareWine Invest's Opinion

You are only guaranteed to be in on a new release once, and the opportunity for the 2015 Henri Giraud Argonne is right at your feet. And at an incredibly low price, currently €42 below the cheapest offer on wine-searcher.com.

The previous Argonne have been consistent in quality and have guaranteed returns. However, Argonne does not guarantee availability, as the grower Champagne Argonne is released in extremely limited quantities.

The US wants Champagne and China is pushing forward, offering a lucrative scenario for the Champagne investor. Again, quantities are limited, so as always, it is first come, first served.