Founded in 1894 in Avize, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, Maison Agrapart is a family-run business that has established itself as one of the most respected craftsmen of Champagne d'auteur. Under the direction of Pascal Agrapart, the 4thᵉ generation, the house farms around 12 hectares spread over Grand Cru parcels and adopts environmentally-friendly viticulture, favoring old vines, terroir expression and low dosage. In the cellar, the philosophy is just as clear: fermentation on long lees, ageing in wood, little or no filtration, resulting in champagnes of remarkable precision, rich in minerality and purity - perfect for ordering exceptional champagne with confidence.
A family estate on a human scale
Maison Agrapart is a totally independent, family-run business, cultivating around 10 to 12 hectares of vines. Faithful to an artisanal approach, it has deliberately maintained a controlled pruning to preserve total control over every stage, from vine to bottle. The vineyards are located in the heart of the most prestigious terroirs of the Côte des Blancs, notably in the Grand Cru villages of Avize, Cramant, Oiry and Oger, renowned for their pure chalk and their ability to produce Chardonnays of incomparable tension and finesse. This human dimension guarantees confidential production, focused on authenticity and the most sincere expression of terroir.
Artisanal winemaking at the service of the terroir
The Agrapart house prides itself on its deeply-rooted craftsmanship, which deliberately distances itself from the standardized processes of the Champagne region. Here, every step of the winemaking process is designed to respect the wine's natural rhythm. Fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts, i.e. those naturally present on the grapes, to preserve the living identity of the terroir and avoid any aromatic alteration. Aging takes place mainly in oak barrels or old wood, which brings slow oxygenation, a more complex texture and added depth - without ever marking the wine with a dominant woodiness. Faithful to a pure, non-interventionist approach, the house chooses neither to fining nor filter its wines, allowing them to retain their density, energy and authenticity. This patient, natural vinification produces champagnes with a vibrant, precise and deeply expressive character, where terroir asserts itself with sincerity, without artifice or make-up.
Respectful, terroir-focused viticulture
Agrapart's viticulture is profoundly respectful of the environment, with terroir taking precedence over all other considerations. Yields are deliberately low, to concentrate aromas and ensure optimum ripeness of the grapes. Soils are ploughed regularly, encouraging air and water circulation, as well as biodiversity in the vineyard, essential to the natural health of the plants.
Chemical interventions are kept to a minimum, with priority given to the use of organic composts from the region and horse-drawn ploughing to preserve soil structure while limiting mechanical impact. Herbicides are used sparingly, if at all, to encourage microbial life and the ecological balance of the vineyard. This rigorous and respectful approach ensures healthy, balanced and concentrated grapes, capable of expressing with precision the typicity and minerality of the great terroirs of the Côte des Blancs.
An Extra Brut signature revealing the terroir
Agrapart stands out for its low dosage philosophy, Extra Brut, which reflects its commitment to champagnes of total authenticity and purity. With just 5 g/L of sugar or less, each cuvée brings out the freshness, tension and aromatic precision of the grapes, allowing the terroir's personality to express itself without artifice.
This approach sublimates the unique minerality of the chalky soils of the Côte des Blancs, characterized by their richness in limestone and their capacity to produce lively Chardonnays. The company's Extra Brut champagnes thus reveal wines of understated elegance, great tension and remarkable depth, where each aromatic note faithfully reflects the typicity of the parcel from which it comes. This signature allows Agrapart to offer wines that are at once precise, vibrant and purely expressive, true mirrors of the Champagne terroir.
Conclusion
The House of Agrapart embodies artisanal excellence and fidelity to the terroir of the Côte des Blancs. A family-run, independent operation, it combines respectful viticulture, meticulous vinification and low dosage Extra Brut to produce champagnes of remarkable purity, tension and minerality. Each cuvée reflects the authenticity of its Grand Cru and Premier Cru parcels, offering wines that are precise, elegant and deeply expressive, appealing to connoisseurs in search of genuine champagnes imbued with character and sincerity.
Who is Pascal Agrapart and what is the history of the company?
Maison Agrapart is a family-run business founded in 1894 in Avize, in the Côte des Blancs. Today run by Pascal Agrapart, 4ᵉ generation, it is renowned for its champagnes d'auteur, produced with great respect for terroir and nature.
What is Agrapart's winemaking philosophy?
Agrapart practises respectful, terroir-oriented viticulture, with low yields, regular ploughing, minimal treatments and the use of natural compost. Some plots are worked with horses, and herbicides are used sparingly or not at all.
What is the house's dosage signature?
The house favors Extra Brut or low dosage champagnes (≤ 5 g/L), highlighting the tension, freshness and minerality of the chalky soils.
What are Agrapart's main cuvées?
Complantée: from an Avize parcel planted with six historic grape varieties, aged in oak barrels, with full malolactic fermentation.
7 Crus: a blend of seven Côte des Blancs villages, fresh, delicious and mineral.
Terroirs: Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut from Grand Cru parcels (Avize, Oger, Cramant, Oiry), aged on lees for 4 years.
Mineral: pure, straightforward expression of chalky terroirs, very mineral and taut.
How long do cuvées age on lees?
Depending on the cuvée, 3 to 5 years on lees, sometimes more for certain exceptional cuvées, ensure complexity, depth and finesse.