Overview
At Alfred Gratien, champagne is not “manufactured”, it is “created”. Therefore production is voluntarily limited to 300,000 bottles per year. For Alfred Gratien, the creative process begins right in the vineyard. Only the best grapes are selected for the cuvées, which are blends from three main Grand Crus regions (Côte des Blancs for the Chardonnay, Montagne de Reims for the Pinot Noir and the Marne Valley for the Pinot Meunier).
Following the footsteps of his father and his forefathers, fourth generation Cellar Master, Nicolas Jaeger, hand crafts champagnes of quality and individuality. He is meticulous and strict with the fermentation of his wines and continues the tradition of first fermentation in oak casks. Alfred Gratien is one of the last remaining champagne houses to maintain this tradition. Jaeger uses 228-liter oak casks, previously used four times for Chablis, allowing the wine to breathe and strengthens its body, providing incomparable aromas and consistent quality.
Alfred Gratien has made a conscious decision not to use malolactic fermentation to maintain the original character of the grapes, preserving the aromas and retaining freshness, even as the wine ages.
Before cellaring, the vintage champagnes are sealed with a cork. Their permeability and flexibility allow for small amounts of oxygen to penetrate into the wine. This process, which is essential for a successful maturation, gives aromas the proper time to develop, becoming finer and more complex as the wine retains an astonishing freshness.
Thanks to their vinous structure, champagnes from Alfred Gratien lend themselves to long periods of cellaring. The winemaker’s decision to age the champagnes in the cellar for a minimum of 36 months results in champagnes with a unique palate and incomparable aromas.
In, Epernay, the heart of the Champagne wine region, the house of Alfred Gratien has been producing champagne since 1864. At Alfred Gratien, only the highest quality wine is made into champagne with a rigorous selection of grapes, traditional hand-crafted winemaking methods and limited production.
The expertise of this Champagne House has been handed down from father to son, establishing Alfred Gratien as an ‘élite’ champagne producer and honoring the commitment to remain true to the principles of founder, Alfred Gratien.
