Henri Giraud CODE NOIR Cuvee has a secret inside. Like all great wine, Champagne is indissociable from a great history, but one which has been drowned out by the white noise of slogans & marketing. The CODE NOIR Cuvee, whose name harbours an enigma, invites you to penetrate its secrets to fully appreciate this fine white wine. In the 16th century, the winegrowers of Champagne expressed their genius in producing a great wine from a very poor soil, & despite extreme climatic conditions. A white wine from black grapes! For the first time in their history they were thus able to obtain a sharp & exquisite wine through the invention of a pressing technique unique in the world, whereby the coarse organic matter is separated from the good juice prior to fermentation. This is the basis of what is called the methode Champenoise: the Champagne method. Today, Champagne-method pressing is de rigueur, even with the white grapes that only represent 25% of Champagne grape plantations. This is what makes Champagne such an exceptional wine: clean, digestible & elegant. Made exclusively of black grapes, the CODE NOIR Cuvee is strong in character. It will regale you with the authentic story of Champagne, & will tell you more still if you succeed in decrypting its code.

Colour: A luminous & delicate blonde colour, crowned with creamy foam. Nose: A mature & fine nose of beautiful complexity, with cooked pair & cherries, opening out to gourmet notes of yellow flowers, peaches, vanilla & white pepper & then warming to finely spiced perfumes of honey, hinting at a glowing future. Palate: this is dense, warm & winey, very well balanced, with lively effervescence & beautiful freshness. The tender texture & mellow tannins, added to the crisp, chalky impression of the finish, are typical of how it was raised & enliven a beautiful array of aromas. Tasting & Serving: CODE NOIR is a brilliant & nuanced romantic, asserting its personality & always ready to seduce. Served at 8°C, it is a refreshing aperitif, while at 12°C, it will enhance quality poultry, veal or fish in cream sauce.

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Standard bearer of Maison Champagne Henriot's savoir-faire, Blanc de Blancs delights with its astonishing complexity & length. This cuvee, endowed with excellent freshness, is admirable as aperitif & also as an ideal companion at table. On the eye: Sparkling, crystalline pale gold with slight green highlights. Abundant effervescence, fine & regular, with fine, delicate bubbles. On the nose: Pure, concentrated & expressive, with floral (honeysuckle, orange flower, linden), fruity (lemon, dried apricot, almond) & pastry aromas, followed by spicy notes. On the palate: The attack is dynamic, full & powerful, with aromas of lightly toasted brioche, quince jelly & acacia honey. The clean, delicious finish develops on a light menthol note & shows excellent length. Food pairing: Court-bouillon of Brittany blue lobster with lemon balm. Freshly caught sole with slightly salted butter. Conserve of young rabbit with wild thyme & Mirabelle plums. Farm-raised chicken supreme stuffed with foie gras, grenaille apples in the old style. * Limitied Stock* ...

On the eye: Golden yellow with fine bubbles & an attractive ring of mousse. On the nose: A complex nose withmature notes (leather), the strength of the pinots attesting the originality of the year 2003. Rich aromas reveal elegant notes of black fruit (cherry, blackberry, bilberry). On the palate: The wine has fine maturity with the pinots dominating the palate but also richness from the chardonnays. Mellow notes follow: pastries, marzipan with a touch of honey, toast & aromas of gingerbread. Fine ripe notes complete the finale. * Limited Stock* ...

Obtaining a very delicate rose & preserving all the elegant lightness that is Champagne's top characteristic is a difficult & fascinating exercise. This cuvee charms with its lovely balance in an aromatic range of red fruit, whose persistence is remarkable. Composition of the cuvee:
- 42% Chardonnay, a high proportion compared to the average within the appellation, 58% Pinot Noir, 20% of which is vinified as red, & 30% reserve wines.
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An unusual proportion of Chardonnay gives this cuvee an original & very racy profile. A Champagne full of elegance, lightness & finesse, just as pleasant as an aperitif as throughout an entire meal. Composition of the cuvee: A high proportion of Chardonnay (around 40%), & Pinot Noir represent the majority of this wine's composition. Each year, about one-third of reserve wines are incorporated in the cuvee, thus ensuring the consistency of the Henriot style. ...

This is a wine with depth, combining acidity & sweetness. It is medium bodied with flavours of caramel & toffee & a long aftertaste. Ideal fresh fruit & strong cheeses. Madeira should be cellared upright. It loves light, heat & air, but hates frost. Madeira is a fortified wine that depends upon heat & evaporation to create consistent long lasting styles. The must is fortified, either to arrest fermentation for a Malmsey or a Bual, or later in the fermentation process, in the case of Sercial or Verdelho before undergoing its own very special maturation. The Canteiro process is employed for all 10 & 15 year old Madeiras from H&H where the wine is heated naturally in barrels over some months to enhance concentration & consistency of the wine. Bual produces a rich medium sweet style & exhibits delicious mouthwatering acidity. ...

Madeira is a fortified wine that depends upon heat & evaporation to create consistent long lasting styles. The must is fortified, either to arrest fermentation for a Malmsey or a Bual, or later in the fermentation process, in the case of Sercial or Verdelho before undergoing its own very special maturation. The Canteiro process is employed for all 10 & 15 year old Madeiras from H&H where the wine is heated naturally in barrels over some months to enhance concentration & consistency of the wine. Bual produces a rich medium sweet style & exhibits delicious mouthwatering acidity. This is a wine with depth, combining acidity & sweetness. It is medium bodied with flavours of caramel & toffee & a long aftertaste. Ideal fresh fruit & strong cheeses. Madeira should be cellared upright. It loves light, heat & air, but hates frost. ...

Madeira is a fortified wine that depends upon heat & evaporation to create consistent long lasting styles. The must is fortified, either to arrest fermentation for a Malmsey or a Bual, or later in the fermentation process, in the case of Sercial or Verdelho before undergoing its own very special maturation. The Canteiro process is employed for all 10 & 15 year old Madeiras from H&H where the wine is heated naturally in barrels over some months to enhance concentration & consistency of the wine. Malmsey produces a rich sweet style whilst still exhibiting delicious mouthwatering acidity. Brilliant amber colours with golden shades. Complex flavours of dried fruit & candied peel. Christmas cake! Ideal with fresh fruit & strong cheeses. Madeira should be cellared upright. It loves light, heat & air, but hates frost. ...

The Canteiro process was employed for this noble Madeira. The wine is heated naturally in barrels over some months to enhance concentration & consistency of the wine. The wine is then aged in oak casks. A dark golden wine, with greenish nuances. Well developed & complex, with intense aromas of dried fruits, namely raisins & walnuts, but also honey & vanilla. Medium sweet on the palate with complex flavours, including toffee & a touch of aged wood. A wonderfully long finish. A very special end to a meal. Ideal with fresh fruit & strong cheeses. Madeira should be cellared upright. It loves light, heat & air, but hates frost. ...

This 5 Year Old Madeira starts life as fermenting must & is then fortified before undergoing its own very special maturation process. made from predominantly Tinta Negra Mole Grapes, harvest begins from mid-August due to the warm southerly climate. A unique & highly sophisticated artificial Estufa process is set up for the 5 year old wines, where termperatures rise to 45 Deg C before being allowed to cool. This process takes 90 days & renders the wine completely stable. It is then aged in oak casks for 5 years, prior to bottling. The mellowing effect of oak ageing broadens out & adds depth to the fruit flavours, yet with a crispy tangy aftertaste. Ideal served as an aperitif, chilled or with seafood & smoked fish. Madeira should be cellared upright. It loves light, heat & air, but hates frost. ...