Champagne Agrapart Avize - A New Chapter Begins

The recent split of Champagne Agrapart & Fils marks the beginning of two very different journeys. While both brothers continue to work with the same family heritage, their winemaking philosophies have begun to diverge in fascinating ways.

Fabrice Agrapart retains the rights to the Agrapart company name and now oversees a 5.5-hectare estate. This includes 4.3 hectares of vineyards from the former Agrapart & Fils estate, together with another 1.2 hectares of newly acquired vineyards in Avize and Oger.

If Pascal Agrapart is known for his precision, restraint and purity, Fabrice's new domaine reveals a more adventurous and imaginative side. His wines are expressive, textural and unafraid to challenge convention, while remaining firmly rooted in the terroirs of the Côte des Blancs.

Wine Journey is delighted to introduce four of Fabrice's cuvées, arriving in late July 2026.

 

Atoma

Atoma is Fabrice's introductory Blanc de Blancs, but there is nothing ordinary about it. This multi-vintage cuvée is sourced from seven villages across the Côte des Blancs—Avize, Cramant, Oger, Oiry, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Vertus and Bergères-lès-Vertus. The wine is fermented and aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks and oak foudres, with 20% perpetual reserve wines dating back to the 2020 vintage.

At first glance, Atoma appears similar to Pascal Agrapart's well-known Les 7 Crus. Both are blends from seven villages and both showcase the diversity of the Côte des Blancs. However, the similarities end there.

Les 7 Crus is a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir with around 5g/L dosage, while Atoma is made from 100% Chardonnay with zero dosage. More importantly, the two wines reflect very different philosophies.

Les 7 Crus is bright, precise and linear, with citrus, green apple, chalk and oyster shell taking centre stage. Oak influence is almost invisible, allowing the freshness of the fruit and minerality to shine.

Atoma, on the other hand, embraces texture and depth. Expect ripe yellow apple, pear, preserved lemon, buttery brioche, toasted sesame and gentle oak spice wrapped around a chalky core. Rather than the laser-like precision of Chablis that Les 7 Crus often evokes, Atoma feels closer to a fine Puligny-Montrachet—broader, more vinous and layered. While Les 7 Crus is immediately approachable, Atoma promises even greater rewards with additional bottle age.

 

Ameunia

Ameunia marks Fabrice's first 100% Pinot Meunier Champagne. The grapes are sourced from growers in the Marne Valley, with the wine aged in 70% stainless steel tanks and 30% oak demi-muids.

Many Meunier-based Champagnes focus on generous fruit and early drinking. Fabrice takes a different approach, crafting a wine that is more structured, serious and built for ageing. It brings to mind the expressions that have made growers like Jérôme Prévost so highly regarded.

Compared with Atoma, Ameunia displays warmer orchard fruit aromas of ripe pear, peach, mirabelle plum, baked citrus and subtle red fruits. Yet despite its generous fruit profile, the wine remains remarkably dry and focused, never becoming tropical or sweet.

The palate balances richness with freshness. Saline minerality and chalky tension keep the fruit in check, while restrained oak contributes to gentle toast and subtle spice instead of overt vanilla or oxidation.

The result is a silky, vinous Champagne that almost drinks like a still wine, lifted by fine bubbles.

Anthocya

Anthocya is Fabrice's unique interpretation of rosé Champagne. It is made from 98% Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and 2% Pinot Noir from Vertus.

Traditionally, rosé Champagne is produced in one of two ways. The first is rosé de saignée, where black grapes undergo a short skin maceration before the pink juice is drawn off for fermentation. The second is rosé d'assemblage, where still red wine is blended into the white base wine.

Anthocya follows neither method.

Instead, Fabrice has developed his own technique that engages anthocyanins—the natural pigments in grape skins that give red grapes their colour and from which the wine takes its name.

The result is an exceptionally pale rosé, reminiscent of a summery Provence rosé. It offers freshness, bright acidity and remarkable finesse, with lower tannins and less vinous weight than the average traditional rosé Champagne. Because the colour is achieved without adding red wine, the delicate character of the Chardonnay remains transparent, allowing elegance and purity to take centre stage.

Atypiqua

Atypiqua is perhaps Fabrice's most daring wine.

Unlike almost every Champagne produced today, it is made entirely from the taille—the juice obtained from the second pressing of the grapes—and aged exclusively in oak across seven different barrels.

In traditional Champagne production, the first pressing, known as the tête de cuvée, is considered superior because of its purity, finesse and natural acidity. The taille generally contains more phenolics, minerals and tannins, producing wines with greater structure but also a coarser texture. For this reason, it is usually used sparingly, if at all.

Fabrice turns this convention on its head.

By working exclusively with the taille from Avize and allowing the wine to age for an extended period between 60 and 72 months in oak, he seeks to transform what is often considered the less desirable fraction into a Grand Cru Champagne of remarkable depth, complexity and character. It is a bold statement of intent—one that perfectly captures his willingness to challenge tradition while remaining deeply respectful of the vineyard.

Fabrice's wines offer an exciting new perspective on the precision for which the Agrapart family has been long admired. They are thoughtful, original and unmistakably personal, adding another compelling voice to the evolving story of grower Champagne.