Time for an affordable alternative? Invest in MV Champagne from world-renowned Champagne house

"Note to self: drink more Giraud Champagne. That's all I could think as I ran through these new releases from Claude Giraud, a man whose temperament is very much reflected in impeccable Champagnes loaded with personality." – Antonio Galloni

The above refers to Henri Giraud's Multi-vintage (MV) champagnes, and the latest release is on the program here. This is an investment in a Champagne house on the move. It is an investment in non-vintage Champagne that does not yet have a collecting tradition.

But around the corner lurks champagne drought, and our eyes are increasingly turned to cuvées without vintage from the very best Champagne Estates. They offer high quality and low prices. Here is one of those – Fut de Chene MV17 (read a description of the wine at the bottom of this investment tip).

Add to this that consumers seek out so-called 'affordable luxury' in global economic downturns. One such is Fut de Chene MV17 = higher demand (see more in the video below - just 1 minute long).

Henri Giraud – A Modern Legend

Decanter referred to Henri Giraud as ‘a modern legend in the making’, and Henri Giraud is one of the rare Champagne houses that remains independent and family-run – for more than 400 years. But only in recent memory, the house has gone from fine to fantastic, supported by Robert Parker's almost two-decade old statement about Henri Giraud may being the finest Champagne house virtually no one has ever heard of…

Now, wine connoisseurs all around the world knows the name of Henri Giraud.

Here is some facts:

• Henri Giraud was mentioned in the 2020 Power 100 list from January 2021. According to the report, Henri Giraud was the 3rd best overall performer measured by percentual price development.
• Henri Giraud owns approx. 12 ha of land on fine vineyards in Aÿ, making the annual yield meager from a champagne perspective.
• The special oak barrels, locally produced originating in the nearby forest, are, according to the current winemaker at Giraud, Claude Giraud, the symbiotic puzzle piece that completes the house's unique Champagnes.
• How many bottles were produced of MV17 is not known for sure, but according to Wine Advocate, only 30,000 bottles of MV12 were produced why it is safe to assume that production is within this range.

High Quality Albeit Subjective Taste

“Giraud makes some of the most unique, individualistic wines in Champagne."- ROBERT PARKER

Only one of our usual critics has tasted and rated the MV17, and that is Richard Juhlin. He awards 88 points, and while that may seem low, it does not differ from the scores he usually awards Henri Giraud. By comparison, he has awarded 87 to the two Henri Giraud Argonne vintages he has tasted, and it is the house's top cuvée.

Wine Advocate and Vinous have yet to review the MV17, but in the past, they have awarded between 92 and 97 points to Henri Giraud's Multi-vintage releases. This only underlines the integrity and subjective taste of wine critics. They usually agree to some extent, but in this case, it is two against one.

Performance On Predecessors

Liv-ex delivers sufficient data to comment on the performance of MV releases and thus indicate how the trend will develop in the future. In the latest two years, MV09, MV10, MV12, and MV13 have risen + 65.7 % on average. Add to this that Fut de Chene MV09, in a period of five years, is up by +157,5 %. 

Returns across the above is a testament that the demand for Henri Giraud possibly follows Antonio Galloni's words: Drink more Giraud Champagne.

What Is Fut de Chene MV17

The first MV was released in 2012 and was based on 2005 – named MV05. Since 8 MV-champagnes have been released, and this MV17 is the latest.

This cuvée bears the mark of Henri Giraud’s commitment to make it “the Great Wine of Champagne” again. The yields are minimal, and the grape variety is original. MV17 stands for multi-vintage, and this release is a blend of Pinot Noir (80 %) and Chardonnay (20%), and all the grapes come from the Grand Cru terroir of Aÿ. It is based on 2017 and completed with the house’s solera-style perpetual reserve wines dating to 1990 – The Fut de Chene MV is a unique way of expressing a vintage wine that goes far beyond the image of a single year.

RareWine Invest’s Opinion

There is not yet a great tradition of collecting non-vintage champagnes, but it is not the first time you are introduced to one through RareWine Invest.  And there is a reason for that, of course. 

First: Affordable luxury is in demand in financial troubles times, which will naturally place 'cheaper' MV champagnes in the spotlight. Few would notice if the price rose 10 or 20% on this one. 

Second: This can compete with many prestige cuvées from the best Champagne houses, according to Vinous and Wine Advocate. 

Third: Henri Giraud is showered with praise from the world's critics and returns on MV releases show the potential. This is an investment in one of the world's leading champagne houses at a profitable price - while the world supply of Champagne is dropping, and demand is rising.