Chef de cave Nicolas Jaeger who still ferments everything in oak barrels Alfred Gratien must be one of the least visited of Champagne aficionados’ favourite houses, which is a slightly more tortuous way of saying something I’ve said before: every wine writer I can think of loves Alfred Gratien Champagne, but (and this I haven’t said before) it’s not a house that’s been on many itineraries. This summer, after decades of visiting producers of every size and persuasion from mult