Description
Jacquesson has an impressive history. It was founded in 1798 in Châlons by Memmie Jacquesson, son of a wine trader. The house rapidly rose to fame, aided by the fact that Napoleon was reputably a fan. However, everything that we today value about Jacquesson began in 1974 when Côte des Blancs winegrower Jean Chiquet acquired the ‘brand’ and vineyards and moved the domicile of the house to Dizy. After finally persuading their father it was their time to shine, Jean Chiquet’s sons, Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet, literally turned the notion of Champagne on its head with the introduction of their 700 series and the launch of Cuvee 728 hailing from the 2000 vintage, which set out to promote the virtues of a given vintage, rather than seek to blend it away to produce something consistent, rather than something exciting. The 700 series saw each new harvest/vintage be reflected on the label, with the majority of the blend coming from the most recent harvest whilst being supplemented with reserve wines of previous 700 series wines that have been ageing slowly in foudre in the dark and cool cellars underneath their small but beautiful property in Dizy.
Jacquesson sit comfortable between a grower and a small house, owning the majority of the vineyards they use to produce their engaging wines whilst supplementing their own grapes with long- term leases and contracts with vineyards owned by close friends and family members’ found primarily in the Vallée de la Marne and the Côtes des Blancs. The philosophy of the estate has always been on quality over quantity which has seen annual volumes bottled at the estate reduce year-on-year at a time when the majority of estates in the region have gone the other way, and today the quality of wine going to bottle has never been higher.
“No Champagne house today is on a trajectory as steep as Jacquesson. While many houses are on the prowl for more fruit to increase production, Jacquesson is drastically slashing its yields and its contracts to radically improve quality in spite of lowering quantity. When others set out to make a consistent blend every year, Jacquesson throws uniformity to the wind to draw the best blend out of every vintage. Each time I look, this little house in the village of Dizy appears more like a fanatical grower producer. Jacquesson has leapt from ranking among Champagne’s top 20 houses to a lofty position among its top 10.” Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide, 2016-2017
In 2022 the current custodians of the estate, Jean-Hervé and Laurent, felt it was time to pass the baton to the next generation and with neither having any children they took the decision to seek new owners. Having turned down numerous significantly higher bids, they finally found the suitor they had been looking for in Artémis Domaines, who are already the current custodians of famed estates such as Château Latour, Bouchard Père et Fils, Clos de Tart and Château-Grillet.
Although the Chiquet brothers are no longer steering the ship day-to-day, Jean-Hervé remains on the board and is heavily involved with the new custodians ensuring his knowledge & passion are shared. The vineyards owned by the Chiquet brothers and their family remain a vital spine of the wines that the estate will produce going into the future. Cellarmaster Yann le Gall remains at the helm in the cellar, having already overseen the élevage of the wines for some 13 harvests, and the vineyards continue to be overseen by long-term vineyard manager Mathilde Prier. So, although much has changed at the estate, much remains the same and the future of Champagne Jacquesson is in safe hands. Forever pushing forward, the focus will remain on fine-tuning to ensure that the wines of Jacquesson remain some of the most thought-provoking and detailed wines coming out of the region for generations to come. Importer notes.
Jacquesson has been awarded 3 stars (the best and maximum ranking!) in Le Classement by La Revue de Vin de France. Le Classement is a ranking of the 1300 best domaines in France and only 56 domaines in France have 3 star status. Jacquesson together with Krug, Salon and 3 other champagne producers were awarded the 3 star status.
The resulting wines are particularly fine and elegant. This is the sublime champagne.
About the 748 release: “2020. 55% of the harvest came from Aÿ, Dizy, Hautvillers and Champillon and 45% from Avize and Oiry. Winter was mild and very wet, whereas spring was particularly sunny and dry. After the stormy June weather, drought set in, and these conditions prevailed until the end of September. Beautifully balanced and ripe grapes were harvested early from 26th August until 10th September.
Respectful soil management and plant cultivation methods with the aim of expressing plot diversity. Vinification and ageing in large wooden vats on the lees without either filtration or fining. Our Chardonnay grapes characterise this blend despite the addition of reserve wines from the 747 to 743 and the 741 cuvées.”
93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media“Jacquesson’s NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 748 (base 2020), the 20th anniversary of this bottling, is gorgeous. Dried pear, crushed flowers, mint, chamomile and spice all grace the palate. The No. 748 is not quite as austere as some recent releases in this series, which means it will drink quite well right out of the gate. Floral notes lift the finish, adding precision and energy. The No. 748 is one of the most elegant and refined editions of this wine I can remember tasting.”
RRP $233 Our Special Price $171.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
