Once out of the vineyard and inside the building, I started my
visit off by asking about the history of the house and learned that Jacquesson
was founded in 1798 by Memmie Jacquesson.
His son Adolphe succeeded him in 1835 and is
the most famous of the Jacquesson family. Adolphe helped in pioneering three key
elements of the Champagne process.
1. The planting of vines in rows (with
Dr. Jules Guyot)
2. The measurement of sugar prior to the second fermentation (with
Jean-Baptiste
François) called the “réduction François” that helped to regulate and control
the second fermentation and prevent bottle breakage which was as high as 25% at
the time
3. The development of the wire cage (called a muselet)
Today Jacquesson is no longer owned by the family, but is run by the brothers
Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet whose family bought the house in 1974.
Jacquesson produces around 350,000 bottles a year and all of the grapes used are
Grand or Premier Cru. Impressively, over 75% of what Jacquesson uses comes from
their own vineyards (which average over 30 years in age) in Aÿ, Avize,
Oiry,
Hautvillers, Dizy, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. For the grapes they source, they use
growers in these same villages as well as Chouilly and Cumières.
With the history lesson done, we went out and walked the property and I asked a
few more questions about the wines. I learned that as of 2000, filtration is no
longer done on the wines and that Jacquesson is intent on soon using only oak
for fermentation and aging (they feel their wines express their true colors best
with an oak regime). Right now a large majority of the wines are fermented and
aged in oak, but a few wines still see steel. While walking I noticed that grass
grew between the vines and was told that this is done to make the roots fight
for nutrients and to prevent the vines’ roots from growing horizontally towards
each other (the grass acts like a shield). As expected from a house that tries
to do things as natural as they can, only organic fertilizers are used (when
they are needed at all).
I already knew that Jacquesson was a “purist” or traditional house, but actually
being there really made this sink in. None of the wines are racked, but rather
are allowed to gently breathe before élevage (taking the wine and readying it
for the final blend and bottling) where the oak fermented/aged wines have their
lees stirred (bâtonnage) periodically as the wines rest before bottling.
Following on the purist route, Jacquesson uses a low sulphur regime as they
believe that proper care during élevage results in the wine gaining a natural
antioxidant property and therefore the wines have a lower need for sulphur. The
one thing that struck me as a bit odd about Jacquesson is that most of the wines
see malolactic fermentation. With Jacquesson’s other practices, I can understand
them letting malolactic fermentation carry out if it happens naturally, but I
find it odd that a house dedicated to natural and traditional ways puts most of
their wines through this on purpose.
Done with my second vineyard tour of the day, we walked through the barrel room,
where I noted that casks of all different sizes were present. I was told that
most cuvees were fermented/aged in old oak casks that ranged in size from 20-75
hL, but that when Jacquesson wanted to vinify a vineyard separately, they housed
this juice in 6 hL old demi-muids because one vineyard usually wouldn’t yield
enough juice to fill a 20 hL cask. My favorite part of the tour was walking past
the casks labeled 733, 734, and such.
It always makes my spine tingle when I look at a cask of a wine
that will one day sit on the shelf of my local store. For those of you that
don’t know, Jacquesson has always given their cuvees a number (whether vintage
or NV). The first cuvee made back in 1798 was number 1 and each cuvee from then
on was given an increasing number as it entered the cellar. This numbers held
true for all cuvees whether NV or Vintage. For example, the 1995 Signature
Cuvee could be No. 704 and the 1995 based NV could be No. 705. When Jacquesson
decided to change their NV cuvee formula, they decided to bring this tradition
to the label and differentiate each NV cuvee by calling it by its number. So,
the 2000 based NV is No. 728, the 2001 based NV is 729, the 2002 based NV is
730, etc... What is ironic about this is that by basing their NV cuvees on
tradition, they have ended it. The tradition had always called for ordering the
cuvees in order so if the 2000 based NV was Cuvee 728, then a few vintage cuvees
should have been 729, 730, 731 etc...Apparently the vintage cuvees are no longer
following the consecutive numbering system. I asked about this during my visit
and wasn't given an explanation (or at least one that I understood).
With most of my questions exhausted we entered the tasting room and readied to
sample a few wines. Of course, new questions popped up as I tasted and learned
that the next release of Jacquesson late disgorgement series (called DT for
degorgment tardive) is due in the fall of this year (released as you read this)
and will consist of the 1988, 1989, and 1990 vintage. I also learned that 70-80%
of Jacquesson’s production is the NV cuvee with 230,000 to 330,00 bottles being
the normal range, however the harsh conditions in 2003 limited the production of
Cuvee 731 to only 150,000 bottles.
A history of Jacquesson bottle labels
We kicked off the tasting with a few NV wines. I will point out that this cuvee
not only has the previously mentioned unique number designation as a name, but
Jacquesson also has a very different philosophy about it than most producers.
Most strive to make their NV cuvee consistent from year to year. They always
want it to taste the same so the consumer will know what they are getting.
Jacquesson turns this on its ear as they strive to make the best cuvee they can
each year, consistency be damned. The wine always tastes different, but it is
made with passion and this direction is to be admired in my opinion.
Also to be admired is the information that Jacquesson gives you on its bottles.
Want to know the grape constituents? It is there. Want to know where the grapes
came from, how they were vinified, what the dosage was, when it was disgorged,
and what years make up the NV blend? That is there too and even more information
is available on their website. I wish more producers followed Jacquesson’s lead.
Jacquesson does a lot of things right and deserves to have a good deal of praise
heaped on them, but I do have one major concern. I think they are taking this
“natural and pure” direction a bit to far. For instance, I think that the wines
would show and age better with a slightly higher dosage, but Jacquesson wants to
be as pure as possible and is driving the dosage down lower and lower across the
board with no dosage used on various vintage releases. To illustrate this, take
a look at the recent history of the NV wine’s dosage:
-
NV Perfection: The last few releases saw a dosage in the 6-8 g/L range
-
Cuvee 728: 5 g/L Dosage - based on 2000 harvest
-
Cuvee 729: 6 g/L Dosage - based on 2001 harvest
-
Cuvee 730: 3.5 g/L Dosage - based on 2002 harvest
-
Cuvee 731: 2 g/L Dosage - based on 2003 harvest
-
Cuvee 732: 3.5 g/L Dosage - based on 2004 harvest
By far, my favorite Cuvee 7xx wine was the 728 and I have found old bottles of
the NV Perfection to age quite well, while the Cuvee 7xx wines have not shown
this same potential for development. This same worry carries over to the vintage
wines that I think are sometimes blunted in their potential by their low dosage.
In addition to my questions about the dosage, I also don’t quite understand all
of these special cuvees that Jacquesson is now releasing. I know their
production is small, but I have yet to be thrilled by any of them (especially
considering the price), and I feel they are taking away from the other wines.
This complaint is not strictly aimed at Jacquesson, but at Champagne as a whole.
I have said it before and I will say it again; this trend towards single
vineyard and special cuvees does nothing but take away from the core of the
producer. There are very few single vineyards that show enough class to be
bottled on their own and demand the high prices that the producers have set.
These sites are already known. Creating a Clos “X” or Clos “Y” wine to have a
special blend is not in the best interest of the consumer unless you are looking
to cater to trophy hunters. You would be surprised how much of a difference just
pulling out 1% of the wine that goes into a cuvee can have. For a cuvee that has
a production of 300,000 bottles, that means that a special bottling that has a
production of 3,000 bottles can have a dramatic effect on the end product of the
larger cuvee it used to go into.
One final note, I’ve noticed some trouble in finding the 1996 Rose. The
production of only 9,800 bottles and 400 Magnums is the reason for this.
NV Jacquesson Cuvee No. 730
(48% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot
Meunier, 60% 2002 base vintage; Mix of Grand and Premier Crus: Ay, Cumières,
Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay in the Grande Vallée de la Marne, & Avize,
Chouilly and Oiry on the Côte des Blancs; Some oak aging; 3.5 g/L dosage;
Disgorged early 2006; $30-40 US)
Of the three NV Cuvee 73x’s that I tasted, this was my clear favorite. A nose of
dough, citrus, and light cream brings a smile to my face and the palate
continues my happiness. A good dose of pear, citrus, and peach pack a fruity
punch and some dough gently spiked with nuts brings it all home. This is an
excellent effort and trails only the Cuvee 728 in the NV Series. I’m not sure if
this will get much better, but it is a wonderful wine especially when you can
find it for close to $30. Grade of Low B+ (86-88 pts).
Find this wine
NV Jacquesson Cuvee No. 731
(52% Chardonnay, 17% Pinot Noir, 31% Pinot
Meunier, 59% 2003 base vintage with 25% 2002, 15% 2001, 1% 2000; Mix of Grand
and Premier Crus: Ay, Cumières, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay in the
Grande Vallée de la Marne, & Avize, Chouilly and Oiry on the Côte des Blancs;
Mostly oak aging; 2.0 g/L dosage; Disgorged early 2007; $32-42 US)
Of all the Cuvee 73x wines, this one stands out as the most different. The nose
is very open with spiced floral aromas mingling with peaches and pears. Ripe
flavors of pear and citrus make up the palate, but joining this ripeness is a
bit of a spiced, roasted, and candied character that puts me off a bit. While
the wine is quite rich, I can’t help but be distracted by the touch of dryness
and slight disjoint on the finish. Outside of the dryness on the finish, I think
anyone would be hard pressed to determine that this was dosed so low. It is a
fine wine, but it is a bit out of balance. Ahhh, the joys of the 2003 harvest.
Grade of B (83-86 pts).
Find this wine
NV Jacquesson Cuvee No. 732
(39% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 36% Pinot
Meunier, 79% 2004 base vintage with 9% 2003, 2% 2002, 8% 2001, 2% 2000; Mix of
Grand and Premier Crus: Ay, Cumières, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay in
the Grande Vallée de la Marne, & Avize, Chouilly and Oiry on the Côte des
Blancs; Mostly oak aging; 3.5 g/L dosage; Disgorged early 2007; $35-45 US)
Where the Cuvee 731 was a bit of a wild child, the 732 finds things much more
straight and narrow. A full on nose of pears, apples, and citrus joins with
hints of flowers. More buckets of fruit shows up on the palate as a tart
backbone gives birth to a gentle and creamy fruit salad. To the 731’s roasted,
candied, and spiced fruit, the 732 is all about juicy fruit with a mouth wetting
tartness. This wine won’t blow you away, but it is a very good cuvee that I
enjoyed a little more than the Cuvee 731. Though the two wines are quite
different, the quality is similar and I won’t quibble with one preferring the
731 for drinking today, however I doubt it will be better in a year or two.
Grade of B (83-86 pts). Find this wine
1995 Jacquesson Signature Extra Brut
(45% Chardonnay from Avize and Chouilly, 55%
Pinot Noir from Ay and Sillery; All Grand Cru; Aged in oak casks; En triage July
4, 1996; Disgorged July 2005; 24,255 bottles and 948 magnums produced;$70-100
US)
I have enjoyed numerous bottles of this that were disgorged in 2002 and 2003,
but this was my first meeting with a 2005 disgorgement. I have to admit that the
nose on the cork pop was full of bitter and under ripe nuts that was quite off
putting, but with some air everything settled down quite nicely. I eventually
got a decent nose of spicy, sweet, and bitter citrus and nutty, hard biscuit
notes.
Taking a queue from the questionable nose, the palate doesn’t quite have it
together as an overwhelming bitter dryness predominates and is hard to overlook.
There is a good dose of minerality and plenty of acidity to age, but the other
flavors of honey dabbed biscuit, floral oak, and apple/pear are too light and
likely to never get a chance to blossom. I think this disgorgement will dry out
and die before ever reaching anywhere near its potential. The finish really
brings this to life as it has you scrunching your face up in a grimace at the
harsh, bitter citrus and wondering what in the world went wrong.
I tried two bottles of this to get a read on it and while it got better with a
couple hours of air (it really was awful initially), it just doesn’t have the
goods. I would stick to earlier disgorgements, which seem to be aging a good
deal better. As a side note, I will add that Jacquesson has been noted as having
a decent amount of bottle variation since at least the late 1980s. I think this
is due to a combination of the disgorgement date, and the low sulphur regime.
Grade of Middling C for this disgorgement (74-75 pts)
while bottles disgorged in 2002 & 2003 have all been in the High B+ range (88-90
pts). Find this wine
1996 Jacquesson Extra Brut
(33% Chardonnay, 57% Pinot Noir; 26% Pinot Noir
from Ay and Dizy, 31% Pinot Noir from Grand Crus on the Montagne de Reims; 43%
Chardonnay from the Cotes des Blancs; Aged in old oak casks; 3.5 g/L dosage;
Disgorged late 2006; $70-90 US)
The nose on this wine has opened up a bit more
since I last tried it, with
citrus and creamy apples that show a very slight hint of browning. My problem
with this is that the palate still isn’t there; in fact, it has closed up a
touch. As before, it kicks off nicely with a lightly spiced red apple flavor,
but then the fruit flavors are just kind of going through the motions. With
time, a slippery and saline-like minerality aspect comes in and this begins to
lose its appeal to me. I would prefer to see this dosed higher as I don’t think
it has the goods to keep going strong or get any better.
Slight downgrade from B+ (87-89 pts) to Grade of High B (85-87).
Find this wine
1996 Jacquesson Ay Vauzelle Terme Blanc de Noirs
(100% Pinot Noir, Single Vineyard in Ay; Vines
planted in 1980; Aged in old oak 6 hL demi-muids; 3.5 g/L dosage; Disgorged
early 2004; 1290 bottles and 100 magnums produced; $175-250 US)
As with many of the Jacquesson wines, the nose really sings. Slightly bitter red
apple and a touch of floral spice fill the air around you. As for the taste,
this is quite tight and in need of some age, but citrus and red apple give way
to some spiced and nutty dough lightly stained by red berries. The finish finds
more hints of berry and spice, but it is a bit too dry. I prefer it when the
finish wets my mouth. This has the bones to become a complex and deep flavored
wine, but I must admit that I prefer the 1996 Avize Blanc de Blancs. What takes
me back a bit is that rarity rather than quality is driving the price.
Grade of B+ for today (87-89 pts) with A- potential
over the next decade (90-92 pts). Find this wine
1997 Jacquesson Avize Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay; From three vineyards in Avize;
Aged in old oak casks; 3.5 g/L; Disgorged early 2007; 25,465 bottles, 1,180
magnums, and 60 jeroboams produced
$55-70 US)
Peaches and sweet cream jump out of the glass at you. This baby has quite a nose
on it. The palate can’t quite follow that strength, but it is very focused and
young tasting, especially when you compare it to the toasty 1996. Loads of pear,
citrus, dough and a tiny hint of toast make up the profile. This is a nice
effort for the mostly lackluster 1997 vintage. In the Jacquesson lineup, I feel
that the Avize is clearly the best value as it is a solid wine at an attractive
price. Grade of B+ (87-89 pts).
Find this wine
2000 Jacquesson Dizy Corne Bautray
(100% Chardonnay; Single vineyard in Dizy; Vines
planted in 1960; Aged in old oak 6 hL demi-muids, No dosage; Disgorged; 4,380
bottles and 300 magnums produced; Disgorged early 2006; $95-125 US)
This wine is noted as somewhat of an anomaly, as it is a Chardonnay wine made in
Pinot Noir land (though lately we are seeing more and more of these, as Gaston
Chiquet, Goutorbe, and others also have similar bottlings). It takes a while for
the nose to get going, but eventually it gives up yellow apple and lightly
spiced nut aromas. The palate follows suit as the citrus notes take a gentle
grip and lead you into a rather strange dough or grain flavor that I can only
describe as unsweetened nut laced wheat dough. As the wine heads into the home
stretch, a nice light minerality closes it out. There is nothing wrong with this
wine, but it doesn’t move me and the lack of dosage leaves a question mark to me
for what the future might hold. I think it is cool that Jacquesson is doing
experiments with different wines, but the price tag is a bit steep for the
quality. Grade of Low B+ (86-88 pts).
Find this wine
On to Ruinart...
Cheers!
Brad Baker
Philipponnat |
Veuve Clicquot | Vilmart |
Jacquesson | Ruinart |
Goutorbe Part 1
Goutorbe Part 2 |
Henri Giraud | Chartogne-Taillet | Introduction
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