The House of Jacquesson
Founded in 1798 by Claude and Memmie Jacquesson, the Maison Jacquessonwhich later became Jacquesson et fils, has always been a family business. Memmie's son (Alphonse) later joined the company, developing its techniques and sales. In fact, it was Alphonse who created the wire cork that surrounds the cork and capsule on the champagne bottle. At the time, the house owed its fame to the fact that this champagne was Napoleon 1er's favorite.
But it was in 1974 that the House experienced a new boom when Jean Chiquet bought it. Today, his two sons, Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet, run Maison Jacquesson, and do their utmost to bring us champagnes of the very highest quality, champagnes that reveal the most sincere expression of a terroir, with a deliberately limited production of around 300,000 bottles a year (count less than 10,000 bottles for each cuvée from the lieux dits).
Jacquesson produces the famous cuvées 700, which are the only cuvées produced by the House through blending. These same cuvées are also available for late disgorgement. But we've chosen to introduce you to the fabulous and very rare parcel-based cuvées: the "Lieux Dits". There are four of them, and each one highlights a specific terroir.
Maison Jacquesson's Lieux-Dits: the Dizy cuvées
- Dizy - Terres Rouges. The most recently released in 2019 is the 2011 vintage. This is an exceptional champagne rosé de saignée. With only 6140 bottles, this cuvée is sure to delight. It comes from a plot called "Terres Rouges" at the foot of the Dizy hillside: these are the best reds (50% Pinots Noirs and 50% Pinots Meuniers). Cuvée Dizy Terres Rouges has a red color typical of rosés de saignée, due to the maceration of the grapes. It's a champagne with a beautiful vinosity, a gastronomic champagne, whose tasting remains confidential. It's a unique experience. It is available in bottles and magnums for the lucky few (only 250 have been produced).
- Dizy - Corne Bautray. The most recent release in 2019 is the extraordinary 2008 vintage. This parcel-based cuvée reveals an exceptional blanc de blanc. This "Corne Bautray" lieu-dit faces southwest, and the parcel from which this champagne comes covers one hectare. This is a 100% Chardonnay blanc de blanc, vinified for 9 months in oak casks, with no dosage. This type of vinification allows the wine's aromas to develop particularly well. Only 5488 bottles and 304 magnums of the 2008 vintage were produced.
Maison Jacquesson's Lieux-Dits: Avize and Aÿ cuvées
- Avize - Champ Caïn: This blanc de blancs (made exclusively from Chardonnay) comes from the Champ Caïn plot in Avize. Covering 1.30 hectares, it is ideally south-facing, with optimal drainage and sunshine. These cuvées are vinified in oak foudre and are always produced in very limited quantities. There are only 8296 bottles and 402 magnums of the Avize Champ Cain cuvée from the great 2008 vintage. This is a pure, mineral cuvée of great finesse...
- Aÿ - Vauzelle Terme: This is a blanc de noirs champagne made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes from the tiny 30-acre plot of Vauzelle in Aÿ. It faces due south and enjoys ideal exposure to the sun. Vinified in foudre, with very low dosage, this Aÿ - Vauzelle Terme champagne is astonishingly powerful and full-bodied. Only 2,652 bottles and 198 magnums of the great 2008 vintage were produced...
Rosé, blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs... Maison Jacquesson's Lieux-Dits collection offers us an exceptional panorama of very specific terroirs, and therefore champagnes with very strong personalities. Given their confidential production, these cuvées are hard to find, but you may be able to find some here. Would you like to treat yourself to a Jacquesson champagne?
