Champagne Jaquesson 745 Extra Brut

They say that history is not written by cowards, but by those who have the courage to take the initiative. And in the year 2000 someone had the courage to start writing the next chapter of a story that began at the end of the 18th century. It was certainly not easy for the Chiquet brothers, Jean-Hervé and Laurent, to convince their father that their vision could be successful: fewer bottles, higher quality and no vintages. Finally, in 2000, Chiquet Senior gave his sons the green light to do whatever they wanted. They took a gamble and they won, positioning the Jacquesson brand in the top echelons of the A.O.C. Champagne. Here’s an example: Champagne Jacquesson 745 Extra Brut.

The Jacquesson story begins in 1798 when Memmie Jacquesson founded the house. He was succeeded by his son Adolph who worked closely in the vineyard with Jules Guyot (the doctor after whom a type of pruning is named); unfortunately, however, Adolph did not find a successor for this work (his two sons died early), so the maison was taken over by Leon de Tassigny, a wine merchant. The Jacquesson business belonged to this family until 1974, when it was acquired by the Chiquet family. Now, the current generation has managed to imbue this century-old brand with its own unique style that goes against the norm of most of the houses in the A.O.C. Champagne. While most of the maisons strive to maintain the same taste and character of their sparkling wines (using traditional, hundred-year-old recipes), Jacquesson decided to draw on previous and current vintages to make the best possible blend each year.

However, this production method, which at first sight may seem changeable and inconsistent, is based on an unchangeable element: the quality of the fruit. For both Jean-Hervé and Laurent, work and quality in the field are fundamental. So much so that both consider themselves more vignerons than winemakers. “Wine is made in the vineyard. If a winemaker has the best fruit, they will most likely make the best wines,” Jean-Hervé said in an interview for Best Champagne. The hectares of vineyards, classified as Premier Cru and Grand Cru, are spread between the Vallée de Marne and the Côte de Blancs, in the municipalities of Aÿ, Dizy, Hautvillers, Avize and Oiry.

In the winery, Champagne Jacquesson 745 Extra Brut is made as a blend of the best musts from the three grands crus and the two premiers crus with a 2005 cuvée. The grapes are put into vertical presses and fermented in oak vats where bâtonnage is carried out. It will spend several months there. After this, Champagne Jacquesson 745 Extra Brut is bottled and expedition liqueur is added. It will be aged for a long period of up to 15 years, which varies depending on each bottle.