Description
Champagne Jacquesson, “Cuvée 736”
Although last week’s debut (sellout) offer of Jacquesson showcased their painfully rare and allocated 2009 “Champ Cain,” today’s “700 series” is undoubtedly the modern heart and soul of this legendary estate, so let’s dive right in.
It’s true that Jacquesson has existed as a dominant and globally respected Champagne House for over 200 years, but their transcendent rise within the last 25 has been rivaled by none. This is largely because of today’s soul-stirring “Cuvée 743,” and the 15 others that came before it. The soaring recognition over the years has been astonishing: Wine luminaries Antonio Galloni and Peter Liem have called their 700-series among the greatest in all of Champagne, and when La Revue du Vin de France classified France’s best wines, Jacquesson was among the 56 estates that earned a top three-star distinction (alongside DRC, d’Yquem, Rayas), and one of just six in Champagne. The other five? Bollinger, Egly-Ouriet, Salon, Selosse, and Krug. If you’re not yet convinced, I’m out of words. For those who are, we can offer up to 12 bottles today. Word of advice: However many you think you need, tack on a few more.
Among the very oldest of the Champagne Houses, Jacquesson was founded in 1798 and was a leading producer of bubbles throughout the 1800s—if you wanted a fine bottle of Champagne back then, this was one of the few to seek out. Today, it serves as one of Champagne’s finest estates because owners Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet arguably have the most fanatical “grower” mentality (they own over ¾ of their vines) out of the 250+ Champagne Houses that exist. Their rapid ascension since taking over in the late 1980s is nearly rivaled by none: they’ve drastically cut production 40% to focus on viticulture and the nuances of their wines; launched three single-vineyard vintage bottlings that have already been measured against the greatest bottlings in all of Champagne; and completely revolutionized the non-vintage Champagne game. The latter is what we’re focusing on today.
Jacquesson flipped the concept of “non-vintage” wines on their head by wanting transparency and distinction over generic consistency. Historically, non-vintage Champagnes have blended multiple vintages to achieve a uniform taste year over year. So, starting in 2000, they released a “728” representing the House’s 728th cuvée since their first release in 1798. The wine was largely based on the 2000 vintage. They have since released a new cuvée each year, increasing the cuvée number by one and focusing on that respective vintage. Currently, they are on “743” which largely represents the 2015 vintage (the next release will be 744, using 2016 as the foundation). They believe in this philosophy so much, they have removed their Vintage Champagne bottling from the program because they “want to create the best possible blend each year…[and] it’s impossible to create two best blends.”
So, no, this is not simply a “non-vintage” bottling. It’s their best and only bottling from 2015 (aside from their vintage-dated single-vineyard cuvées), and the Chiquet brothers believe it may very well be the best 700 series they’ve ever crafted. The “743” is an approximate blend of 50% Pinot Noir and Meunier, plus 50% Chardonnay, largely from 2015, with small percentages of older, barrel-aged reserve wines. The Pinots hails from rigorously farmed vines in Premier Cru villages of Dizy, Hautvillers, and Grand Cru Aÿ. The Chardonnay comes from Grand Crus Oiry and Avize in the fabled Côte des Blancs. All grapes were delicately extracted at a press house nearest their respective vineyards, and transported to Jacquesson’s cellar where a slow fermentation occurred in massive oak casks. The resulting wine was periodically stirred to integrate the lees until bottling without fining or filtering. From here, it slumbered in their caves for four years before disgorgement and zero added sugar.
The first thing that shocked me about Jacquesson’s “743” was that there was no dosage (sugar addition). I even had to double-check to confirm! This is just cleanly farmed, beautifully ripe 1er Cru and Grand Cru fruit from a sun-drenched vintage. Combine that with ample maturation in barrel and bottle before release, and the result is a soft, broad, and invitingly luscious wine—you won’t find any harsh acidity or linear textures here. This palate is broad and ample with rich white and yellow fruits like apricot, apple, and pear that are harmoniously blended into notes of honeysuckle, curd, spice, citrus peel, crushed chalk, and toasted pastry. Its intensity is only matched by its generosity, which allows the Champagne to soar on the mid-palate and crash with a resounding mineral echo on the finish. I must agree with the Chiquet brothers: This is the best 700 series I’ve tasted. Enjoy in all-purpose stems now through 2025. Cheers!
