Ay Vauzelle Terme 2004

There are two key dates in the history of Jacquesson. One is 1798, when Memmie Jacquesson founded the champagne house in Châlons. And the other is 1974, when the Chiquet family acquired the company, setting up in the village of Dizy, where many of their vineyards are located.  The company then took a new direction – reducing production and seeking to bring out the authenticity and greatest expression of their terroirs, by respecting the soil, controlling the yields, striving for optimum maturity and vinifying each parcel separately on the lees, in wood. 

Their champagnes gain a real stamp of character or personality from the long period of time they spend ageing in bottle on the lees, sometimes up to 15 years.  These are veritable oenological gems!

Appearance:

Golden yellow with old gold highlights.  Fine bubbles of extraordinary delicacy.

Nose:

Great expressiveness and complexity on the nose, releasing aromas of ripe stone fruit (peaches, apricots) in perfect union with the toasted, pastries and gingerbread notes derived from its long ageing.  Mineral aromas.

Palate:

Both vinous and fresh, with wonderful structure and excellent acidity.  Extremely long finish, with retronasal aromas of fruit and pastries.

Comment:

This Blanc de Noirs comes from Vauzell Terme, a 30 hectare vineyard of Pinot Noir planted in 1980 on very shallow, pure "craie" (chalk) soil facing fully south.

If you add together meticulous work in the vineyards, vinification in oak casks, "bâtonnage" of the lees, full malolactic fermentation followed by 8 years of long ageing "sur latte", you get a champagne with fine, delicate bubbles, rich in style, powerful, impressive, dominated on the nose by fruit and toasted notes, with great breadth and depth on the palate. Limited production of only 2,360 bottles.

Recommended with salt-baked wild sea bass with seaweed.