Jacquesson and the Lieux Dits: Champ Cain 2005

Jacquesson is a Champagne Maison that rose to fame in the 19th century only to later fade into obscurity. In 1988, the Chiquet brothers inherited the estate from their father, who acquired it in 1974, and set about to restore its glorious reputation and profoundly change its product by following their own concept of Champagne. Today the Maison is an iconic producer thanks to decisions made both in the vineyard and in the winery which gave the wine a recognizable identity. Although this Maison has 220 years of tradition and a history distinguished by important members of the founding family – including Adolphe Jacquesson who was a great inventor and modernized the méthode champenoise– the fact is that it has understood that the future is built day by day and bold choices are what create excellence.

Starting with the conversion of the vineyards to organic farming, Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet initiated a profound transformation of the estate that began in the vineyard and continued to the winery where the grapes were vinified, in 70hl wood barrels, parcel by parcel. This decision allowed them to pinpoint small plots that were particularly suited to create Jacquesson’s latest masterpieces. In Champagne, these plots are called lieux-dits, toponyms that certain vineyards inherited from peasant tradition, an univocal way to define precise area of a village’s vineyard.

This has led to the creation of four Champagnes produced from single plots and only in years when the particular terroir produces great grapes. The four are: the blanc de blancs Champ Caïn from Avize and Corne Bautray from Dizy, a blanc de noirs Vauzelle Terme from Ay and a rosé saignée Terres Rouges from Dizy. The parcel in Avize that produces Champagne Champ Caïn is the oldest of the three that Jacquesson owns in that village in the heart of Côte des Blancs and is a 1.3-hectare Chardonnay vineyard planted in 1962 on a coteau (slope) with a full southern exposure and a calcareous soil with fine chalk on the surface.

This is a very rare Champagne and vintage 2005 saw 9,544 bottles and 400 magnums produced.

Related Products