Jacquesson Cuvee No 746, Champagne

The 746 is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, finished with a very low dosage at less than a gram per litre which lets all the purity of the fruit to come through. For the 2018 harvest in Aÿ, Dizy, Hautvillers (68%), Avize and Oiry (32%), the previous winter was exceptionally rainy, this was followed by a mild, stormy spring. The weather changed from June onwards, becoming fine and dry, resulting in a particularly early harvest: we started picking on 30 August and finished on 11 September. The vines were in perfect health and the harvest was abundant with an excellent degree of ripeness and moderate acidity. The resulting wines are particularly fine and elegant. – Jacquesson

The champagnes in the Chiquet brothers' 700 series, which fundamentally rethink the concept of non-vintage champagne, are best consumed and handled like vintage cuvees. 

No Champagne house today is on a trajectory as steep as Jacquesson. While many houses are on the prowl for more fruit to increase production, Jacquesson is drastically slashing its yields and its contracts to radically improve quality in spite of lowering quantity. When others set out to make a consistent blend every year, Jacquesson throws uniformity to the wind to draw the best blend out of every vintage. Each time I look, this little house in the village of Dizy appears more like a fanatical grower producer. Jacquesson has leapt from ranking among Champagne’s top 20 houses to a lofty position among its top 10.