Country: France > Champagne

Champagne Jacquesson

Jacquesson is one of Champagne’s most venerable houses, not only predating Krug, but giving birth to it, when in 1843 Johann-Joseph Krug left Jacquesson to form his own house.

But despite more than 200 years of history, Jacquesson has become a revolutionary among Champagne’s established houses, under the leadership of brothers Laurent and Jean-Hervé Chiquet, who took over from their father in the 1980’s.

Since then, the house has adopted a herbicide-free, terroir-based philosophy. It also retired, after 150 years, its non-vintage blend and replaced it with a groundbreaking single-vintage-based cuvée, which changes yearly. And next came its terroir-based cuvées, an unprecedented move for a traditional house.

As Champagne lovers have the chance to experience more and more of Jacquesson’s new releases, the genius of this house’s ideas are coming more fully into focus.

Today, Jean Chiquet’s sons, Laurent and Jean-Hervé, run the company with panache. The vineyards are planted on around 30 hectares in Avize, Aÿ, Dizy and Hautvillers and complemented by regular and carefully selected supplies of bought-in grapes. Jacquesson champagnes have a strong personality (especially the single parcel cuvées) and stand out for their low sugar levels, intensity and distinction. This house has gradually become the standard bearer for high-quality champagne, expressing the illustrious potential of its terroirs with incredible fidelity, reducing dosage to a strict minimum and allowing its cuvées the time they need to mature before putting them on the market. Because of this, the wines (primarily vinified in wood and dosed at Extra-Brut level) always have a distinct and sometimes surprising character. Production has reduced considerably since the Chiquet family took over Maison Jacquesson. Every year, it gives its non-vintage Brut (BSA) a number – 738, 739 etc. This is a way to identify the style of each vintage and to encourage fans to age the wines. All Jacquesson cuvées age beautifully, whether late-disgorged or not. This sublime champagne house is one of our favourites in the region.