September 2007
Champagne : a Photo Journal
Page: - 1 2 3 4-5 next >>

Champagne Jacquesson was founded in 1798 by Memmie Jacquesson and today stakes a claim as the oldest independent Champagne house. In 1974 it was purchased by the Chiquet family, and Jacquesson is now run by brothers Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet, who oversee the vineyards and day-to-day running of the winery.

The champagnes of the House became favorites of Napoleon, and accompanied him on several of his campaigns and were served at his wedding to the Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria. A Jacquesson invention, the muselet, which is used to hold the corks in place on all champagne and sparkling wine bottles was patented by Adolphe Jacquesson in 1844.

The House vineyards totalling 26 hectares in the Grand Cru villages of Aÿ, Avize and Oiry and in the Premier Cru villages of Hautvillers, Dizy and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. These are augmented by another 15 hectares coming from growers in these same villages as well as in the Grand Cru village of Chouilly and the Premier Cru village of Cumières. Above right, Jean-Hervé Chiquet describes their harvest methods.
Jacquesson uses vertical presses, otherwise known as the ‘traditional’ presses : their configuration reduces the movement of the bunches during pressing allowing them to obtain juice that is finer, less colored and perfectly clear. This purity in turn apparently leads to a very gentle sedimentation process at cellar temperature without the need for addition of enzymes. Below, clean-up is ever-present.
The musts are fermented either in oak casks or in steel tanks according to the provenance of the grapes. The casks hold between 20 and 75 hectolitres. Dosage is kept to a minimum; in fact, all the vintage wines can technically be classified as extra-brut.
     
September 2007
Champagne : a Photo Journal
Page: - 1 2 3 4-5 next >>

 
 
 
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Last Update 9.19.07