Champagne Jacquart

CHAMPAGNE JACQUART IS A GROWER PRODUCER, MEANING THAT UNLIKE MOST LARGE PRODUCERS, THEY GROW THEIR OWN GRAPES. FOUNDED BY CHARDONNAY GROWERS, CHARDONNAY STILL DOMINATES EVERY CUVEE. THE ELEGANCE AND REFINEMENT THAT CHARDONNAY GIVES TO THE WINE DELIVERS A BRIGHT REFRESHING PALATE. THE PERFECT FIRST – AND LAST – DRINK OF ANY DAY.

LEFT: Chef de Cave or Chief Winemaker, Floriane Eznack, among the vines

CENTRE: Jacquart’s four winemakers come together to blend the still wine

RIGHT: Floriane spreads some Jacquart love IN THE EARLY 1960S, A SMALL GROUP of growers realised that in order to build their own businesses in a sustainable way they needed to launch their own Champagne. The Champagne Jacquart brand was subsequently released in 1964, with the Brut ‘Mosaïque’ label chosen to represent the mosaic patchwork of grower families’ vineyards across the region, joined together with a common vision.

As Champagne Jacquart has grown in reputation, many more growers have joined the cause, and today Champagne Jacquart enjoys unsurpassed access to the best vineyards from across the region. The 1800 members making up the company own nearly eight per cent of the vineyard area in Champagne, including some of its most valuable designations spread over 160 villages. These vineyards produce well over the amount of grapes required by Jacquart, giving it first pick of the best fruit with the balance sold to other Champagne producers or negociants. This ability to choose only the best grapes for the Jacquart label is the secret to its unique success.

Tasting Jacquart Champagne is to savour the fruits of each grower’s skill. Every bottle is a guarantee of quality and provenance; the grapes come exclusively from the vineyards of its grower members with the house controlling every stage of the winemaking and maturation processes. All its grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted, with its vignerons and winemakers working closely with the growers at all times to ensure grapes are picked at just the right moment to impart the special characters the brand is looking for.

Like all Champagnes, the base wines that make up Jacquart undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle. In the case of Jacquart, the maturation period is between 36 and 40 months, more than twice the minimal requirement, providing Jacquart with its added complexity. This time on lees is a luxury that can only be afforded by a grower producer, with a singular dedication to expressing the most refined expression of Champagne.

Jacquart respects the traditions of Champagne, while at the same time embracing modernity. The winemaker now in charge of creating the magic that is Champagne Jacquart is Floriane Eznack, who since 2011 has been the Chef de Cave or Chief Winemaker at Jacquart. Having been initiated into winemaking by her father who often gave her glasses of wine to try, Eznack began her career after graduating from the Reims Oenology School in 2004 by throwing herself into the world of Champagne and joining some of the finest Champagne houses in the world.

Floriane’s arrival at Jacquart was the beginning of the next chapter in the brand’s winemaking history. Based at the head office in Reims in the heart of Champagne, Floriane, in coordination with the three cellar masters of the group’s production sites plays an essential role in the creation and selection of the finest quality blends that make up the house’s Champagnes.

As the market for good quality Champagne continues to expand in Australia, we see new Champagnes come into the market that challenge the tastebuds and excite the palate. Through their dedication to producing a top quality wine, Champagne Jacquart is certainly one that will make lovers of Champagne sit up and take note. In Australia, Champagne Jacquart may be the new kid on the block, however last year it celebrated its 50th birthday and is now carried by eight international airlines including Air France and Qantas. ❧

Tasting notes

BRUT MOSAIQUE

Apperance: Pale yellow with tints of white gold and a stream of fine bubbles

Aroma: Aromas of fresh pear, fig and almond, with hints of orange flower. A light swirl of the glass brings out richer notes of honey and freshly baked bread

Flavour: Fresh, supple and full, with a long fruity finish ROSÉ MOSAIQUE

Apperance: Delicate bubbles wrapped in intense salmon pink

Aroma: Red berry-fruit aromas of ripe redcurrants, cherries and wild strawberries giving way to notes of plum

Flavour: Fresh and full. A fine finish with surprising notes of peach and apricot BLANC DE BLANCS

Apperance: Sparkling, brilliant, straw gold

Aroma: This Vintage Champagne has developed notes of dry flowers, cherry griotte and aromas of butter brioche

Flavour: Fresh and light in the mouth with an explosion of flavours dominated by white fruits with citrus notes