NV Jacquesson Cuvee 739

Based on the tricky year of 2011. Rather pungent and sweet – a bit like artichokes. Solid but far from ethereal. Chewy end. (JR)

The house Brut NV, with an idiosyncratic approach. Most adjust their Brut NV each year to make a consistent ‘house style’. Jacquesson make the ‘best’ wine they can each year but reflecting the conditions, using reserve wines and varying blends of grapes and vineyards. The first year of this new approach was 2000, with Cuvée 728. Cuvée 739 is 2011 harvest base year. While some 274,000 bottles were made of this, 80% of Jacquesson’s grapes are now their own. 57% Chardonnay, 21% Pinot Noir, 22% Meunier. 31% reserves. All from grands and premiers crus in the Côtes des Blancs and Marne. All base wines fermented in large old oak and aged on lees with a little bâtonnage. No fining, no filtration. No cold stabilisation. Disgorged July 2014. 3.5 g/l dosage. Dark straw. Very mature nose with masses of development. Exceptionally 'serious' multilayered champagne. Really too fascinating and demanding to sip as an aperitif. (JR)

The NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 739 is a very pretty wine, especially considering it is based on the 2011 vintage. Lemon oil, baked apple and pastry notes open up first, but what stands out most about the 739 is its superb textural finesse and overall polish. A Champagne with soft contours and plenty of forward suppleness, the 739 will drink well right out of the gate. I would prefer to drink it on the early side, in case some of the greener notes typical of the year begin to surface over time. This is an unqualified success from Jacquesson. In 2011, Jacquesson did not bottle any lieu-dits. All the best fruit went into the 739. The blend is 57% Chardonnay, 21% Pinot Noir and 22% Pinot Meunier, with 31% reserve wines. Disgorged October, 2015. Dosage was 3.5 grams per liter.