Jacquesson : Avize Champ Caïn 2015

Characteristics and tasting tips for Jacquesson Avize Champ Caïn 2015

Tasting

Nose
The aromatic bouquet stands out for its great purity, revealing scents of lemon zest, ripe apple and white flowers. Subtle notes of brioche, toasted hazelnut and a delicate smoky touch intertwine with a very pronounced chalky imprint.

Palate
Remarkably vertical and precise, the palate offers a dense, rich texture perfectly balanced by a cutting acidity. Finely creamy thanks to a delicate mousse, it carries an abundant minerality through to a long, mouth-watering and wonderfully fresh finish.

Food and wine pairing

This Champagne Jacquesson Avize Champ Caïn is an ideal match for oysters, whose briny character it enhances with its mineral tension, as well as for seafood, pan-seared scallops or delicate fish. It is also a wonderful partner for soft cheeses such as Langres or Chaource.

Serving and cellaring

For optimal enjoyment, serve this wine at a temperature between 7 and 10°C, opening it a few minutes beforehand or decanting it very gently. With excellent ageing potential, it can be enjoyed now or cellared for several years to develop spicy and honeyed nuances.

The pure and singular expression of a Champagne grand cru

The estate

Founded in 1798 in Châlons-sur-Marne, the Jacquesson house is now based in Dizy, France. Historically renowned for inventing the wire muzzle, it has reinvented itself as a true "grand domaine" under the leadership of the Chiquet family, favouring a plot-by-plot, minimalist and highly quality-driven approach. Now wholly owned by the Artémis Domaines group, this Champagne institution continues to uphold its distinctive identity. Acclaimed worldwide for its oak vinifications and carefully controlled yields, it crafts terroir wines of exceptional precision, true to an uncompromising philosophy of excellence.

The vineyard

Sourced exclusively from the Champ Caïn lieu-dit, located in the Avize grand cru in Champagne, this cuvée comes from a 1.3-hectare, south-facing plot at the foot of the slope. Planted in 1962, the old vines thrive on shallow soils of clay, sand and silt, scattered with gravel and resting on a bedrock of Campanian chalk. The estate practises sustainable viticulture without herbicides, favouring soil cultivation and very low yields to ensure optimal concentration in the berries.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage is recognised as generous and sun-drenched. The late harvest, carried out at the end of September, yielded berries with high physiological ripeness while retaining a firm acid backbone, ensuring perfect balance from the moment of picking.

Winemaking and ageing

The hand-harvested grapes undergo gentle pressing in a vertical press, with only the first-press juice retained. Alcoholic fermentation and full malolactic fermentation take place in large oak foudres, with no new wood. The wine is then aged on its lees with regular bâtonnage, lending richness and natural protection. Bottled without fining or filtration, this Champagne Jacquesson Avize Champ Caïn 2015 undergoes extended ageing sur lattes for around one hundred months before disgorgement.

Grape variety

Chardonnay (100%).