Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the base vintage of 2017, which was a much cooler, more challenging vintage, the NV Champagne Cuvee 745 includes a bit more Chardonnay (almost 60%), with a reduced amount of Meunier due to the vintage, and includes between 20-25% reserve wine. Pouring a rich straw golden hue, after a minute or so, it opens in the glass to savory aromas of toast, fresh walnut, savory herbs, and lemon oils. Medium-bodied, it’s a more autumnal wine, with an elegant mousse and a rounded mouthfeel, still retaining a richness that’s impressive.
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James Suckling
A little more bright and vibrant than the 744, with notes of poached pear, baked apple, grapefruit, lemon rind and pistachio. Fine bubbles with crisp acidity and a pure, fruity core. Very drinkable. 0.75g/L dosage.
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Wine Spectator
A firm, focused Champagne, with the lacy mousse carrying a lovely range of ripe yellow pear and cherry fruit, toast point, preserved lemon, ground ginger and anise flavors. A minerally underpinning of chalk and brine notes emerge to drive the racy finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.
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Vinous
The NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 745 is going to need some time in bottle to soften the angular edges that are present at this stage. Whether those lines are the result of the 2017 harvest or a relatively disgorgement is hard to know, but the 745 is decidedly closed at this stage. Aeration brings out hints of pear, baked apple tart, red plum, spice and chamomile. This looks to be a relatively mid-weight, airy wine for Jacquesson. The blend is 66% Pinot Noir (from Ay, Dizy and Hautvillers) and 34% Chardonnay (from Avize and Oiry), based on 2017, with some reserve wines.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’