Champagne Jacquesson - Avize Champ Cain 2014

Brought to the pinnacle of success by the Chiquet brothers, Laurent and Jean-Hervé, the house is the flagship brand for discerning wine connoisseurs. Recently, François Pinault acquired a stake in the company. We highly recommend these great, deep, and elegant champagnes. Each new Cuvée 700 (now 743) is a major creation and receives the utmost attention. It is then aged under cork before being released as a DT (late disgorgement) version. The single-vineyard champagnes with the ultimate complexity come from Dizy (Corne-Bautray, Chardonnay), Aÿ (Vauzelle-Terme, Pinot Noir), and Avize (Champ-Caïn, Chardonnay), and are produced only when the terroir’s character is at its peak. The 2009 vintage exhibits exemplary vibrant warmth and endless depth. Magnificent.

Champ Cain has produced a great wine that demonstrates the quality of the premier Chardonnay terroirs in this vintage. The wine is open, with a beautiful, slender structure. It’s best to enjoy the 2014s before opening the 2013s.

A new chapter in the company’s history begins with the departure of brothers Laurent and Jean-Hervé Chiquet, who elevated this fine house to the highest echelons of the Champagne region. The Artémis Group has now taken the reins under the leadership of Jean Garandeau, but the teams remain unchanged: Yann Le Gall, cellar master, and Mathilde Perrier, vineyard manager, are still here to carry on the house’s spirit. The 700 cuvées account for the bulk of production. What a long way they’ve come since the release of the 728, from the 2000 vintage! Each year, the estate releases a late-disgorged cuvée; the first to be produced and released was the 733, based on the 2005 vintage. Only a few single-vineyard cuvées are produced, depending on the quality of the vintage.

The Avize Champ Caïn Extra-Brut 2014 Grand Cru is a champagne of exceptional precision. A long aging on the lees gives it magnificent texture and complexity. Notes of dried pear, chamomile, dried flowers, and a hint of hazelnut enhance this 2014 vintage. Avize’s more mineral and austere character begins to emerge after some time in the glass. The no-dosage style suits this airy and concentrated champagne very well.