Shockingly, tonight’s offer marks our very first from Champagne Jacquesson, and while my dereliction of duty shouldn’t be excused, I’m making up for it as quickly as humanly possible. I recently hunted down a microscopic yet extremely generous allocation of their 2009 “Champ Cain,” a site-specific, Grand Cru luxury item that stands alongside Champagne’s finest and most expensive Blanc de Blancs, Salon and Krug included.

Although Jacquesson is universally considered to be among the most influential Champagne Houses over the past 200 years (Krug’s origin story starts here!), their transcendent rise within the last 25 has truly put the estate in a class by itself. Among the many reasons for their fanatical success is the rollout of three single-vineyard bottlings which quickly became high-in-demand sensations around the globe. Tonight’s excruciatingly rare “Champ Caïn” is one of them, and this 2009 marks their fifth-ever release. It hails entirely from a prized single parcel within Grand Cru Avize, and at 12 years old it’s primed to steal the breath away from those who have savored the most fabled gems of Champagne’s treasured Côte de Blancs. Sorry, but no more than three bottles per person! 

Among the very oldest of the Champagne Houses, Jacquesson was founded in 1798, and was a leading producer of bubbles throughout the 1800s—if you wanted a fine bottle of Champagne back then, this was one of the few to seek out. Today, it serves as one of Champagne’s finest estates because owners Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet arguably have the most fanatical “grower” mentality (they own over 80% of their vines) out of the 250+ Champagne Houses that exist. Their rapid ascension since taking over in the late 1980s is nearly rivaled by none: they’ve drastically cut production to focus on viticulture and the nuances of their wines; completely revolutionized the “non-vintage” game by adding more transparency and authenticity; and launched three single-vineyard vintage bottlings that have already been measured against the greatest bottlings in all of Champagne. 

Today’s is “Champ Caïn,” a prized vineyard in Grand Cru Avize planted entirely to Chardonnay.  These vines are rooted in chalk with sandy clay-limestone and were originally planted in 1962. With a growing season similar to that of legendary 2002, their meticulously sorted crop provided ample ripeness and perfect levels of natural acidity. The pristine juice was delicately extracted at a press house nearest to the vineyard, and transported to their cellar where a slow fermentation occurred in massive neutral barrels. The resulting wine was then periodically stirred to integrate the lees until bottling without fining in June of 2010. From here, it slumbered in their dark, dank caves for nine years before disgorgement and an extremely light 1.5-gram dosage. 

Now with two years of post-disgorgement maturation, this dozen-year-old Grand Cru is a breathtaking spectacle to behold. It was pure, full-throttled magic from the moment I pulled the cork to the last ounce, dazzling with unblemished notes of white peach skin, yellow pear, pineapple core, acacia honey, crushed almond, lees, toasted brioche, lemon meringue, damp white flowers, pulverized chalk, and hints of spice. The palate is full-bodied, boasting incredible lift and energetic textures that belie its age. This is a flawless snapshot of Grand Cru Avize: It’s a full-bodied, soft-shouldered luxury Champagne for sure, but sheer elegance and a vivid display of chiseled minerality and yellow-white fruit is on full display throughout. This is in the prime of its life right now but its drinking window is wide open—I expect this to continue a remarkable upward trajectory for the next 3-5 years and to take on more savory, mellow characteristics beyond 2029. It’s one for the ages.