28. JACQUART
The second largest cooperative grouping in Champagne can call on 1,800 grower members owning 2,400ha to supply material for the Jacquart brand. The winemaking team, ably led
by Floriane Eznack, puts to good use the fruit supplied from 130 villages, including 10 Grands Crus and 22 Premiers Crus. She has improved Brut Mosaïque, making it better defined and fresher, while vintaged Blanc de Blancs style – which ages in an attractive way, often gathering unctuous richness over time – has long been a strength of the house.
The crus used have varied widely in the past, with fruit from Villers-Marmery, Vertus and the Côte de Sézanne all included. The new 2009 vintage comes from just three Côte des Blancs Grand Crus: Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. This may explain why, although ’09 is thought of as a warm, ripe vintage, the wine is currently on the fresh, linear side, though a certain smoky intensity suggests a long future.
Newcomer Mosaïque Signature is, as the label says, aged five years, the first release based on the 2010 harvest, with less focus on primary fruit notes. And Cuvée Alpha Rosé 2010 is an elegant, new pink partner for the prestige cuvée that has also moved to 2010, its third vintage. A bottle of the 2005 Cuvée Alpha consumed over Christmas was superb, evoking memories of Brut Nominée, its fine predecessor.
