Avize Champ Caïn Extra-Brut 2015 Champagne Jacquesson | Champagne

Description: Avize Champ Caïn extra brut 2015 | Champagne Jacquesson

In the Côte des Blancs, there are a few vineyards that seem to have been preserved from the passage of time. In Avize, the lieu-dit Champ Caïn is one of these exceptional terroirs. A leading figure among Champagne’s great artisanal houses, the Jacquesson wine estate produced a remarkable vintage Grand Cru champagne there in 2015.

Terroir and Grape Varieties

The Champ Caïn plot covers 1.30 hectares at the foot of a south-facing hillside, on clay-limestone, sandy-silt, and outcropping chalk soils. It is this chalky Campanian substrate that gives the 2015 Avize Champ Caïn extra brut its characteristic tension. The Chardonnay vines were planted in 1962: more than sixty years of deep roots give the wine one of the purest expressions a blanc de blancs can claim.

Viticulture and Winemaking

At Jacquesson, the vineyards are cultivated using certified organic farming methods, with Chablis-style pruning—a traditional practice in the appellation. The grapes are harvested by hand, and winemaking takes place entirely in oak, from fermentation in oak vats with indigenous yeasts toageing in vats, which lasts 9 months. Once bottled, the wine spends more than 100 months on racks for its second fermentation, before disgorgement in February 2025. The minimal dosage, set at 1 g/l, makes this a literally “extra brut” wine—almost natural. For this vintage, production was limited to 10,772 bottles and just 402 magnums.

Avize Champ Caïn extra brut 2015 | Champagne Jacquesson: The Expert Sommelier’s Opinion

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin

The 2015 vintage yielded a generous, sun-drenched wine in Champagne that few houses were able to tame. Jacquesson succeeded thanks to ageing in oak and natural acidity preserved by the chalky terroir of Avize. This Champ Caïn is one of the most accomplished expressions of a blanc de blancs Grand Cru of the decade, earning a score of 97/100 from *Revue des Vins de France*. Its peak drinking window extends from 2028 to 2040: this wine has not yet reached its zenith! Serve at 10 °C in a fine wine glass to preserve all its mineral tension.

The Nose

The nose opens with fresh citrus, accompanied by airy notes of lemon blossom. From the moment it’s uncorked, a chalky minerality runs through the entire aromatic profile, enhancing the aromas of roasted hazelnut with a hint of chalk.

Palate

On the palate, the wine is as lively as it is generous, driven by the natural richness of the 2015 vintage and the saline tension of the terroir. The bubbles blend with exquisite finesse into the creamy texture. The finely chiseled acidity perfectly carries the ripe aromas of orchard fruits, citrus, and toasted hazelnut, right through to the finish, which is marked by lingering minerality and salinity.

Champagne Grand Cru: Everything You Need to Know About This Appellation

Champagne Grand Cru refers to the 17 villages ranked at the very top of the Champagne cru hierarchy, scoring 100% on the classification index. Avize is one of them. These villages in the Côte des Blancs are renowned for their chalky terroirs, ideal for Chardonnay. The wines produced here are distinguished by their integrity, minerality, and aging potential.