Avize Grand Cru 1995

Lying at the heart of the Côte des Blancs on the lower slopes of the Grand Cru village of Avize can be found the lieux-dits of La Fosse, Némery and Champ Caïn. Jacquesson’s three parcels on these south-east facing sites were planted to Chardonnay between 1962 and 1983.Here, Campanian chalk, made up of calcite granules coming from the skeletons of marine microorganisms, rises almost to the surface, above which the very shallow topsoil is permeable and prone to frost. Additionally, the poor nature of the soil necessitates the occasional addition of nutrients, which, as always at Jacquesson, are organic.

In 1995 the weather conditions were initially quite tricky: springtime frosts were followed by a long period of warm, rainy weather that is so conducive to the development of both mildew and botrytis. A good summer was followed by the return of rain at the beginning of September. Thanks to the meticulous viticultural methods of the House, which focus on producing a moderate quantity of well-ventilated bunches, our grapes were able to ripen in optimal conditions without being attacked by botrytis. Picking began on 22nd September in suitably cool but sunny weather. The reward for our efforts came in the form of grapes with potential alcohol well above 10 degrees coupled with a tartaric acid reading of 9 gr/l.

Vinified partly in 40 and 75 hectolitre oak casks and partly in tanks, the assemblage of our three parcels was bottled on 30th May 1996 to become Avize Grand Cru 1995. Disgorged at regular intervals, this wine receives a minimal dosage of 4 gr/l to bring out its innate breed and elegance. On the nose it is characterised above all by stunning ripeness while on the palate it emerges as a full-bodied and concentrated wine, revealing the subtle blend of floral notes and mineral flavours so typical of the great terroir of Avize.