The Best Values in Grower Champagne: Baron-Fuenté and Gilbert Jacquesson
I don’t think that there are two producers in the U.S. market that can compete with Baron-Fuenté and Gilbert Jacquesson for value. While we have seen big, and sometimes downright gross, price increases from so many of the big names, the prices of these two producers have remained stable at K&L for many years. We celebrate that regularly at home by drinking a little bit more of both of them, and I hope this holiday season you will join me and the staff of K&L in enjoying an extra bottle every now and then. Why not!?
Champagne Baron-Fuenté is run by a brother and sister team in Charly-sur-Marne, on the western edge of the region. Sophie Baron manages the vineyards and the office, and Ignace Baron makes the wine. They are both very hands-on, and their pride in the product and hard work is shown off in every bottle. Their Baron-Fuenté "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne $24.99 ($49.99 for the magnum; $14.99 for the half bottle) is aged for three years on the lees—longer than Veuve-Clicquot—and benefits from an astonishing 40% of reserves from earlier vintages. It is composed of 60% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Noir, mostly from their estate vineyards. The small amount of fruit they buy from neighbors is purchased on the vine and picked, pressed, and vinified by Sophie and Ignace—a big difference from the giant negociants that deal mostly in already pressed juice and vin clair (still wine). This toasty, refreshing Champagne has a great compact bead and a lovely dry finish… I need to stop being surprised by its quality!
Perhaps an even stronger value, the Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Brut Champagne $34.99 enjoys a full seven years of ageing on the lees, making it one of the longest aged non-vintages in the store. It is a third each Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier, exclusively from estate vineyards. This wine has the fine brioche, the creamy texture, and the tiny bubbles that I associate with the “expensive stuff.” This classy, dry Champagne will stand up on the table with anything and is dosed at 7 grams per liter.
The Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Brut Nature Champagne $34.99 is the same wine at zero dosage, and, while certainly drier than the brut, does not have an austere bone in its body thanks to the long aging. If you are serving shellfish, or just like a very dry Champagne, it is a must try.
Our best value in single-vineyard Champagne is the Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne $34.99, which hails entirely from the Chantemanche, a nine-and-a-half-acre parcel in the village of Saacy. All Chardonnay, you will find fine cream and toasted nuts up front, thanks to seven years of aging, but great Meyer lemon snap on the back end. This makes a great aperitif, but is also a natural with crab or lobster!
At the Hollywood Champagne Tent Event 2023.
Jean-Baptiste Jacquesson is almost a one man show in his vineyards and winery in the village of Troissy. He is located right in the middle of the Marne Valley, about 15 minutes west of Épernay. He does everything from pruning to pressing, fixing the tanks to labeling under his home at the top of the village, adjacent to one of his plots of vines. His Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Tradition" Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne $24.99 is an incredible 50% reserves from four previous harvests and is aged for 3 years on the lees. It is made out of 100% Meunier and is a richer, deeper, more autumnal style of Champagne with tarte tatin toast and good body. The finish is still dry and refreshing—a must try for any Champagne lover!
Again 100% Meunier, the Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Eugénie" Brut Rosé Champagne $29.99 is named after Jean-Baptiste’s daughter. It uses the same base as the tradition, but has an addition of less than 10% of red wine from his oldest, best-exposed plots. This lends the wine a subtle strawberry fruit. This gentle rosé is a delicious introduction to the category, and is far too easy to drink.
His top end cuvée is the Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Prestige" Brut Champagne $34.99, and it fully deserves the name “Prestige” even at this great value. It is composed of 40% barrel-fermented Meunier from 2013 through 2003, while the base of this batch is 30% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir from 2014, which were also barrel fermented. The result is depth and complexity rarely encountered in Champagne, and almost never at under $100. If you like Champagnes like Krug and Bollinger, this is a must try; it has concentration and vinous strength, but the back end is as refreshing as anything, thanks to the exclusive selection of his oldest Meunier for this blend.
