Tag: champagnetasting

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a Masterclass with Floriane Eznack, Chef de Cave, Champagne Jacquart at Taxi Kitchen in Melbourne. In this short video she is discussing minerality in Champagne and how this helps to create the flavour and texture profile of different champagnes.

Champagne is particularly known for chalk which was laid down as sediment in massive seas that covered this area, it is like a fingerprint of the land, and the ancient sea fossils found in the soils. The expression of the soil, is more than texture and flavour, it also helps to create the mouth feel, and as Floriane explains, there is more diversity than just chalk to be found.

Other terms that she mentions are Grand Cru and Premier Cru. The word ‘Cru’ in French means growth. This classification of Champagne vineyards was developed in the mid-20th century as a means of setting the price of grapes grown through the villages of the Champagne wine region.

This is a percentile system known as the Échelle des Crus (“ladder of growth”), Grand Cru is an official rating, it is the top of the scale in terms of quality, grapes from one of the 17 villages selected as Grand Cru are considered the best quality, then Premier Cru which the next highest level, and the remainder referred to as Cru.

She also mentions ‘Vintages’ and ‘Non Vintages’.  In short, Non Vintages can include grapes from different harvests, it is a way of blending to get consistencies of style to create a signature champagne. It is usually the ‘lead in’ in terms of pricing for a brand. A Vintage champagne is a champagne that is created from one particular year, it will have a flavour profile that reflects that particular year’s harvest.  It is a lot more difficult to create as it is dependent on the year, if it wasn’t a good year, then a vintage will not be created.

Take a front seat at the Masterclass with this short video excerpt.

Floriane Eznack, Chef de Cave, Champagne Jacquart

As a young winemaker, Floriane earned a Masters Degree in Oenology in Reims in 2004. Her studies included a couple of harvests in some of Champagne’s finest Houses, including Moët & Chandon. Since she joined Jacquart in January 2011, she has played a central role in the creation of the finest quality blends for all of the Jacquart’s champagnes. A relatively young brand for Champagne – established 50 years ago, and new to Australia they are definitely making their mark. They describe their passion as such ~ “Each wine tells the story of its relationship with Champagne lovers. Each wine offers a mosaic of emotions depending on the context in which it is selected and tasted. A youthful and international brand, Champagne JACQUART is now well known across the world.”

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