André Jacquart, Experience Blanc de Blancs Brut 1er Cru

For four generations, the Jacquart family were just growers – selling all their grapes – until 1958 when André Jacquart began to bottle his own Champagne. Now headed by his granddaughter Marie Doyard, the business is based in the village of Vertus, in the Côte des Blancs; three-quarters of the family's 24ha of vineyard is here, while the remainder in the Vallée de la Marne and L’Aube provide their Pinots Noir and Meunier. With such a high proportion of Chardonnay, the family has long specialised in blanc de blancs and are unusual in their use of oak for fermenting the base wines. The family’s current annual production is 90,000 bottles of classically styled Champagne. Simon Field MW: Oaky style, with hints of linseed oil and mango. Rich and with a fairly high dosage, this is animated and shows impressive length. Andy Howard MW: Oak ageing is evident on the nose, with a character hinting at slightly browning apples. Warm, full and fleshy on the palate – there is admirable freshness here, as well as a satisfying degree of complexity, with zesty lemon sherbet and some brioche characters. An interesting, alternative style. David Vareille: Exotic fruit and lemon-peel aromas welcome passion fruit and lemon tart nuances on the palate, mobilised by persistent bubbles and zesty acidity, while a fine layer of wood adds richness without compromising the freshness.