• Tyson Stelzer on Champagne J.Vignier

  Permalink, by Champagne J.Vignier

  Nathalie Vignier is the tenth generation of her family to grow grapes in Champagne and the sixth in her village of Cramant. In team with her family friend Sebastian Nickel, their substantial estate spans 16.5 hectares, planted exclusively to chardonnay in Cramant, Oiry and Chouilly and the Coteaux du Sézannais. Vines date from as far back as 1950 and are tended today without herbicides or insecticides. These are generous champagnes, built around ripe fruit, vinified in stainless steel vats with full malolactic fermentation and aged long on lees, with little need for dosage, and all are bottled at an extra-brut level of 5g/L.

  Cuvée Ora Alba
  100% chardonnay from Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry; aged 6 years on lees

  Vignier turns the reserve concept on its head in her entry cuvée, using younger rather than older vintages in small proportions. With its oldest vintage dominant, this is an unusual recipe, though it makes good sense for a rich and ripe house style in these days of ever-warmer vintages – though the logistics of holding such large parcels for three years prior to blending must be a nightmare. The vintages are undeclared here, but I suspect it’s based on 2009, which would make it 65% 2009, 25% 2010 and 10% 2011. A bright, medium straw hue heralds a generous and rich expression of the northern Côte des Blancs. This is a ripe and powerful style, true to the mood of the house and the exuberance of 2009, brimming with honey, spice and gingernut biscuits, even exotic tropical fruit nuances, concluding with the phenolic grip of dry extract.

  Cuvée Deux Terres
  100% chardonnay from two plots, one in Cramant for vivacity, and one in Barbonne-Fayel south of Sézanne for roundness and breadth; aged 8 years on lees

  The ripe exuberance of J. Vignier is neatly juxtaposed by the tension of the 2008 harvest. There is a compelling generosity here that contrasts ripe white peach fruit with a panoply of layers of aged complexity: golden fruit cake, fruit mince spice, wild honey and brioche. Eight years on lees has built buttery, creamy structure, well countered on the finish with a touch of bitter grapefruit bite.

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• J.Vignier – Art Extra Brut : With Nathalie Vignier and Sebastian Nickel

  Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

  This wine for laying down, from the still little-known Sézannais region, bears an artistic label that speaks volumes about its contents. It is a particularly inspired wine from this innovative small company, run by Nathalie Vignier.

  

  J.Vignier is based in Cramant, a Côte des blancs commune with legendary Grand Cru sites. It might seem like treason to present a wine from the Sézannais on these pages, but J.Vignier stands for creativity, inspiration, originality and authenticity. We aim to bottle the Fruits of the earth in as unadulterated a form as possible, hence the decision to offer a single vineyard wine from the Sézannais in the form of our Silexus Sezannensis.
  My father noted that our Sézannais tasted excellent and yet entirely different from our Cramant. This in no surprise, given the high flint content of the limestone soils. However, I think that this also comes from the site itself, which has remained particularly untouched and radiates great peace. The vines grow around a hill that offers views of the whole surrounding area. This is not the only reason that I absolutely love this wine. It is like a chameleon. It seems to change and develop with every sip, sometimes unapproachable and needing aeration, sometimes mysterious and profound, then light-hearted on the palate. It never fails to touch.

  

  My family planted grapes in the Sézannais region as far back as 1962. My grandmother inherited a couple of hectares of fields that were difficult to till, because there was a layer of flint over the limestone soils that was merciless for ploughs. So like many others at the time, she chose to plant vineyards. However, no—one was making their own wine in this area – harvest was brought to cooperative cellars and added to blends. The Sézannais remained an anonymous nook that has finally, slowly come into fashion. My grandfather, on the other hand, was a winegrower and producer, and wines from the Sézannais were always made in our own winery. We only use Chardonnay, but it has thousand faces… »

  Vinum Suisse - World of Champagne

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• Vintage Story Part 2 - #Champagne J.Vignier

  Permalink, by Champagne J.Vignier

  After diligent consideration, we have taken the decision to baptise our vintage champagne and giving it a name like all our other cuvees. Henceforth, this wine that some of you know as being simply labelled “2008”, will proudly bear its history and origin as cuvee “Deux Terres” (Two Terroirs).

  

  To make this champagne, two vineyards, two terroirs were chosen in 2008: One in Cramant at the Côte des Blancs, the other in Barbonne-Fayel at the Coteaux du Sézannais. Both vineyards are genetically connected through a mass selection done by our mother Marie-Paule in 1967. She actually selected shoots from the vineyard in Cramant and grafted them to plant the vineyard in Barbonne-Fayel. To date, this is the only champagne where we blend those two origins.

  Despite the changing of the name, this wine will always be crafted in exact accordance to the traditions of vintage champagne: A single vintage, without reserve wines, only made in years that come up with grapes of exceptional quality in both the Côte des Blancs and the Coteaux du Sézannais.

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• Vintage Story Part 1 - #Champagne J.Vignier

  Permalink, by Champagne J.Vignier

  

  2018 gave us a lucky harvest. After a vigorous and snowy winter, continuing alternation between abundant rain and sunshine marked spring. Some thunderstorms and hail approached the Côte des Blancs and the Coteaux du Sézannais in May, but except some light leaf damage, none of our vines or grapes were harmed. Mildew was a major problem at that period, but it seemed to be under control at the beginning of the warm and dry summer. Drought was compensated by the huge ground water reserves stored in the chalky sub soils that act like a sponge, supplying water to the plants and the grapes until optimum ripeness was achieved.

  This year’s harvest was very early, as we started to pick the firs grapes on August 28^th. Grapes were tasty and healthy, showing good balance between sugars and acidity, as well as crisp citrus flavours and aromas of pears, apples and some spices. Fermentations went along without any problems and malos are under way. We expect a beautiful vintage, where all of our vineyards will fully express their peculiar character. To our greatest satisfaction, the wines from the Coteaux du Sésannais, “Silexus Sézannensis” and “Les Abbesses”, are already keeping up with the most precious Grand Cru terroirs we cultivate at the Côte des Blancs.

  

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• The enjoyment of the ephemeral... #QVFMR #Champagne from J.Vignier

  Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

  

  In the production of our «Terroir» Champagne we find our balance, our style. Our choice for these wines is based on a selection of vineyards where we only grow Chardonnay. Every year the wines are produced according to a simple and respectful protocol, to emphasize the pure character of the fruit and its origin: fermentation exclusively of the first pressing in stainless steel tanks, malolactic fermentation and Dosage Extra Brut (5 g / L) for all wines. Reserve wines are only used for our Cuvee “Ora Alba”, made from different vineyards in the Grand Cru villages of Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry. Our other cuvees are made from the harvest of a single vintage.

  Every year we find our freedom and creativity in our Champagne QVFMR (Cuvée éphémère). A rather discreet production of one-off wines in small quantities, that allow us to experiment, to satisfy our curiosity and to find some answers to our questions. Here, everything is allowed and possible: Blending of terroirs and vintages, fermentation and aging in wood, bottle fermentation or storage under natural cork in small or extra large bottles, bottling without malolactic fermentation or dosage... There are no limits to our imagination… What turns out to be good goes into production of our classic champagne range, while not conclusive experiments are filed.

  Particularly successful experiments get a QVFMR label and are shared with our partners and customers after an appropriate time of cellaring. A single QVFMR leaves our cellars every year, in a very limited number. Amazing and unique wines, the enjoyment of which is short but intense, because every wine is available only once...

  

  The first QVFMR, “Ma Petite Friandise”, was disgorged last autumn: Pure Chardonnay, Grand Cru from Cramant, vintage 2008, pure oak, no malo, Extra Brut dosage of only 3 g/L. Second fermentation was carried out exclusively in 375 ml bottles (1000 pieces) to create a complex and fine pocket-sized champagne, similar to a precious perfume ...

  The next QVFMR, “Les Vignes d’Henri”, will leave our winery in September. It was made from the grapes of the historic vineyards that our great-grandfather Henri cultivated in Cramant back in 1925: A pure Grand Cru Chardonnay from the 2006 and 2007 vintages, also fermented and aged in oak barrels and completed with a dosage of 3 g/L. A limited edition of only 787 bottles (75 cl), which should be enjoyed with sweetbreads and morels, a truffled brie or a cigar…

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• Champagne J.Vignier Vintage selected by Robb Report - “10 Sparkling Wines for Any Occasion”

  Add some bubbly to your happiest occasions with a glass poured from one of these elegant vintages.

  Permalink, by Champagne J.Vignier

  NUMBER 2: J. Vignier 2008 Millésime Brut

  

  Says sommelier Alicia Kemper, who is the wine director at Fundamental LA: “Nathalie Vignier is a 10^th-generation winemaker in Champagne, and a 6^th-generation maker in Cramant (a Grand Cru village). Her grandfather, Paul LeBrun, had 2 hectares in the early 20^th century and became one of the very first independent vignerons after World War I. She has kept the pioneer spirit alive and creates wine that is full of energy, and she has many little experimental projects brewing. The 2008 is one of the best recent vintages in Champagne and is showing beautifully right now. This one has tension, focus, and elegant aromas of honeysuckle, chamomile, and lemon.”

  From Robb Report - Food and Drink, 17 January 2018

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• “Big Bordeaux Tasting” and Champagne in Zurich

  On Monday June 4^th

  Permalink, by Champagne J.Vignier

  

  The annual “Big Bordeaux Tasting” organized by VINUM is less strict than the title suggests, as it opens its doors to some other appellations. This year, on Monday, June 4^th, vigneronne Nathalie Vignier and winemaker Sebastian Nickel will be in Zürich to propose the J.Vignier wines for tasting: Pure Blanc de blancs Champagne from various Grand Cru locations in the Côte des Blancs, as well as from the mysterious Coteaux du Sézannais. A young champagne brand from a traditional winery based in Cramant since 1936. Champagne J.Vignier is not yet represented in Switzerland.

  We are looking forward to meet you!

  More information about the event can be found here.

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• “We have rarely tasted so much terroir in a sparkling wine. Impressive!” - VINUM december 2017

  Permalink, by Champagne J.Vignier

  

  Champagne J.Vignier – Les Longues Verges
  A bouquet offering particular transparency and purity, with discreet green melon notes and a hint of golden fruit, immensely transparent and airy on the palate, with almost extreme minerality, slender but very long; we have rarely tasted so much terroir in a sparkling wine. Impressive!

  Champagne J.Vignier – Silexus Sézannensis
  In transparent, mineral and decidedly straightforward style, reticent, slender and long, offering impressive personality; serve with freshwater fish. We like the excitement, lenght and very individual character of this multi-site wine.

  Champagne J.Vignier – Ora Alba
  The bouquet has fruity overtones with Mirabelle plum and golden apple aromas, and an impression of ripeness and roundness also dominates on the palate, although there is also no lack of minerality; we are big fans of this house’s wines thanks to its authenticity and purity.

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