Cuvée 747, Jacquesson 75cl

Jacquesson number their non-vintage cuvées like editions of a book, and 747 is the base of 2019 topped up with reserves going back years. That single detail tells you almost everything: this is a house chasing the best possible wine each year rather than a house style frozen in place.

The Chiquet brothers run Jacquesson out of Dizy, in the Vallée de la Marne, and they long ago stepped away from the big-volume game to make tiny, obsessive quantities. The blend here is roughly 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Meunier, drawn largely from their own Grand and Premier Cru holdings, with low dosage that leaves the fruit exposed and honest.

Expect a nose of baked apple, toasted hazelnut and a lick of fresh brioche, with something faintly saline underneath. The palate is where it earns its keep: broad and vinous, carried by a fine, insistent mousse, with citrus pith and orchard fruit stretched over a chalky, mouth-watering line of acidity. The finish is dry, long and gently smoky.

This is a grower-minded Champagne for people who have grown tired of sweet, anonymous fizz. At around £70 it sits well below the grande marque prestige cuvées yet drinks with more character than most of them. Open it when you want the wine, not just the label.

How to Serve

Chill to 8–10°C and pour into a white wine glass rather than a narrow flute, which lets the aromatics open. No decanting needed.

Where to Drink It

The Sportsman-inspired list at Noble Rot Soho leans into wines exactly like this. 10 Cases in Covent Garden pours grower fizz by the glass. Bubbleshop in Battersea is built for it.

Food Pairings

Roast chicken with its skin crisped and salty is the natural match. It also loves a plate of good Comté.