I would give it 4.5 stars. Not quite 5 but not exactly 4.
Decided to visit on short notice this champagne house in Epernay just because we saw it on the street as we were driving by. Given the experience with some of them I was not expecting anyone to be there to welcome us but I was wrong.
We actually had to call to find out if anyone would be able to give us a tour and were told that it would be possible but only at 5:30 or later since one of the owners and general manager (I guess that would be the appropriate title) was not available until that time.
This worked just fine for us since we had another appointment that was running until that time anyway.
At around 5:30 we have come to the house and met with Mr Jacquinot who gave us a personal tour of this boutique producer of champagne. This champagne house is very young by comparison with some of the other big boys in Epernay of only about 60 years old or 4 generations of Jacquinot family making champagne.
He gave us a tour of his operation, which is small and still uses some of the old technologies for maturation and fermentation which makes this fairly unique from some of the others we've seen but it was exciting.
We went to the cellar which was one of the deepest in the area 19m below street level 109 steps, it was damp and still had clay floors so water made it slippery but what we saw there was very interesting. Some of the old vintages like 1973, 1953, 1949 still in existence and Jean-Manuel told me that he still sells some of the old vintages for those that order them while supplies last.
After that we went to the tasting room and I have to say his philosophy of best grapes makes best champagne pays off. read more