Jacques Lassaigne "les Vignes de Montgueux" Champagne blanc de blancs Brut NV

Jacques Lassaigne “les Vignes de Montgueux” Champagne blanc de blancs Brut NV

The wines of Jacques Lassaigne come from the lesser known Aube department (Cote des Bar) Champagne’s southern most outpost just north of Chablis. The Aube’s vineyards are closer to Chablis than any of the main Champagne districts and they lie on a similar soil. The ‘cru’ is Montgueux, a tiny hill of pure chalk often referred to as the Montrachet of Champagne. Montgueux is a special site for Chardonnay and this ‘cru’ has more in common with the great growths of the Cote des Blancs than the Pinot Noir by which it is surrounded.

My notes: Lemon in cursive. Golden Champagne. Unmistakably Chardonnay. Tempted to say Chablis with bubbles, tempted to say Burgundy with dosage. Dense and ripe, very impressive. Dusty minerals, powdery chalk, pulverized rock, ripe, ripe fruit, mineral in bass, lime and boulders.


I have a passion for small production, artisan Champagne. It was the base wine that took hold of me; the material beneath the bubbles. If you are serious about wine, decant. Then pour it in a Burgundy glass. What is happening at the level of the wine? This is after all a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir isn’t it?

Producers to seek out: Larmandier Bernier, Tarlant, Pierre Peters, Pierre Gimonnet, Egly Ouriet, A. Margaine, Jean Vesselle, Gaston Chiquet.


If you are going to buy Champagne and drink Champagne you should try small production or artisan Champagne.* This is a growing category in fine wine and one in which the dollar to quality ratio favors the consumer considerably.

*Not all grower producers are registered RM (Recoltant Manipulant) some like Lassaigne are registered NM (Negociant Manipulant) as they purchase a certain amount of their fruit. I don’t pay much attention to this as the wine tells a more complete story and you’ll know a “growers” when you encounter one.