JEAN VESSELLE
Bouzy, France
The Vesselle family have been making champagne for over 300 years. Today Delphine Vesselle and her husband David continue the tradition, making grower champagne in the village of Bouzy, famous for the quality of its Pinot Noir. The estate comprises 11 hectares, 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, an uncommon commitment to Pinot production, with a total production of under 7,000 cases. Disgorgements occur just before shipping. All their cuvees combine the energy of small production wines with a fine bead worthy of the luxury houses.
Increasingly over the years, David and Delphine have made efforts to move toward more sustainable viticulture, taking honest stock of the enterprise’s impact on the environment. They now use solar energy and recycled rainwater and since 2000 they have opted for mechanical rather than chemical row management, utilizing simple tillage and weeding. They now have an HVE certification (Haute Valeur Environnementale) and the “Viticulture Durable en Champagne” certification. In 2019 they began farming some of their holdings biodynamically.
The wines themselves are stunning, consistently outperforming nearby properties at more approachable pricing. The 300+ years of generational know-how shows clearly in all their bottlings, a house style rich and luxurious yet nimble and lifted always showing clearly. They are forever a necessity for celebrations…and just about every other occasion.
Wines
Jean Vesselle Champagne Brut Réserve
Jean Vesselle Champagne Rosé de Saignée
Jean Vesselle Champagne Oeil de Perdrix
Jean Vesselle Champagne Extra Brut
Jean Vesselle Champagne Cuvée Prestige Millésimé
Jean Vesselle Champagne "L'Expression" Nature