Jean Vesselle Grand Cru Prestige Brut 2011
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Wilfred
Wong
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Winemaker Notes
A richly perfumed, graceful Champagne aged for nearly a decade in bottle and crafted only in the finest of vintages. Fresh and sultry and chock-full of nuance and aroma.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2011 Jean Vesselle Brut Prestige is dramatic and outstanding from start to finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of complex earthiness, ripe apples, and attractive toastiness. Try it with smoked duck breast. (Tasted: May 9, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
2010-
Wine &
Spirits
Delphine Vesselle is a perfect example of what the next generation of winemakers in Champagne (or France, for that matter) is capable. Trained both in France as well as in South Africa and Australia, Delphine is steeped in both modern techniques and family tradition. The ancient family estate (more than 300 years old) is located in the Cote de Noirs town of Bouzy, most famous for its powerful Pinot Noir wines. Her wines have a classic Bouzy signature, but also show impressive finesse and grace.
After the death of her father, Jean Vesselle, in 1996, Delphine has preserved his memory by continuing the family tradition of making outstanding Champagne. She told us that she "tries hard every day to honor his confidence by working towards quality and respect for the wine, with passion and dedication."
The family wines hail from two vineyards which they own. Their vine holdings are 90% Pinot Noir (much of which grows on mineral-rich Kimmeridgian soil) and 10% Chardonnay.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’