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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Josselin family has been growing grapes in Champagne since 1854, acquiring their first vineyard on the land abutting Gyé-sur-Seine, a village in the Côte des Bar, crossed by the Seine river, at the extreme southern edge of the Champagne region — genuinely the closest any grower Champagne comes to Burgundy, and the family's Pinot Noir reflects exactly that proximity. Jean Josselin himself built his own vineyards among the best hillsides of the region, parcels with evocative names like Beauregard, Davasgné, and Cosvigne, before launching his own brand, Champagne Jean Josselin, in 1957. His son Jean-Pierre took over the estate in 1980, and the property remains family-run today, farming 14 distinct parcels across varied exposures.
Cuvée des Jean is a genuinely historic bottling for the house, created back in the 1950s — a Blanc de Noirs made entirely from Pinot Noir, the varietal the Josselin family considers most expressive of their own region. The Pinot Noir here grows in clay-limestone soil from the Kimmeridgian period, conditions the family credits directly with drawing out the grape's fruitiness, finesse, and delicacy. Grapes are hand-harvested and pressed in whole clusters, resting 24 hours before alcoholic fermentation, followed by complete malolactic fermentation and three extractions over the following three to four months. The wine is a blend of two or even three separate harvests, aged a minimum of 24 months in the estate's vaulted cellar before release, sealed under a metal cap.
Wine Spectator awarded a genuine 91 Points, describing "a well-cut Champagne, with a light, lacy mousse, delivering delicate notes of ripe raspberry, pink grapefruit granita, verbena and salted almond defined by racy acidity," closing with a "minerally finish." Nicholas Wines' own copy notes there are genuinely "no brioche characteristics as some expect with Champagne," instead offering "a lively dry, yet fruity mouthfeel that features wild strawberry." Vintage Imports' tasting confirms "yellow gold in color with a seductive nose of hawthorn, apple and strawberry compote," the palate "lively and fresh," with "a hint of white peach flavor." La Vinothèque de Troyes' tasting describes "a fruity, vinous and precise profile, with notes of ripe apple, pear, white fruit, small red fruits, a touch of brioche and a beautiful freshness on the finish," the palate "direct, generous and balanced, with a fine bubble and lovely tension." This is genuinely well-reviewed, terroir-driven grower Champagne — real family history behind a wine that stands apart from the region's more familiar Grande Marque houses.
Jean Josselin Champagne Extra Brut Cuvée des Jean is produced by Champagne Jean Josselin, a family estate in Gyé-sur-Seine, in the Côte des Bar, at the extreme southern edge of Champagne. The Josselin family has grown grapes in the region since 1854, with Jean Josselin launching his own brand in 1957. The estate remains family-run, farming 14 distinct parcels.
Cuvée des Jean is made entirely from Pinot Noir, sourced from clay-limestone Kimmeridgian soils, hand-harvested and pressed in whole clusters. Following a 24-hour rest, the wine undergoes alcoholic fermentation, complete malolactic fermentation, and three extractions over three to four months. The blend combines two or three separate harvests, aged a minimum of 24 months in the estate's vaulted cellar before release. Sealed under metal cap.
Wine Spectator — 91 Points (11/15/2023):
"A well-cut Champagne, with a light, lacy mousse, delivering delicate notes of ripe raspberry, pink grapefruit granita, verbena and salted almond defined by racy acidity. Minerally finish."
Vintage Imports (extended tasting note):
"Yellow gold in color with a seductive nose of hawthorn, apple and strawberry compote. Lively and fresh on the palate, with a hint of white peach flavor."
La Vinothèque de Troyes (extended tasting note):
"This historic house cuvée, created in the 1950s, offers a fruity, vinous and precise profile, with notes of ripe apple, pear, white fruit, small red fruits, a touch of brioche and a beautiful freshness on the finish. The palate is direct, generous and balanced, with a fine bubble and lovely tension."
Nicholas Wines (house-style context):
"There are no brioche characteristics as some expect with Champagne, instead this gives off a lively dry, yet fruity mouthfeel that features wild strawberry."
Nose
Yellow gold in color. Ripe raspberry and pink grapefruit granita lead, joined by verbena and hawthorn, alongside apple, strawberry compote, and white peach.
Palate
Well-cut and racy, with a light, lacy mousse carrying wild strawberry and salted almond, developing ripe apple, pear, and small red fruit, framed by lively, precise acidity.
Finish
Minerally and fresh, closing with genuine tension and length.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Extra Brut Champagne — Blanc de Noirs |
| Variety | 100% Pinot Noir |
| Vineyard Sources | Côte des Bar, Gyé-sur-Seine — clay-limestone Kimmeridgian soils |
| Aging | Minimum 24 months, vaulted cellar |
| Producer | Champagne Jean Josselin |
| Family | Josselin family, winegrowers since 1854; brand founded 1957 |
| Critics | Wine Spectator 91 |
| Style / Identity | A well-cut, fruit-forward, terroir-driven grower Champagne — genuinely close to Burgundy in style and origin |
| Aromas & Flavors | Ripe raspberry, pink grapefruit granita, verbena, salted almond |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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