NV Champagne Jeeper "Grand Assemblage" Brut, Champagne, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Sourced from hillside vineyards with chalky soils spanning the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. 60% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, and 15% Meunier. The dosage is 7 g/L, so although labeled Brut, it lands on the drier, fresher side of the category. 20% of the Chardonnay spends two years in Burgundy oak barrels, followed by roughly four years of lees aging, with malolactic fermentation.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Champagne Jeeper is an unusual Champagne house because its modern identity combines an old winegrowing story with a relatively recent reinvention. It is based in Faverolles-et-Coëmy, northwest of Reims, and today is particularly associated with Chardonnay, substantial barrel aging, and a richer gastronomic style of Champagne.

The Goutorbe family's roots in Champagne viticulture go back generations, but the Jeeper brand dates to 1949 and Armand Goutorbe. After World War II, Goutorbe used a Willys Jeep to travel through the vineyards. He subsequently adopted “Jeeper” as the name of his Champagne, which also distinguished his wines from those of the numerous other Goutorbes working in Champagne.

The important second chapter begins in 2009, when Nicolas and Myriam Dubois acquired the Jeeper brand. Nicolas came from a Champagne family with significant pressing and winemaking operations and set about repositioning Jeeper toward the premium end of the market. Then, in 2013, Michel Reybier became involved. That's a significant connection: Reybier is the owner of Château Cos d'Estournel, the famous Saint-Estèphe Second Growth in Bordeaux, and has other wine investments. His arrival brought investment and a stronger emphasis on élevage, quality and premium positioning.