Jacques Lassaigne Blanc de Blancs Le Grain de Beaute Clos Sainte-Sophie Brut Nature 2018
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Emmanuel Lassaigne has established himself as one of the Aube’s most respected growers, celebrated for producing Champagnes of remarkable precision, energy, and consistency. The family domaine spans 3.8 hectares of estate-owned vineyards, most of which surround the winery, alongside a further two to three hectares of fruit sourced from trusted growers in Montgueux. These parcels are all planted with massal-selection Chardonnay, preserving the genetic diversity and character of the region’s finest old vines. Perched on predominantly southeast-facing slopes near Troyes, Montgueux is a singular chalk hill whose geology is an extension of the Côte des Blancs, sharing the same prized chalk soils that give Chardonnay its distinctive finesse and minerality.
The story of the domaine began with Emmanuel’s father, Jacques Lassaigne, who, during the 1960s, played a pivotal role in reviving Montgueux by replanting vineyards that had long fallen into neglect. In 1999, with the future of the estate uncertain, Emmanuel left a successful career in manufacturing to return home. After three years working alongside his father, he released his first independent vintage in 2002, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the domaine.
Today, the vineyards are planted almost exclusively to Chardonnay, with only a small amount of Petit Meslier introduced in recent years. Viticulture is carried out with a thoughtful, low-intervention philosophy. Although the estate is not certified organic, no herbicides or synthetic fertilizers are used. The soils are tended through a combination of mechanical cultivation, hand work, rolled cover crops, and under-vine management. In selected parcels, vines are trained using tressage rather than conventional hedging, while most plots are lightly trimmed once or twice after flowering. Vineyard treatments are limited to copper and sulfur-based applications commonly associated with organic farming, and fruit is harvested only when fully ripe, eliminating the need for chaptalisation.
Each release of Le Grain de Beauté is sourced from a different parcel, reflecting Emmanuel Lassaigne’s desire to showcase the individuality of Montgueux’s finest sites. The current release comes from Clos Sainte-Sophie and is matured for four years in 500-litre barrels from the Mâconnais. Extended élevage lends the wine impressive texture and savoury complexity, while careful élevage preserves its freshness, tension, and crystalline energy.
This approach differs from the estate’s classic Clos Sainte-Sophie cuvée, which is typically aged for around a year in a combination of Burgundian, Cognac, and Jura barrels. The resulting wine carries a subtle resemblance to the ouillé (topped-up) Chardonnays of the Jura, balancing richness with purity and precision.
When much of Montgueux’s vineyard land fell into neglect after the Second World War, Clos Sainte-Sophie was one of the few sites that remained under vine. Today, it stands as both one of the village’s historic vineyards and a lasting symbol of Montgueux’s enduring winemaking heritage.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Autre Cru - Clos Sainte-Sophie in Montgueux, Aube
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 6 years
Disgorgement: July 2025
Dosage: 0 g/l
Drink: Now to 2038+
Tasting Note: Soaring from the glass with a striking bouquet of physalis, nashi pear and spring flowers, mingling with green tea and a faint hint of almond, all subtly framed by the light reduction of its recent disgorgement. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, savory and textural, with a taut core of fruit that preserves remarkable brightness and vibrancy despite its protracted élevage in wood. Unusually chiseled in the context of the vintage, it is animated by racy acids and concludes with a long, chalky finish. - Tasted by Kristaps Karklins
The story of the domaine began with Emmanuel’s father, Jacques Lassaigne, who, during the 1960s, played a pivotal role in reviving Montgueux by replanting vineyards that had long fallen into neglect. In 1999, with the future of the estate uncertain, Emmanuel left a successful career in manufacturing to return home. After three years working alongside his father, he released his first independent vintage in 2002, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the domaine.
Today, the vineyards are planted almost exclusively to Chardonnay, with only a small amount of Petit Meslier introduced in recent years. Viticulture is carried out with a thoughtful, low-intervention philosophy. Although the estate is not certified organic, no herbicides or synthetic fertilizers are used. The soils are tended through a combination of mechanical cultivation, hand work, rolled cover crops, and under-vine management. In selected parcels, vines are trained using tressage rather than conventional hedging, while most plots are lightly trimmed once or twice after flowering. Vineyard treatments are limited to copper and sulfur-based applications commonly associated with organic farming, and fruit is harvested only when fully ripe, eliminating the need for chaptalisation.
Each release of Le Grain de Beauté is sourced from a different parcel, reflecting Emmanuel Lassaigne’s desire to showcase the individuality of Montgueux’s finest sites. The current release comes from Clos Sainte-Sophie and is matured for four years in 500-litre barrels from the Mâconnais. Extended élevage lends the wine impressive texture and savoury complexity, while careful élevage preserves its freshness, tension, and crystalline energy.
This approach differs from the estate’s classic Clos Sainte-Sophie cuvée, which is typically aged for around a year in a combination of Burgundian, Cognac, and Jura barrels. The resulting wine carries a subtle resemblance to the ouillé (topped-up) Chardonnays of the Jura, balancing richness with purity and precision.
When much of Montgueux’s vineyard land fell into neglect after the Second World War, Clos Sainte-Sophie was one of the few sites that remained under vine. Today, it stands as both one of the village’s historic vineyards and a lasting symbol of Montgueux’s enduring winemaking heritage.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Autre Cru - Clos Sainte-Sophie in Montgueux, Aube
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 6 years
Disgorgement: July 2025
Dosage: 0 g/l
Drink: Now to 2038+
Tasting Note: Soaring from the glass with a striking bouquet of physalis, nashi pear and spring flowers, mingling with green tea and a faint hint of almond, all subtly framed by the light reduction of its recent disgorgement. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, savory and textural, with a taut core of fruit that preserves remarkable brightness and vibrancy despite its protracted élevage in wood. Unusually chiseled in the context of the vintage, it is animated by racy acids and concludes with a long, chalky finish. - Tasted by Kristaps Karklins
