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About Jean Marc If it is not from France it is not Champagne. No other drink quite captures the atmosphere of celebration like genuine French Champagne!
Champagne is produced under strict regulations which uphold its authenticity, quality and style. The grapes must be grown within a precisely delimited appellation which has that special combination of harsh climate and exceptional soil. Champagne's unique flavour is derived from these remarkable grapes. Small Champagne Producers In France, just as in New Zealand, some of the best wines are produced by the smaller vineyards that customers have discovered themselves or heard of by word of mouth from a friend or business contact.
Because of their size these small often family owned producers seldom venture beyond their own local market, let alone export to distant countries.
Here is how this little vineyard formed an association with New Zealand, enabling a truly boutique champagne to be enjoyed by NZ wine lovers. How the New Zealand Association Began Jean Marc and Nadine's generation have produced grapes on the family vineyard since 1981, supplying their juice on contract to the volume Champagne houses. In 1986 they started adding value to their crop by selling some as the finished product. In 1995 all production was then being sold as Champagne.
Back in 1994 Justin and Kathy Barnett were travelling the globe soaking up the ambience of north America and Europe. While driving through France near Reims they decided to spend their last night at a pension rather than a hotel. By chance they arrived at a tiny village called Cauroy Les Hermonville where they asked a chap on the side of the road (in their impeccable French!) if he knew of somewhere to stay. He couldn't understand English but as Justin stepped back into the car he spotted a house bearing the sign "Champagne". Using hand gestures he asked the man if they could at least get a drink here. He said "mais oui" and they learned that he was Jean Marc and it was his house - they were soon tasting his champagne in the courtyard.
They met Nadine and the family and with some nifty sign language, plenty of champagne and lots of laughter the afternoon soon passed by. They recommended a place to stay and the Barnetts headed off with bottles under their arms and half jokingly told Nadine that they would be their agents in NZ.
Some months later they celebrated their marriage in Havelock North with the first order of Jean Marc Champagne and subsequently established a loyal client following. In 1999 Justin was posted to Asia and the champagne agency (along with Kathy's Italian Holiday Villas ) was taken over by Don McLean of Tres Bon Limited. The Jean Marc Vineyard The Jean Marc Vineyard is located in the little village of Cauroy-Lès-Hermonville near Reims. If you are in France visitors are welcome for tastings and they now have accommodation available for 2 in their newly decorated Bed and Breakfast room across the courtyard. This enables the true French rural lifestyle to be sampled by guests. Contact us for further information.
Despite being a small operation their grapes are grown and the champagne is produced in accordance with same strict
regulations that apply to the large champagne houses.
This is truly a family business. Jean Marc and his father and son Dimitri painstakingly tend the vines by hand.
Their champagne is a blend of the three famous champagne grapes: Pinot Noir this offers a powerful red berry nose with a red currant taste Pinot Meunier scents of red fruits and citrus. Balanced freshness and smoothness. Chardonnay contributes freshness and elegance. The soils Soils and climate help to make Champagne unique. Limestone over chalk sub soils provide the vines with minerals and nutrition. Moisture is preserved in the soil yet excess water can drain away. Heat from the sun is stored and transferred to the roots. An average year round temperature of 10 degrees (9 degrees is the minimum to ripen) means the vines have to adapt to the dangers of frost in spring and poor weather during flowering, but these harsh conditions yield grapes of real quality. Jean Marcs vines are spread in small clusters of rows in various locations around the region. This is their risk management strategy to avoid damage from a freak hailstorm or frost. Cultivation Cultivating the vines is very labour intensive and requires skill and experience. Pruning is a particularly difficult operation and is governed by the rules which limit the yield of grapes. Fertilising is important, but unlike New Zealand irrigation is not permitted at all!
Towards the end of September (about 100 days after the flowering of the vine) the vendage - harvest - commences. Picking is carried out by hand only, with each bunch being carefully examined. A maximum yield per hectare is fixed by regulation.
It is difficult to overstate the fact that the quality of the Champagne is firmly established by the grower in the vineyard. The winemaker subsequently reveals this quality in the bottle. Champagne Production The grapes are transported with great care to the press 3 kms away at Comicy. This is a state of the art facility and has very high quality pressing equipment, made available to smaller growers through its co-operative network.
The juice is then delivered to the large Center Vinicole de la Champagne cooperative at Chouilly near Epernay, with Nicolas Feuillatte. Specially accredited scientists assist the winemakers in producing the champagne within strict quality procedures.
First fermentation occurs in vats where the grape juice turns into still wine. Consistency in style and yearly harvests is achieved by the traditional art of blending where wines from black and white grapes are carefully assembled together making the cuvee. A little cane sugar and yeast is then added then it is bottled. Bubbles form during secondary fermentation in the bottle for 24 months. Riddling and disgorging is practiced to clarify the wine and remove the residual solids. A special dosage of wine and sugar is added to replace the amount lost. The of sugar content is varied according to the type of wine desired - more sugar is added for the Demi Sec dessert champagne for example. |
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