J. LASSALLE

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J. Lassalle was founded in 1942 by Jules Lassalle. It is located in the Montagne de Reims in the municipality of Chigny-les-Roses, classified as Premier Cru, and is still family-owned today. After his death in 1982 his wife Olga and daughter Chantal Decelle took over the winery, the beginning of the "women dynasty" at J. Lassalle. In 2006, Chantal’s daughter, Angéline Templier, was added and reinforced the domain's motto: “Une Femme, un Esprit, un Style” (one woman, one philosophy, one style).

J. Lassalle works with the three typical grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier on 16 hectares. The hard-working women still follow the strict vinification methods once established by Jules in the 1940s: exclusive use of healthy grapes from low-yielding vines, pressing on a traditional wooden press, all plots are pressed individually, only the first pressing (cuvée) is used. All champagnes go through malolactic fermentation, but this is carried out very slowly, which should contribute to depth and balance. There is no massive pumping over and only a light filtration, so that fineness and finesse are retained.

Another thing that has not happened so often since the invention of the automatic "vibrating cages": all bottles are still traditionally shaken by hand and then mature on the yeast for at least five (for the basic cuvées) to ten years. This ensures a particularly fine, pleasant perlage.

Facts: R.M., 16ha., Chigny-les-Roses, Montagne de Reims, 100,000 bottles / year