Ployez-Jacquemart, "Passion" Extra Brut, Champagne, France, NV

Overview of the Wine
Ployez-Jacquemart is a family House created in 1930 by Marcel Ployez and his wife Yvonne Jacquemart. The whole essence of Ployez-Jacquemart rests in our continual search for excellence, our understanding of the Champagne terroir and our abilities to craft truly fine wines. These skills have been passed down through three generations. Our respect for this noble heritage is the cornerstone of our approach to Champagne production.

We work our own predominantly Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vineyards in the Premier and Grands Crus villages of Ludes and Mailly Champagne, Villedommange, and Vertus. Tremendous care is taken in working these vines by hand; when necessary, we will green harvest to ensure the overall quality of the final harvest.

Grape / Blend
44 % Pinot Noir, 38 % Chardonnay and 18% Meunier

Origin
Champagne, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes 
Produced for the first time with the harvest 2004 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the House, the Extra Brut Passion is now one of the most famous wines in our range. Offering a richer non-vintage blend, aged for at least 4-5 years in our cellars, it was born from the union of three grapes selected from our premier and grand crus : 44 % Pinot Noir, 18% Meunier, 38 % Chardonnay. In order to make it more complex and structured, we integrated to this blend 25% of wines matured in oak barrels without malolactic fermentation and 75% of wines from the annual harvest. We keep them on the neck « sur pointes » to limit the contact with the yeasts while preserving the advantages of aging before disgorgement. Our Champagnes are disgorged as late as possible to allow them to keep more freshness.

A floral wine, dainty, vibrant and lightly toasted. Very nice complexity, rich but with great aromatic finesse. Long finish without being heavy or thick, with a very elegant honeyed touch. The part of the blend aged in barrels brings a great structure without giving the oaky taste. 

93 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Some 25% of the vins clairs that compose Ployez-Jacquemart's NV Extra-Brut Passion were barrel fermented, and it's a richer, more vinous non-vintage blend that's aged—for four or five years—sur pointes rather than sur lattes to prevent excess. Offering up an inviting bouquet of lemon, orange oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, toasted nuts and honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and intense, with a racy spine of acidity, fine concentration at the core, and a penetrating, sapid finish.

93 Points - Wine Spectator
A distinctive version that will likely show best with food, this offers a rich base note of smoky roasted almond and a honeyed palate of pastry dough, dried currant, apricot, lemon curd, fleur de sel and chalk. Fine and creamy in texture, with a fine, chinalike backbone of acidity. Drink now through 2019.

Product size: 750ml