Champagne Jacquesson Purchased by Pinault Family

François Pinault, owner of Artémis Domaines, has finalised the acquisition of Champagne Jacquesson.

In February last year, Artémis Domaines took control of a minority stake of 33% in Champagne Jacquesson. At the time there was speculation that a full takeover would ensue later in the year. Managing the Dizy-based operation with his brother Laurent since 1990, Jean-Hervé Chiquet has confirmed that the complete takeover happened in December 2022. Chiquet commented: ‘When we bought back Michael Mackenzie’s shares (in the company) at the end of 2020, we started to think about a new partner and found that Artémis Domaines was interested. We started to discuss options with them and agreed on their arrival as a minority shareholder last February.’

‘Since then, we have had time to get to know each other and, as Laurent and I have no successor in our family, we have decided to put Jacquesson in the best hands possible to guarantee its future and to be sure that our dedication to quality will remain or even be improved,’ Chiquet added. Although he and his brother won’t be actively involved in managing the company, ‘we will continue to supply the company with grapes from our own vineyards and I will stay on as a member of the board but without an operational role,’ Jean-Hervé added.

Located in Dizy outside of Epernay, the Jacquesson estate was purchased by Jean-Hervé and Laurent’s father in the 1970s. The estate dates back to the 18th century and Joseph Krug worked there before he founded his own house in 1843. The brothers have shaken up the ‘Brut sans année’ market with the introduction of their Cuvée 700 concept. Their first release – Cuvée 728 – centred on the 2000 harvest and was released in 2004.

Chiquet, who has previously spoken about his and his brother’s approach, said: ‘The Cuvée 700 concept is unique in Champagne and is the opposite of a non-vintage wine. We seek excellence rather than homogeneity, respect for the character of the vintage rather than its denial, and the preference to create a “house style”, the doctrine most other producers in Champagne follow for their non-vintage blends. Our Cuvée 700 is the only blended wine we produce; it is meant to be the expression of a year and thus each year offers a different identity which we recognise by numbering the cuvée.’

Read more about the Pinault family’s 2022 acquisition of Champagne Henriot.