About the House
Champagne Frerejean Frères is a relative newcomer to the world of champagne. Brothers Guillaume, Richard and Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger created their house in 2005 after previously only making champagne for family and friends. Although young, they have quite the pedigree, with their mother being from the acclaimed Taittinger family, they have champagne in their blood. On their father’s side, the Frerejean family were cannon makers who supplied the French army during the Napoleonic wars. It is still possible to find cannons displayed in monuments in France with the Frerejean name embossed on the shaft.
This family tradition is showcased in their logo, with 2 cannons prominently featured, along with the fleur de lys and a crown to show the connection to royalty and champagne being the king of wines and the wine of kings.
The philosophy is simple – respect traditional methods, but leave room for innovation. Respect for terroir is paramount, with minimal use of pesticides and an unwavering focus on quality.
Situated in the picturesque village of Avize right in the Côte de Blancs, they use only Grand Cru and Premier Cru grapes resulting in beautifully expressive champagnes that honour the region.
I was lucky enough to visit Frerejean Frères with my group in October. We had a wonderful afternoon visiting and tasting with Guillaume and chef de cave Didier Pierson. In fact, Didier is one of the very first champagne makers I met when I first started visiting champagne. We stayed on several occasions at his B & B in Avize, and were lucky enough to share a few ‘tastings’ of his champagnes with him back in the late 1990s. I was thrilled when he turned up again at Frerejean Frères because I remembered the quality of his own champagne that I had tasted so long ago. You can hear more of the story of how I met Didier in my video below.
About the Chef de Cave
Didier Pierson is an extremely talented champagne maker who, in addition to his eponymous label, was interestingly the first producer from Champagne to plant vines in the chalky soils of England. Didier is incredibly innovative in his approach to winemaking, and is not afraid to take risks in order to achieve an outstanding result.
About FJF Brut Premier Cru
I was really happy to sit down recently and try a bottle of FJF Brut premier cru as I had last tasted it in November at my Christmas Lunch function. The bottle that I tasted has more than six months additional bottle ageing since then, and I was keen to see if I noticed the difference.
Technical Details
Blend: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir
Dosage: 6.5g/l
Ageing: 5 years on lees
Terroir: Premier Cru Côtes des Blancs
The review
A clear medium gold colour with a fine persistent bead.
The nose was clean and I was immediately transported to Avize – the aromas so typical of the Côte des Blancs initially brightening my mood with the lovely lemony undertones. This gave way to much richer nutty notes, enveloped with honey and almonds with a hint of Nanna’s apple pie, evidence of the 5 years it has spent on lees and some extended bottle ageing.
The palate was rich and creamy, yet still fresh. The bubbles left a perfectly satisfying sensation that filled the whole mouth and carried the flavour right to the back of the tongue. Honey and spices lingered along with a touch of white peach and apple.
The finish was long for a non-vintage champagne, again thanks to the time spent on lees.
This really is a champagne for all occasions. It would be delightful as an aperitif, but with the complexity of flavours go beautifully with a main meal of roast chicken with all the trimmings.
Watch the Live Tasting
Click on the link below if you would like to see me pop the cork on the FJF Brut Premier Cru for the first time and hear my initial thoughts along with the story of my connection with the house.
Where to buy
If you are interested in purchasing a bottle to try for yourself, please contact Noble Spirits.
*The bottle of Frerejean Frères opened for this tasting was provided free of charge by Noble Spirits. Views and opinions are my own.
