Pierre Jamain

Pierre Jamain brought the first bottles to market in 1962. He had built up the small estate in the 1950s, and his daughter Elisabeth took it over in 1985. Caroline Dona joined later. In the commercial register she appears as Caroline Donagemma and has been managing director of EARL Champagne Jamain since September 2015. The house is based in La Celle-sous-Chantemerle in the Marne département.

Vineyards and grapes

The estate covers just 3.5 hectares in the far south of the Sézannais, an area well suited to Chardonnay. The vines grow on south-facing slopes. The soil is made up of varying proportions of limestone, sand, clay, marl and loam. Chardonnay shapes the style of the house, as the Blanc de Blancs in the range shows.

Alongside the Brut there is a rosé, a vintage champagne and the Cuvée Caroline. The sources I have checked name no other grape varieties.

Winemaking

The sources say nothing about "avant-garde ecology". What is documented is that the house switched to sustainable viticulture (viticulture raisonnée) in the 1990s. No organic certification is mentioned. The grapes are picked by hand, the wines are aged in stainless steel tanks, malolactic fermentation takes place, and filtration is done without fining. Riddling is mechanical, on a gyropalette, and disgorgement is carried out in an ice bath. On request, the house confirmed that its champagnes are vegan.

Dom Gemme, awards and visiting

With the Dom Gemme brand and the Cuvée Faveurs, the house broke new ground. It was Caroline Donagemma's first cuvée. The glass designer Kevin Stal created a limited edition of 500 bottles for it. In competitions, the Faveurs won gold in 2015, the Faveurs de Dom Gemme (2009 vintage) won silver in 2016, and the 2006 vintage won silver in 2013.

The house offers cellar tours with a tasting. Appointments are arranged by telephone, and the tour is in French. You can reach the estate on +33 3 26 80 21 64. It is a member of the Vignerons Indépendants.