Master of the “methode champenoise”, Claude Thibaut moved to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2003, joining a local winery as a consultant to spearhead the creation of a sparkling wine. In 2005, he started his own label in partnership with Manuel Janisson, producer of the Champagne Janisson & Fils. The first vintage was released in November 2007 under the brand: Thibaut-Janisson “Blanc de Chardonnay”.
Thibaut’s career spans 25 years of expertise in all aspects of winemaking with valuable years spent in major wine markets including his native France, Australia and California. Since he graduated over two decades ago from the University of Reims in the heart of France’s Champagne region, Thibaut has demonstrated superlative ability in the production of premium sparkling winemaking in regions outside of France. Using his skill with the “methode champenoise”- a double fermentation process that creates the bubbles found in Champagne and sparkling wines- Thibaut has developed a reputation for his commitment to excellence and professionalism, making outstanding wines and receiving numerous local, regional and international awards. Thibaut has worked at some of the most exciting emerging wineries around the globe, including the Kendall-Jackson, Jordan and Iron Horse wineries in California as well as Champagne Vve Devaux, Bar sur seine, France and Yarra Bank, Victoria Australia, where his wines were voted “Best of the Best” in the 1995 Australia and New Zealand Wine Guide.
Thibaut notes that in America, unlike in other parts of the world, Champagne and sparkling wine is reserved for special occasions. He encourages that it should be enjoyed not just for celebrations and noteworthy events, but also as a highly versatile wine that pairs well with an assortment of foods and can stand on its own as a daily pleasure and petite indulgence.
The Janisson Family winery started in 1920’s with Manuel Janisson’s grandfather vision to produce his own wines from the vines that he grew in Verzenay, France. Starting with small acreage and buying fruit from his neighbors’ he vision and labor produced a signature style, which stands today as Champagne Janisson & Fils Tradition.
Manuel grew up within the winery and was tutored in all facets of the operation, from vineyard management, winemaking, negotiating for grapes, to selling and delivering of the Champagnes the winery produced. The early 90’s presented Manuel with the opportunity to enlarge his vision to carry on the quality and tradition that he inherited. He invested in more land for vines, built a state of the art winery and put his experience as a negociant and businessman to the forefront, allowing for the expansion of his family Champagne.
The family tradition of winemaking continues, as Manuel and his wife Marie-Eve’s three children are learning the heritage, tradition and the business of Champagne.
Today Champagne Janisson is proud to present a range of quality Champagne’s that are recognized and greatly enjoyed internationally from Europe, Great Britain, Asia and the United States.
Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay
Appellation 100% Virginia
Winemaking Notes The grapes are handpicked in small baskets late August and are gently pressed as whole clusters. After a settling of 24 hours, the juice is inoculated with selected Champagne yeast and ferments in stainless steel tanks at low temperature. Once the fermentation is over, the wine ages on the fine lees until the spring of the following year. The blend is then put together and cold-stabilized prior to bottling. The bottling occurs in the spring when the cellar temperature is conducive to a second fermentation in the bottle. The now sparkling wine will age on the yeast for over 24 months. At disgorging, a small amount of dosage liquor is added in order to balance the natural acidity.
Clean, crisp and refreshing! With scents of white flowers, apples and pears. This sparkling wine is elegant and complex with vibrant aromas, and fine active streamers. The depth of complexity is elegant and the intricate nuances of the terroir fill the nose and stimulate the palate. It’s full of youthful, bright and alert acidity.
Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay
Appellation 100% Virginia
Winemaking Notes The grapes are handpicked in small baskets late August and are gently pressed as whole clusters. After a settling of 24 hours, the juice is inoculated with selected Champagne yeast and ferments in stainless steel tanks at low temperature. Once the fermentation is over, the wine ages on the fine lees until the spring of the following year. The blend is then put together and cold-stabilized prior to bottling. The bottling occurs in the spring when the cellar temperature is conducive to a second fermentation in the bottle. The now sparkling wine will age on the yeast for over 24 months. At disgorging, a small amount of dosage liquor is added in order to balance the natural acidity.
Clean, crisp and refreshing! With scents of white flowers, apples and pears. This sparkling wine is elegant and complex with vibrant aromas, and fine active streamers. The depth of complexity is elegant and the intricate nuances of the terroir fill the nose and stimulate the palate. It’s full of youthful, bright and alert acidity.
This 100% Chardonnay blend is made from Tête de Cuvée, or first pressing of the grapes, considered superior in quality, with a high percentage of reserve wines for extra complexity, depth and richness, and a low added dosage to preserve purity and freshness.
Thibaut-Janisson Virginia Fizz is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Virginia Fizz is a fun and festive sparkling wine, great for all life’s celebrations. It is cremant style made of 100% Chardonnay. Packed with apples and peach flavors, the wine has a very creamy and smooth texture. The myriad of tiny bubbles will tickle your taste buds.
Refreshing on its own, but perfect mixed as a cocktail!
J Lohr Signature Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Cabernet Franc 6% Saint Macaire 4% Petit Verdot 4% Malbec.
J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon was first produced to honor the 80th birthday of founder Jerry Lohr. This limited release was specially selected and blended from the exceptional 2016 vintage in Paso Robles. It is both a tribute to Jerry's pioneering efforts in the region and our red wine portfolio's ultimate expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. VINEYARDS & CELLAR Beck Vineyard, in the Creston District of Paso Robles, is a unique, high elevation site that sits at 1,700 feet above the early morning fog line. Its calcareous soils and cooling afternoon winds are perfect for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet from this vineyard ripens early with excellent color, purity of fruit, and phenolic maturity. Incorporation of Cabernet Franc brings freshness to the blend, while the rare Bordeaux variety, Saint Macaire, brings density and a savory character. Petit Verdot and Malbec add structure, color, and a component of bright fruit. The hand-harvested grapes were held separate at harvest and berry-sorted into six-ton open top tanks for fermentation. Maceration took place on the skins for five days, before early pressing to achieve ideal tannin extraction. Aged 19 months in 100% new French oak from coopers Nadalie and Sylvain.
Review:
Almost opaque in the glass, this luxury bottling entices with intense aromas of black currant and blackberry sauce on the nose, with savory hints of dark olive and caramel spice. It's quite dry on the palate, where licorice, violet and cassis flavors linger amidst the polished tannins
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Finca La Pared Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Finca La Pared Syrah shows an expressive nose of dark fruit aromas and a mineral character.
Intense, direct, playful. Balance of forces.
Machine harvested at night. Grapes with great concentration. Prefermentation cold maceration (cold soak) for three days. Fermentation and maceration are carried out in small stainless steel tanks, combining pumpovers and délestages The process is prolonged for approximately 20 days with gentle extractions. We gently press the grapes and the wine carries out its malolactic fermentation in even smaller stainless steel tanks. When the wine has naturally lost the thickest suspended solids, we transfer it to oak barrels. We chose American oak barrels that enhance the freshness of the wine and its refinement. The wine is aged for 12 months in the same barrels without racking. It isbottled after light filtration without fining.
Review:
"Blackberries, ground pepper, violets, and some gamey, bouquet garni-like notes all emerge from the 2021 Syrah, a medium to full-bodied, deep, rich, wonderfully layered Syrah that seems to be a hypothetical blend of a California Syrah with an Hermitage. Drink bottles through 2031."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 95 pts