Veuve Clicquot - Champagne - La Grande Dame - White - 2012

Wine:

Champagne La Grande Dame pays tribute to Madame Clicquot, who famously said, "Our black grapes produce the finest white wines." A true celebration of Pinot Noir, it honors Madame Clicquot's vision, which has consistently emphasized about 90% Pinot Noir since 2008, using historic crus from their vineyards.

The 2012 La Grande Dame Blanc is a remarkable wine, showcasing a broad and powerful structure with notes of ripe fruit, toasted bread, and dried fruits. Full of energy and characterized by a vibrant framework and the confidence of its Pinot Noir, it reveals great complexity with mature, deep tones of spice and smoke. An exceptional champagne for gastronomy, it earned an impressive 98/100 rating from Bettane+Desseauve.

Vinification:

Mainly composed of a blend of 7 of the House's 8 historic Grands Crus, including Aÿ, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy. The 10% Chardonnay comes from the Grands Crus vineyards of Avize and Mesnil-sur-Oger.

Brut dosage: 6g/l.

Color:

Gold with fine bubbles.

Nose:

Aromas of white flowers (jasmine, honeysuckle, vine blossom), fruity notes of apple, pear and peach and notes of fresh almonds, frangipane.

Palate:

Elegant and silky with mature fruity notes, this champagne is deep and powerful, revealing more complex aromas of dried apricot, hazelnut, honey and candy sugar.

Temperature:

Serve between 10 and 12°C.

Food and wine pairing:

Aperitif, turbot fillet, sea bass tartar, seafood.

Cellar aging:

From now until 2030, and even longer for enthusiasts.

Cherished by the LVMH group, Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin boasts an exceptional vineyard with premier and grand cru sites, along with state-of-the-art production facilities, including barrel and foudre aging. Renowned for its Carte Jaune cuvée—the top-selling Champagne in the United States—Veuve Clicquot also shines with La Grande Dame, the pinnacle of the Maison's work. Focused on Pinot Noir, La Grande Dame delivers a refined, complex, and energetic style that is consistently vinous and well-structured. A reliable standard-bearer of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot is now guided by Cellar Master Didier Mariotti, formerly of Mumm.