Champagne Veuve Clicquot - La Grande Dame 2018 coffret

Veuve Clicquot has returned to its roots and proudly showcases its penchant for Pinot Noir and its taste for full-bodied champagnes. While we await the next revolution from La Grande Dame—the brand’s prestige cuvée—the non-vintage brut, the famous Carte Jaune, has regained its vigor. The highly skilled cellar master, Dominique Demarville, has significantly raised the bar once again in terms of grape selection and the precision of the blends, while simultaneously revolutionizing soil management in the vineyards—with grass cover on every other row and some experiments in organic farming.

The long, sunny days and the warmth of the 2018 vintage have imparted notes of stone and citrus to this glorious Grande Dame. While the initial attack features various notes of lemon oil, verbena, orange peel, and grapefruit, it is the deeply mineral and dense mid-palate that is most surprising in this wine—and it is this that will ensure its long aging potential. Delicious aromas of candied orange peel intensify, building to a crescendo of yuzu and coconut cream. A luminous and energetic expression of La Grande Dame.

The heir to a family of bankers, textile merchants, and vineyard owners, Philippe Clicquot founded his champagne house in 1772, adopting the anchor as his symbol and setting his sights on export. His son died prematurely in 1805, and it was his daughter-in-law, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin—then twenty-seven years old—who took over responsibility for the company and went on to make her mark on history. An accomplished businesswoman, she led the house for much of the 19th century, propelling it to considerable growth. Today, the company owns nearly 400 hectares of vineyards, and its yellow label is known throughout the world. It has been part of the LVMH group since 1987.

The 2018 Grande Dame showcases the beautiful maturity of this vintage without any lack of structure. The wine is relaxed even in its early years. Its fullness on the palate reinforces our assessment; the texture is distinct, even though the wine still has some depth to it.

The luxury group LVMH, which has owned the company since 1987, has made Veuve Clicquot the second-largest Champagne brand by volume with its famous Carte Jaune brut (the top-selling Champagne in the U.S.). The house owns vineyards in Premier Cru and Grand Cru appellations, which are primarily used for its vintage cuvées and Grande Dame. Dominated by Pinot Noir, Clicquot’s wines have historically been renowned for their full-bodied and structured palate. The team led by Dominique Demarville, cellar master, is doing its best to strike the difficult balance between growing production volume and maintaining quality. The rosés have a fruity character thanks to the quality of the Pinot grapes from Veuve Clicquot’s historic vineyards in Bouzy.

Remarkably fine bubbles. Explosive—with a fireworks-like texture. A smoky Pinot aroma and quite rich on the palate. Aromas of baked apple and, for now, just a hint of astringency on the finish. Richer than any single-vineyard champagne I know, but with impressive power!

A delicious, subtle aroma of baked apples, heather, jasmine, and flint gives way to a medium-bodied wine with a dense, fruity palate. Notes of pears and lychees with a hint of honey and a touch of marzipan. A blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. Ready to drink now or for aging.