VeuveClicquotLaGrandeDame2015

Founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot is a House steeped in rich history that owes its success largely to one woman, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot-Ponsardin. Madame Clicquot also invented the riddling rack on her kitchen table, an apparatus that removes the sediment from the bottle after second fermentation still used in the region today. Veuve Clicquot own a respectable 382 hectares of vineyards with an emphasis on Pinot Noir. The House maintains the largest collection of old reserve wines in Champagne, these help give Yellow Label its complexity while ensuring the high quality is maintained in the world’s second bestselling Champagne brand. In 2008 Dominique Demarville joined as Cellar Master, he “refreshed the brandâ€?including increasing the proportion of Pinot Noir in La Grande Dame to 90%+ and with blending shifts he brought a new freshness in Yellow Label. In 2019 Didier Mariotti took over as Cellar Master.rrCreated in 1972 to celebrate the bicentenary of the House, La Grande Dame is a tribute to Madame Clicquot also known as ‘La Grande Dame de la Champagneâ€? Veuve Clicquot’s prestige cuvée, it is an exclusive blend of eight of their historical Grand Crus and is a mineral and fresh expression of the Veuve Clicquot style.rrFor this new vintage of La Grande Dame, master of colour Paola Paronetto meets the expression of Veuve Clicquot’s excellence with an exclusive collaboration.rrWeather: 2015 is remembered for its classic growth cycle. The particularly mild winter gave way to a varied spring with a period of freezing temperatures followed by intense heat. The vines reached full bloom at the usual times, during a sunny and dry month of June. It was a glorious summer with plenty of sunshine and little rain. The ripening of the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays was given a boost at the end of August by some long-awaited rainfall. The crops were harvested in mid-September under the cool autumnal skies, giving rise to elegant, fresh and fruity wines, worthy of labelling as true “classicsâ€?rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Pinot Noir: Ambonnay, Aÿ, Bouzy, Verzenay, Verzy | Chardonnay: Le Mesnil-sur-OgerrGrape Varieties: 90% Pinot Noir, 10% ChardonnayrLees Ageing: 9 years rDisgorged: January 2023rDosage: 6 g/lrAlcohol: 12%rDrink: Now to 2030rrTasting Note: evoking aromas of spring blossom, spring flowers, lemon oil, spices and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and seamless, it has a deep core of fruit with a lively spine of acidity and a saline, mineral finish. â€?Tasted by Yohan Castaing