Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut La Grande Dame
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut La Grande Dame received 94 points from Wine Spectator as a Prestige Cuvee. It pays homage to Madame Clicquot herself, a great lady in the Champagne world. La Grande Dame is a blend of eight of the house’s traditional Grand Crus. Up to 65% of Pinot Noir grapes give the champagne strength and structure and its freshness is from 35-40% Chardonnay grapes. The fruits are harvested from the best plots in the Montagne de Reims, Grand Callee de la Marne, and Cote des Blancs regions of France. This bright bubbly has a smoke-tinged, almost mineraly, flavor with hints of almonds, poached pears, candied kumquats, and creme de cassis. It also happens to have a vibrant acidity with a refined texture comparable to creamy mousse. Unlike the other Veuve Clicquots that should be enjoyed right away, La Grande Dame Brut does better with age and can be enjoyed all the way to 2030!
Veuve Clicquot is a champagne house located in the Reims section of France that specializes in premium bubbly. It was originally founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron who had a son named François Clicquot. The house of Veuve Clicquot was soon established. They opened the door for Champagnes to become a house hold drink. Veuve is best known for being the first house to create a rose Champagne in 1775 by adding red wine during production. The first truly modern Champagne is considered to be the 1811 comet vintage of Veuve Clicquot. They used advanced methods to create the champagne through the technique of remuage – the process of adding carbonation. Philippe’s son took over the house with his wife Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, who he married in 1798.
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut La Grande Dame
François passed away shortly in 1805, leaving his widow in control of the company. Veuve is the French word for widow: hence Veuve Clicquot. She was the first woman in control of a Champagne house: banking, wool trading, and production. Madame Clicquot guided the firm to focus on one trade to bring them great success. Clicquot established her product in royal courts throughout Europe during the Napoleonic Wars and, in 1811, became the first Champagne house to ship through the blockade to Russia. Champagne was also given to the Prussian guards and soldiers who opened them with their swords. The technique of sabering of Champagne was started. When the Madame passed away in 1866, Veuve Clicquot had become a respected brand, easily recognized by its bright yellow labels, and a significant Champagne house. Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Group added Veuve Clicquot to its luxury brands.
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