With a legacy courting again to 1772, Maison Veuve Clicquot is thought for its iconic yellow label and the inspiring true story of Madame Clicquot — an audacious widow who dared to observe her dream and pioneered a profession path no lady had carried out earlier than. In flip, her title has been synonymous with prestigious champagne for hundreds of years.
On the pinnacle of the home are its La Grande Dame vintages. Coinciding with its 2 hundredth anniversary in 1972, Veuve Clicquot launched its first La Grande Dame launch with a 1962 classic. A tribute to “the Grand Dame of Champagne” herself (which means “The Nice Girl,” as Madame Clicquot was referred to by her friends), these restricted bottles are the crème de la crème, culled from classic years with distinctive sunshine and beautiful harvests.
This month, Veuve Clicquot unveils its subsequent extremely anticipated La Grande Dame classic, an particularly thrilling launch of the 2018 cuvée. This distinctive mix of 90 p.c Pinot Noir and 10 p.c Chardonnay grapes is grown on Veuve Clicquot’s historic Grand Cru vineyards on the outskirts of Reims, France. The ultimate product is a brut that honors Madame Clicquot’s authentic imaginative and prescient for the home’s signature L’Artwork du Pinot Noir, during which these black-skinned grapes create the best white wines.
Much like Madame Clicquot, award-winning sommelier Amy Racine is a trailblazer in her personal proper. Amy is the beverage director and companion at JF Eating places, the New York-based hospitality group led by Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser. Racine spearheads greater than a dozen bar applications, from the acclaimed Iris restaurant in Midtown West to North Fork Desk & Inn on Lengthy Island’s East Finish to a number of EDITION lodges throughout the nation.
Right here, Racine shares her skilled insights into what makes Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame 2018 effectively well worth the splurge, and why it brings an air of sophistication and savoir faire to any day.
What’s your first impression of La Grande Dame 2018?
The primary impression is precision. There’s a purity and brightness to the fruit that feels each targeted and uplifting. It’s elegant with out being delicate, assertive with out being flashy. It hits a uncommon stability that instantly tells you it’s one thing particular.
What involves thoughts once you hear the title Veuve Clicquot?
Two phrases come to thoughts once I consider Veuve Clicquot: legacy and elegance. I consider it as a home that has all the time stood proper at that intersection of custom and transferring ahead. Madame Clicquot herself is such a robust image of that for me, and for the model’s id.
There’s additionally this plain sense of confidence connected to the title; to me, it’s a champagne that actually reveals up with goal.
Out of your perspective, what makes La Grande Dame 2018 so prestigious?
It’s the fruits of particular choice, artistry in mixing, and the form of classic circumstances that solely come round every now and then. It isn’t nearly producing a “good” champagne; it’s about expressing the total id of Pinot Noir by way of a lens of depth in that classic. The 2018 does that fantastically.
How would you describe the champagne, from the flavour to the bubbles?
It’s pushed by construction. The Pinot offers you this spine of chalky minerality and purple fruit — suppose wild strawberry, blood orange, even a little bit of white pepper. There’s a creamy texture right here, however the bubbles are exact and energetic. It lingers with a form of savory finesse that makes you wish to maintain discovering it.
How does La Grande Dame 2018 evaluate or differ from different vintages you’ve got tried earlier than?
The 2018 reveals extra generosity and open-knit fruit early on than some previous vintages. There’s a heat to it that feels inviting. On the identical time, the wine has plenty of stress, which tells me it’s solely simply starting to point out what it’s able to. It’s approachable now, however it is going to evolve fantastically.
What meals pairings do you counsel for La Grande Dame 2018?
Concentrate on elegant seafood dishes. Consider pairings like evenly seared scallops, delicately ready white fish, comparable to sole or turbot, or recent lobster and crab. These must be ready merely, poached or pan-fried with minimal sauce. The wine would actually shine alongside delicate components like a light-weight butter sauce, a fragile trace of citrus zest, recent herbs like tarragon or chervil, or a delicate vegetable purée. The wine’s construction and brightness fantastically complement the richness of those types of seafood whereas highlighting its high-quality flavors.
When would you suggest somebody attempt La Grande Dame 2018?
Any event the place you’re honoring one thing or somebody. It doesn’t should be formal, but it surely must be significant — a celebration of effort, achievement, or just a second you wish to mark with intention.
The fantastic thing about La Grande Dame is that it’s not only a wine; it’s artwork that opens the door to a dialog about time, place, and intention. This bottle captures all of that in a approach that’s each highly effective and poetic.
This text is sponsored by Veuve Clicquot.
