Veuve Clicquot was founded over 200 years ago and has become one of the world’s most iconic Champagne. In translation, Veuve Clicquot is Widow Clicquot, referring to the French businesswoman who took over her late husband’s wine business. Veuve Clicquot is characterised with a powerful, yet elegant, sensation of fruity and floral notes on the palate.
95 Points Decanter
How does Veuve Clicquot’s cellarmaster Dominique Demarville do it? This high wire Prestige Cuvée act walks the tightrope with such confidence and ease. Unusually for the house, the blend is just 53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay but like every great champagne its ‘ying and yang’ are in perfect symmetry. So we have the volume, structure and depth balanced by the cut and thrust of the acidity. On the palate are layers of cream, honey, nuts, brioche, pear, marzipan and ginger. The texture is shimmeringly silky and full. The finish alone deserves an ovation and demands an encore. Bravo.
94 Points James Suckling
The prestigious 2006 La Grande Dame is made from 47% Chardonnay and 53% Pinot Noir, and assembles the fruit of eight grand cru villages. Very intense and complex on the nose, this is a full-bodied, round, rich and mouth-filling, but also refined prestige cuvée; it reveals a fascinating purity, precision and freshness. The finish is long and complex, and shows a spicy minerality. There are coffee beans, bread and toast aromas in the aftertaste. This comes highly recommended.