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n 1804 France, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin was left a widow—or veuve in French—at the tender age of 27. Although this was the 19th Century, a time when women were relegated to living in the shadow of their husbands, and off of the fortunes of them, Monsieur Clicquot’s death left Madame Clicquot in control of a company with holdings in banking, wool trading and the Bouzy Vineyards. The daughter of a politician and wildly brilliant in her own right, rather than sell the business and live off of the resulting fortune, the often audacious (for that time) Madame Clicquot secured funding and invested in the research and development of champagne. By 1810, Madame Clicquot created the first-ever recorded vintage of champagne in the region. She is also named as the first-ever creator of Rosè Champagne. In addition, she pioneered riddling, a technique that removes the cloudiness present in champagne, effectively moving champagne itself— not to mention her now-named Veuve Clicquot brand—to the mainstream. Today, Veuve Clicquot still lives by the motto that Madame Clicquot instilled in her winemakers 200 years ago from her own predecessors: “Only one quality, the finest.” In homage to this “Grand Dame of Champagne,” the Veuve Clicquot house developed two unique champagne blends in her honor, both as complex and fresh as Madame Clicquot herself. Among the most beloved and sought-after champagnes in the world, both varietals are strong and full-bodied enough to stand up to a man’s palate, but subtle, seductive and smart enough for a woman’s, as well.
La Grande Dame Brut Awarded 94 points by Wine Spectator magazine and the Silver Medal in the Decanter World Wine Awards, this is Veuve’s prestige cuveè. The incomparable finesse of this champagne is the result of blending eight of the of brand’s traditional Grand Crus: Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy,
Verzenay, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil sur Oger. Once combined, each barrel is aged for an extended period of time in ancient chalk cellars. It is a blend of 61% Pinot Noir and 39% of Chardonnay, all directly from Champagne, France. Smooth and silky, offering a hint of ripe banana on the nose and bubbly grapefruit on the palate, the full-bodied effervescence is meant as a direct tribute to the Grande Dame herself. La Grande Dame Brut ranges from $179.99-$210 per bottle. It can be found at the Wine Store, AJ’s, BevMo and Total Wine.
REAL MEN LOVE A GRANDE DAME BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ
SO SCOTTSDALE! |
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La Grande Dame Rosè Noted as the rarest of Veuve Clicquot’s varietals, La Grande Dame Rosè was created by adding 15% Pinot Noir from Madame Clicquot’s Clos Colin vineyard in Bouzy, France to the La Grande Dame 2004 blend. The result—a luminous, coppery pink champagne whose first nose reveals a solid mineral structure with hints of white peach, red currant, and even blueberry. On the palate, the champagne is crisp yet silky, with notes of brioche and cinnamon. La Grande Dame Rosè ranges from $310-$389.99 per bottle. It can be found at the Wine Store, AJ’s, BevMo and Total Wine upon request, as availability is limited.
| JUNE 2015
5/21/15 10:36 AM