Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé 2015
Rosé Champagne for those who adore it (yes, there are some individuals that don’t care for it, but as a friend once told me, “that’s alright, as it means there’s more for the rest of us.”) is, at its finest, distinctive, dreamy and ethereal. Those may not be the most technical wine descriptors out there, but when you taste a superlative rosé Champagne, such as the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé millésime (vintage-dated), you’re not dealing with an everyday Champagne; rather, this is among the very best of all rosé Champagnes, and one with a great - make that grand - narrative.
It was in 1815 when Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin took over the wine business founded by her late husband, and made it into one of the most successful of all Champagne houses; she did this at the age of 27, a remarkable feat for anyone in the early 19th century, but especially for a woman. She would become respectfully known as Madame Clicquot.
She was known for her innovations, including creating the first vintage Champagne, inventing the riddling table, as well as creating the first blended rosé Champagne. This took place in 1818, when she blended red wine (Pinot Noir) from her Clos Colin vineyard in Bouzy, located in the Montagne de Reims district of Champagne.
This wine eventually became known as La Grande Dame - “the great lady” - and along with this rosé, there is also a La Grande Dame Brut; these wines are produced from the finest vintages in Champagne; typically this happens about every three or four years, but there is not set rule, as production of these cuvées depends on weather conditions during the growing season. The last La Grande Dame Rosé before the current 2015 was the 2012, and before that was the 2008. As for the next release of this cuvée, well that’s a highly regarded secret - we’ll have to wait for the release.
La Grande Dame Rosé is a blended rosé; it is not made according to the saignée method as with some rosé Champagnes where the color comes from the skins of the red grapes. Rather it is a blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay - Veuve Clicquot has always been a Pinot Noir house - blended with 13% Pinot Noir red wine from the Clos Colin vineyard, the same parcel used by Madame Clicquot back in 1818.
This is unquestionably a special wine, a rosé of great finesse and impressive complexity. Cellar Master Didier Mariotti describes the wine in these words: “La Grand Dame 2015 is the essence of Madame Clicquot: the perfect expression of her force of character, her energy, her crativivity and above all, her love of Pinot Noir.”
I don’t think I can improve on that poetic narrative, but here are my tasting notes on the La Grande Dame Rosé 2015:
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé 2015 - Simply beautiful coral/orange/ strawberry hue; aromas of orange peel, strawberry, peach, orange roses and persimmon. Medium-full, with excellent concentration; elegant entry on the palate, very good acidity and significant persistence with delicate red spice notes in the finish. This is beautifully balanced and offers such wonderful charm and finesse; this is a rosé Champagne of admirable subtlety. Other recent vintages, such as 2012 and 2008 have been richer on the palate, but as far as sheer and immediate pleasure, the 2015 is unparalled. Enjoy over the next 5-8 years, longer if you prefer an older Champagne. (95)
