Veuve Clicquot has unveiled the tenth edition of its prestigious La Grande Dame Rosé, a Pinot Noir-dominated blend from the 2015 vintage.
The La Grande Dame range, first introduced in 1972 with the 1960 vintage, honors the house’s iconic namesake, Madame Clicquot. Both the white and rosé versions of La Grande Dame are among the house’s most esteemed offerings.
La Grande Dame Rosé 2015 pays homage to Madame Clicquot in two significant ways. Firstly, it adheres to a long-standing tradition of vintage Champagnes, tracing back to Madame Clicquot’s creation of the first single-harvest Champagne in 1810. Secondly, it celebrates her pioneering role in rosé production. Her 1818 rosé, believed to be the first to blend red wine into white Champagne, introduced the method known as rosé d’assemblage, which now predominates rosé Champagne production. Prior to this innovation, rosé Champagnes were typically made using extended maceration of red grapes.
The 2015 vintage blend consists of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, sourced from some of Champagne’s most renowned crus: Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, Bouzy, and Aÿ, and Chardonnay from Avize and Mesnil-sur-Oger. The Pinot Noir red wine used in this release comes from the 1.3-hectare Clos Colin parcel in Bouzy, a site acquired by the house in 1741 and expanded by Madame Clicquot herself. This vineyard, known for its high-intensity light and well-drained clay-limestone soils, produces grapes with ripe tannins and concentrated aromas.
The 2015 vintage is marketed as an embodiment of "optimism through color." At its release event, it was described as an “exceptional year” characterized by low rainfall and ample sunshine. Speaking to db’s Giles Fallowfield last year, Veuve Clicquot cellar master Didier Mariotti praised the 2015 vintage as a “generous, solar vintage,” emphasizing its favorable growing conditions and generous yield compared to the 2012 vintage. He noted that 2015 was particularly favorable for Pinot Noir.
The new vintage will be available this year with a recommended retail price (RRP) of GBP 225 (EUR 263) for the 75cl bottle. Like its white counterpart, La Grande Dame 2015, the packaging for the rosé will be designed by Italian ceramic artist Paola Paronetto, following the tradition set by Yayoi Kusama, who designed the packaging for the 2012 vintage.
Source: The Drinks Business