The freshness and structure of a great vintage champagne signed Veuve Clicquot
The property

Today, Veuve Clicquot has become a globally successful brand. The myth of Veuve Clicquot was created by a woman: Madame Clicquot. It was in 1798 that François Clicquot married the daughter of Baron Nicolas Ponsardin. Son of the founder of the Maison de Champagne Clicquot, he passed on her passion to his wife, introducing her to the secrets of making champagne. When her husband died prematurely, at the age of 27 she took the reins of the Maison Veuve Clicquot Champagne with determination. Driven by an innate sense of innovation and a perpetual quest for perfection, she invented the crivelling table and marketed the first blended rosé champagne. Veuve Clicquot has made this uncompromising requirement its motto: "Only one quality, the best".

The vineyard

With 390 hectares of land, Veuve Clicquot has one of the largest vineyards in Champagne. This vineyard is also exceptional in its quality, as it covers 12 of the 17 Grands Crus and 20 of the 44 Premiers Crus of the Champagne region.

The wine

Released in 1972 to celebrate the maison's bicentenary, "La Grande Dame" pays homage to Madame Clicquot. Pioneer and visionary, Madame Clicquot was known at the time as "La Grande Dame de la Champagne". This exceptional and rare cuvée is characterized by its freshness, its silky mouth, its elegance and its minerality. The 2008 vintage of La Grande Dame is characterized by the predominance of Pinot Noir in the blend, which gives the wine its vinous structure and power.

The vintage

An exceptional vintage, 2008 is in line with the greatest vintages of the Maison Veuve Clicquot. Alongside the extraordinary vintages of 1995, 1985 and 1979 for its remarkable acidity, 2008 stood out for the exceptional quality of the grapes.

Assembly

Veuve Clicquot's Grande Dame 2008 is made with a blend of six of the maison's historic Grands Crus. The blend is dominated by pinot noir (92%) from the crus of Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy and Verzenay, and by chardonnay (8%) from Mesnil-sur-Oger.

Vinification and ageing

Prestigious champagne, the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2008 is aged for 10 years in the centenary cellars of the maison.