Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2002

Perrier-Jouët own twenty-seven hectares of Grand Cru plots in the Chardonnay-dominant village of Cramant. The two that are most precious to the House are Bourons Leroy and Bourons du Midi, as both plots contain rare pockets of pure chalk soil. The prestige cuvée, Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs, is a unique blend of grapes from both of these very rare vineyards: an exclusive champagne that represents just one percent of the total Belle Epoque production.

In 1902, Emile Gallé designed a unique new bottle to express the vibrancy and spirit of the era. A swirl of Japanese anemones wreathed in gold was painted onto four custom-made magnums. However, this was too expensive for mass production and only became a permanent feature on the bottles from 1969 when the first Belle Epoque cuvée was released.

Weather: The 2002 vintage shaped up magnificently over the spring, with no significant frost and near-perfect flowering. Then followed a summer marked by long, sunny periods interspersed with regular cloudy and rainy spells. The vines were in good health and the dehydration of the grape berries helped them reach new heights of ripeness. Generally considered one of the best harvests in the last twenty years.

News Article: Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2002 performed well in our comprehensive Prestige Cuvées from 2002 blind tasting in October 2016 with Jancis Robinson MW. Read the full write-up here.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Cramant: Bourons Leroy, Bourons du Midi
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Ageing: 8 years on the lees
Dosage: 8 g/l
Drink: Now to 2028

Tasting Note: A perfect growing season in 2002 created grapes of incredible ripeness. This rare champagne is a pale yellow colour with a stream of fine bubbles. On the nose: hints of lemon and citrus. On the palate: a freshness of tropical fruits and hints of fresh ginger. A tremendous expression of the best vintage in champagne.

Champagne Perrier-Jouët was formed from the marriage of Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Adéle Jouët in 1811. Three years later, they bought a building on the famous Avenue de Champagne and this became, and still is, the headquarters of the House. Two centuries of heritage handed down from only seven Cellar Masters has ensured that the craftsmanship and elegance of their champagnes has remained consistent.

Chardonnay is the backbone of the Perrier-Jouët style. Requiring time to fully develop, they are typically reductive in character, quite closed and mineral in their youth. Given time to age slowly, their potential is magnificent. After spending ten years under the apprenticeship of his predecessor, Hervé Deschamps became Chef de Caves in 1993, his long tenure guaranteeing the philosophy of this historic House will survive in the continued creation of its unique style.

Cellar Master: Hervé Deschamps
Winery Location: Épernay | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Côte des Blancs
Annual Production (bottles): 2,400,000