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 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Relatively low yields due to various weather conditions throughout the year. The winter months brought some frosts and hail which damaged the early stages of bud burst. August and September were very warm and this helped rescue and give the grapes a stunning maturity.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Pinot Nour: Ay, Mailly, Verzy and Rilly & Chardonnay: Cramant, Avize and Le Mesnil.
Grape Varieties: 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir
Ageing: 8 years on the lees
Dosage: 8 g/l
Drink: Now to 2028

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