Created in 1972 to celebrate the bicentenary of the House, La Grande Dame is a tribute to Madame Clicquot also known as ‘La Grande Dame de la Champagne’. Veuve Clicquot's prestige cuvée, it is an exclusive blend of eight of their historical Grand Crus and is a mineral and fresh expression of the Veuve Clicquot style.

Weather in 1979: A year that proved satisfactory for many winemakers, both in quality and quantity. Following a cold, rainy spring, the return of the sun and warmer temperatures fostered good growth of the vines. The harvest in early October offered up bunches of shimmering golden Chardonnay grapes.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Pinot Noir: Ambonnay, Aÿ, Bouzy, Verzenay, Verzy | Chardonnay: Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Grape Varieties: 67% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 9 years
Disgorged: January 2018
Dosage: 4 g/l
Alcohol: 12%
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: Unfurling in the glass with a rich bouquet of orange rind, clear honey, coniferous forest floor, wheat toast and hints of black truffle. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's textural and concentrated, with lively acids, a pinpoint mousse and a long, saline finish. This is a muscular, intense Grande Dame at the peak of its powers. - Tasted by William Kelley

Founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot is a House steeped in rich history that owes its success largely to one woman, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot-Ponsardin. Madame Clicquot also invented the riddling rack on her kitchen table, an apparatus that removes the sediment from the bottle after second fermentation still used in the region today. Veuve Clicquot own a respectable 382 hectares of vineyards with an emphasis on Pinot Noir. The House maintains the largest collection of old reserve wines in Champagne, these help give Yellow Label its complexity while ensuring the high quality is maintained in the world’s second bestselling Champagne brand. In 2008 Dominique Demarville joined as Cellar Master, he “refreshed the brand” including increasing the proportion of Pinot Noir in La Grande Dame to 90%+ and with blending shifts he brought a new freshness in Yellow Label. In 2019 Didier Mariotti took over as Cellar Master.

Privileged to a respectable 382-hectare estate with facilities to envy, Veuve Clicquot today run an immense operation in Reims. The House style is voluptuous and deeply fruity with a preference for Pinot Noir dominance. An unusually large proportion of old reserve wines give their non-vintage champagne nuances and depth not found elsewhere and their vintage expressions are deliciously ageing classics.

Cellar Master: Didier Mariotti
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): Undisclosed