Have you ever tasted something so incredible it transports you to another place and time? One of the magical things about wine is its ability to sweep you away to the place the grapes were grown, and the cellar where the wine was made and nurtured. One taste of a unique wine can have you imagining the history of the people that made their mark on each bottle. The first Sparkling wine that truly swept me away was found in my Dad's cellar: The Veuve Clicquot.
This iconic Champagne House is located in Reims, in the heart of the Champagne in northern France. This Champagne House was founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, who was joined by his son Francois. After the untimely death of Francois, however, his widow, Barbe Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin took over the House in 1805 at the age of 27, and become one of the first powerful women of the wine industry. The history of the Veuve Clicquot is fascinating, and I highly recommend The Window Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Women Who Ruled It by Tilar Mazzeo. This incredible book captures the history and mystique of the story, and is best paired with a couch, on a Sunday, with a glass of bubbles!
The non-vintage Brut Yellow Label is comprised of premium grapes grown in 50-60 vineyards. The blend of grapes is 50-55% Pinot Noir, 15-20% Pinot Meunier and 28-33% Chardonnay. Tasting Note:
Nose: Brioche, ripe lemon, lemon poppy-seed cake
Palate: Follows the nose with subtle hazelnut, ripe lemon with perfectly balanced acidity and elegant, refined mousse leading to a lingering finish.
Food Match: A traditional pairing is Champagne and caviar, decadence with decadence... but if you are not in the mood for caviar, this rich sparkling wine is incredible with salted potato chips! Champagne and potato chips? Absolutely, it is one of my favourite pairings!
Alcohol: 12%
Price: $67.95
Please click on my Special Bottles page to see an incredible vintage Veuve Clicquot I was lucky enough to taste.
Here is a great clip about Veuve Clicquot and how to serve and taste it from the Champagne House itself! Happy sipping!
Champagne and potato chips eh? Hmmm. I think I will just have to try this one.
ReplyDeleteGillian, your blog is so fun and playful. I love reading it and learning more about something I already love!
Great post Gillian!! I love how you incorporated the history into this post. I'm not usually a wine drinker but the addition of potato chips intrigues me. I am excited to try this on a special occasion!
ReplyDeleteI love champagne and want to try Veuve Clicquot! The history of this Champagne house is really interesting, and I will keep your book recommendation in mind when looking for a biography to read. Your Tasting Notes are so useful and your knowledge of wine really comes through in all of your posts Gillian!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Gillian - comes across as incredibly well researched and the history you provided is interesting. Not big into wine but I'll have to give this one a shot.
ReplyDeleteLike Sara, I too love champagne. A goal in life is for me to be able to taste all the wines in the region and then expand outwards to the world's wines, but first I need to have some money to buy all these fantastic products like you have been advertising in your blog.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the sense of special occasion that surrounds Veuve Clicquot!! A friend of mine bought me a bottle for my birthday once and I still have the box - there's something so exquisite and decadent about it, that I just can't part with it!
ReplyDeleteThere is just something so satisfying about popping a bottle of champagne. I have yet to try this particular one, and conveniently my birthday is coming up. I know what we will be drinking with our dessert.
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