Champagne Prestige Cuvee Flashcards
Andre Clouet
Andre Clouet 1911
100% pinot noir from Clouet’s 10 best plots, dubbed by Jean-Francois ‘the golden square of Bouzy’; 50% Fermented in Sauternes barriques; 50% solera of reserve wines; full malolactic fermentation; a symbolic production of just 1911 bottles; 6g/L dosage.
Chef de Cave: Jean Francois Clouet
Labels made by Jean Francois great grandfather in 1911(harking back to the families printer heritage days making books for the king since 1911
Andre Jacquart
EXPERIENCE MILLESIME LE MESNIL-SUR-OGER
This is a Blanc de Blancs with all the fruit being sourced from the Grand Cru village of Les Mesnil Sur Oger. According to winemaker Marie Doyard there is approximately 60-70% Les Chetillons in this Cuveé which is one of the most prized vineyards in this village. The vines are an average of 70 years of age, which adds immediate depth of flavour and character. Combine this with the base wine coming from the excellent 2008 vintage as well as 20% reserve wines, a minimum of 5 years aged on lees, 100% fermentation in Burgundy barrels, no malo-lactic fermentation and Zero dosage and the result is something quite magnificent.
Ayala
Cuvée Perle d’Ayala: Ayala has two fabulous prestige cuvées, its ethereal Perle d’Ayala, and its rarer Perle d’Ayala Nature (with no dosage added). Although now owned by Champagne Bollinger and located close to Bollinger in the village of Aÿ, Champagne Ayala’s style for all of its wines is very different from Bollinger; Ayala specializes in elegant, very dry, light-bodied Champagnes. Chardonnay plays a key role in both Perle d’Ayalas, both being 80 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Pinot Noir.
(50% Le Mesnil -sur-Oger, 20%Cramant, 25% Chouilly and 20% Ay Pinot Noir)
Nicolas Feuillatte
Palmes d’Or:
No Champagne brand has grown so remarkably as Nicolas Feuillatte, which is the leading brand name Champagne of the huge Centre Vinicole, composed of 85 co-operatives. Nicolas Feuillatte has existed as a brand since only 1976, and yet it’s the third-largest selling Champagne in the world today. Its prestige cuvée, Palmes d’Or, made from all Grand Cru and Premier Cru grapes, and 60 percent Chardonnay, 40 percent Pinot Noir, is lively and flavorful, This is a primary fruit forward style with dosage on the more heavy handed side
G.H, Mumm,
Cuvée R. Lalou: Mumm has re-introduced René Lalou, its successful prestige cuvée from 1966 to 1985, named after its legendary president who spent 50 years with Mumm. Quality slipped at Mumm when it was sold to Seagram’s in 1985. But the house, still fourth-largest, had a renaissance when Dominique Demarville became Chef de Cave in 1998. Currently, Didier Mariotti is carrying on ably in his place. (Seagram’s sold G.H. Mumm in 1999; it is now owned by Pernod). The R. Lalou is 50 percent Chardonnay from Cramant and Avize, 50 percent Pinot Noir from Verzy, Verzanay, Ay, Mailly, Bouzy and Ambonnay, is a soft, easy-drinking Champagne
6 g Dosage
Long lees ageing
Chef de Cave: Didier Mariotti
Perrier-Jouët,
Cuvée Belle Epoque: Perrier-Jouët produces three Belle Epoque (a.k.a. Fleur de Champagne) prestige cuvées, with a stunning Epoque Rosé and Epoque Blanc de blancs making up the trio” 50 percent of old-vine Chardonnay grapes brings a creamy chalky depth from the Grand Cru village of Cramant, Avize, Le Mesnil - sur-Oger and Oger bring .
45% Pinot Noir from Mailly, Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay .
5% Pinot Meunier from Dizy and Venteuil
6 years on lees
9 g dosage
Chef de Cave: Herve Deschamps
Piper-Heidsieck,
Rare: Piper-Heidsieck is a seriously underrated Champagne house because of its image as a mass market “commercial” brand, which it was 30 years ago. Although Piper-Heidsieck is still a large house (seventh-largest), Piper is now making excellent Champagne, First Rare vintage was 1976. 2002, 1998 and 1988 are highly regarded vintages. Made from 70 percent Chardonnay from Avize Vertus and the Montagne de Reim, and 30 percent Pinot Noir from Ay,
11g dosage
Chef de Cave: Regis Camus
Pommery
Cuvée Louise: Pommery is one of France’s most renowned Champagne houses. Established in 1836, Madame Pommery is credited with creating the first vintage ‘brut’ style of Champagne in 1874, at a time when most Champagnes were excessively sweetened with sugar. This revolutionary dry style set the benchmark for the rest of Champagne and it is in this spirit that the style of Pommery endures. When Champagne Pommery was sold to the huge Vranken Company in 2002, many followers of Pommery feared for the house’s future. The good news is that Vranken held on to the vineyards that produced Pommery’s prestige cuvée, Louise–which has always been Pommery’s shining star. Louise is a dry, classy Champagne that ages magnificently, its sister, Louise Rosé, also drinks well,
A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, the grapes are sourced from the prestigious vineyards of Avize, Cramant and Ay
Champagne Deutz,
Cuvée William Deutz:
Louis Roederer bought a majority interest in the house in 1993. Purity of fruit is preserved through fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Located in the village of Ay.
Chef de Cave: Michel Davesne
Pascal Doquet
Champagne Pascal Doquet Vieilles Vignes, Le Mesnil: Pascal Doquet’s old-vines Grand Cru, Le Mesnil, from the great blanc de blancs village Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
Vines date from 1929
Vinified in tanks and 15% Oak Barrels.
Aged 5 months in tanks and barrels on lees and 9 years in bottles.
No Malo
5.5g dosage
Meticulous organic approach
Charles Heidsieck
Blanc des Millénaires
Masses of reserve wines. Long ageing in pristine cellars. Relentless pursuit of quality
100% The A list of the Cote de Blanc: Cramant, Avize, Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Vertus.
Fermentation in stainless steel
Min 10 years in the cellar
11g dosage
Also Champagne Charlie
The House decided to create a Champagne Charlie cuvée in tribute to the audacity of its founder. 5 vintages exist: 1979, 1981 1982, 1983 and 1985.
Henriot
Cuvée des Enchanteleurs: Henriot Family owned House 25-30 year vine age 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir from Mailly-champagne, Verzy, Verzanay, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize and Chouilly. Rich and powerful style 12 years on Lees 8-10 g dosage
Lanson,
Noble Cuvée: Lanson makes three prestige cuvées called Noble Cuvée; the blended Noble Cuvée, a vintage Blanc de Blancs Noble Cuvée, and a non-vintage Rosé Noble Cuvée.
Distinctive House style of blocking malolactic fermentation makes for high strung age worthy champagne
Rose:
62% Chard 38% PN
Blanc de Blancs:
Avize and Cremant
10 g dosage
Blend:
70.5% Chard 29.5% PN
Laurent-Perrier,
Grand Siècle: Laurent-Perrier is the largest privately-owned Champagne house and the fifth-largest house.
Grand Siècle, is always a blend of three vintages from the best crus in only the finest years.
Long Lees ageing (at least 4 years) Consumers are oblivious to this as there is no dates or vintages listed on the label.
55 percent Chardonnay, 45 percent Pinot Noir.
8 g dosage
Also Grand Siecle Alexandria Brut Rose
80% GC Pinot Noir frpm Ambonnay, Bouzy, Louvois, Mailly, Verzenay and Tours-sur - marne.
20% Chard from Avize, Cramant, Chouily, and Le Mesnil - sur - oger
Bruno Paillard,
Nec Plus Ultra, Grand Cru: Bruno Paillard’s N.P.U., as his prestige cuvée is known, is a clear deviation from the light, very delicate, and very elegant Paillard style. Only 4 vintages
made 1999 1990, 1995, and 1996. This is a medium to-full-bodied Champagne, 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Pinot Noir, that is fermented in small oak barrels, and then aged in these barrels for nine months. Aged for 12 years before it was release. The grapes from only Grand Cru villages are selected for the N.P.U., and the dosage is a low 4 grams/l. s.
