-
97
/ 100
Decanter -
95
/ 100
James Suckling -
95
/ 100
Wine and Spirits Magazine -
95
/ 100
Wine Spectator
Sparkling
Classification
Pinot/Chardonnay
Variety
2008
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Champagne,
Region
12.0%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
97 / 100"Now almost blanc de noirs, boasting 92% Pinot Noir and just 8% Chardonnay from 60%-70% estate vineyards. La Grande Dame is one of the most affordable of Champagne’s elite prestige set, and the stunning 2008 vintage was intricately engineered by the masterful Dominique Demarville for the long haul. It unites all of the enduring potential of its thundering grands crus with the tension and energy of this legendary season, colliding high-tensile acidity with deep, fine, powdery chalk minerality, bringing its finish into stark focus"
- Decanter
95 / 100
"Still very youthful, this proves that pinot noir can give super-elegant, cool and tightly focused Champagne. Toastiness and spice build on the very long and tightly wound finish. Almost a blanc de noirs with just 10% Chardonnay blended into the overwhelming majority of Pinot Noir."
- James Suckling
95 / 100
"This is a sunny and delicious 2008, with brightness infusing the wine, from its platinum color to its mineral intensity, transforming its richness and power into cool elegance. Notes of agave and cassia bark add depth, suggesting the complexity this will develop with further bottle age"
- Wine and Spirits Magazine
95 / 100
"An elegant Champagne, powered by a sculpted frame of acidity and minerality, this wears the refined, lacy mousse and well-meshed flavors of black currant, lemon curd, toast and marzipan like finely tailored clothing. Fresh and lasting, with hints of spice and smoke on the finish."
- Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
How does Veuve Clicquot’s cellarmaster Dominique Demarville do it? This high wire Prestige Cuvée act walks the tightrope with such confidence and ease. Unusually for the house, the blend is just 53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay but like every great champagne its ‘ying and yang’ are in perfect symmetry. So we have the volume, structure and depth balanced by the cut and thrust of the acidity. On the palate are layers of cream, honey, nuts, brioche, pear, marzipan and ginger. The texture is shimmeringly silky and full. The finish alone deserves an ovation and demands an encore. Bravo.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
- Smooth
- Complex