Veuve Clicquot : La Grande Dame by Yayoi Kusama 2012

The precision and balance of a great vintage champagne

The property

An emblematic reference among the great names of Champagne, the Veuve Clicquot House has built its reputation since its creation in 1772 thanks to a woman: Madame Clicquot. In a few years and at the end of the 18th century, Madame Clicquot will establish herself as the "Great lady of Champagne" and will be at the origin of the invention of the riddling table with the motto "only one quality, the very first". World-renowned, the Veuve Clicquot Champagne House stands out with its bottles recognizable at first glance and adorned with a yellow label, inspired by the rising sun, with cuvées in a vinous style.

The vineyard

Owner of 390 hectares, the Veuve Clicquot House owns one of the largest vineyards in Champagne. This vineyard is also exceptional for its quality as it is spread over 12 of the 17 Grands Crus and 20 of the 44 Premiers Crus of the Champagne.

The wine

An original and unique creation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, La Grande Dame 2012 pays tribute to "The great lady of Champagne ", Madame Clicquot. The artist has highlighted the pea and the flower, her signatures, to dress the case and the bottle of La Grande Dame 2012.

Made from grapes mainly from the Grands Crus and historical plots of the House, this high-end cuvée pays tribute to Madame Clicquot, nicknamed "the great lady of Champagne" for her innovative and daring spirit.

Faithful to Madame Clicquot's will, La Grande Dame 2012 celebrates the pinot noir, an emblematic grape variety at the origin of the vinous identity and structure of Veuve Clicquot cuvées.

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama signs an exclusive creation for the Veuve Clicquot House, in tribute to Madame Clicquot and the 2012 vintage. True to her style, she revisits the case and the bottle of La Grande Dame 2012 with her emblematic motifs: pea and flower.

The vintage

The year 2012 is marked by particularly unstable weather. If spring starts with a rainfall 60% higher than average, it is followed by a late frost episode as well as violent hailstorms that strongly impact more than 1,000 hectares of the Champagne vineyard. Frosts, heavy rains, storms, hail and cold follow one another until mid-flowering before the appearance of warm and dry conditions during the summer and until the end of the harvest.

Perfect expression of the solar maturity of this vintage despite low yields, the harvested grapes are ripe, intense and balanced, reminiscent of the 1989 and 2002 harvests. Capricious year, 2012 exceeded the expectations of the winemakers by revealing itself as an exceptional year. Despite the small quantity of harvested grapes, all these reasons convinced the Cellar Master to declare this year 2012 to give birth to a new edition of La Grande Dame.

Vinification and aging

Dosed at 6g/L, this 2012 vintage champagne benefits from an aging of more than 7 years within the centenary chalk pits of the house.

Blend

For this 2012 vintage, pinot noir represents 90% of the blend of La Grande Dame with grapes from historical Grands Crus such as Aÿ, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy. The remaining 10% are completed by chardonnay from the Grands Crus of Avize and Mesnil-sur-Oger.

Characteristics and tasting advice for La Grande Dame by Yayoi Kusama 2012

Tasting

Nose
On the nose, aromas of white fruits such as pear and quince intertwine with notes of white flowers evoking jasmine, accompanied by touches of fresh almonds and frangipane.

Palate
On the palate, La Grande Dame 2012 reveals flavors of bitter orange zest, dried apricots and roasted hazelnuts. Subtle smoky touches, honey and cane sugar enrich its beautiful minerality.

Food & wine pairings

To enhance La Grande Dame 2012, the Garden Gastronomy offers a cuisine centered on exceptional vegetables and fruits, where meat and fish become subtle condiments, embodying a responsible and sustainable culinary vision.

Service

To best appreciate the complexity of this great vintage champagne signed Veuve Clicquot, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 10 and 12°C.

Storage

Storage approximately 15 years.