Prestige Cuvées

12/17/2018 Prestige Cuvées Prestige Cuvée • Define –Top Cuvée from a Producer? • Members of the Club Tresors de Champagne ‐ produce Special Club Champagne –not a prestige cuvée • Philipponnat does not consider Clos des Goisses their prestige cuvée – 1522 Brut and Rosé • Domain of Large Houses (Cooperatives) –Roederer, Veuve Clicquot, Deutz, Taittinger, Feuillatte, et al • No official definition from the CIVC in Epernay • Thibaut Mailloux – communication director of CIVC‐ “A prestige cuvée is what a producer declares as a prestige cuvée. Generally the most expensive one, but it’s not a rule. There are rosés, whites, vintages or blends. It’s purely declarative.” History of Prestige Cuvée • Generally agreed that origins of prestige cuvée can be traced back to Roederer • 1876 –Tsar Alexander ll of Russia was one of the most important clients of Roederer; he had asked the house to reserve their best cuvée for him every year. To identify this cuvée, the house packaged it in a flat‐bottomed, transparent, lead crystal bottle. New blend was named after this material, which is transparent and luminous. • 1936 – Dom Perignon was introduced to the market –first vintage was 1921 –First vintage of Cristal available to the public was the 1945 • 1959 –Bernard de Nonacourt at Laurent‐Perrier introduces the first multi‐vintage prestige cuvée –Grand Siècle (“Great century” –name derived from 17th century when France enjoyed its most illustrious era under the reign of Louis XIV 1 12/17/2018 Dom Pérignon • For years, considered the best wine of Moet & Chandon, but today, Dom Pérignon is separate – winery in Hautvillers, with its own winemaking team •2008 Legacy Edition honors two chef de caves: Richard Geoffroy (since 1990) and his successor Vincent Chaperon (assisting Geoffroy since 2005) • 2008 released in the fall of 2018, after the release of the 2009 the previous year • 2008 –cold, growing season, grey, overcast skies – as harvest commenced, perfect weather: blue skies and ideal wind conditions Dom Pérignon Vineyards at Hautvillers • Grapes are sourced from 8 Grand Cru villages as well as Hautvillers (Premier Cru) • Blend is close to 50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay • Reductive style –Dom Perignon is not aged in oak • Always a millésime –no reserve wines used • P2 –disgorged between 10 and 15 years after vintage • P3 – released between 20 and 25 years –tiny amount Richard Geoffroy Quotes • “I think that Dom Pérignon is playing the game of vintage more than anybody. We have been pushing the envelope of vintage.” • Produced a 2003, which surprised many, as that was a torridly hot year. For Geoffroy, this is one of his favorite vintages. “Everyone has been telling me that it would age more forwardly, but it has been aging slower … when it comes back as P2, it is going to be awesome.” • Vintage differences: 2004 “mid‐weight” – 2003, “super‐substantial, rather dramatic.” • No 2007 Dom Perignon • He states that his job has been to “raise the character” of Dom Perignon. “More complete, more embracing, more harmony, even greater mouthfeel. So much of a seamless glide and more minerality.” 2 12/17/2018 Roederer Cristal • 2008 is current vintage – released after the 2009 • Ten years before release‐ longest aging time before release for Cristal / 8 years on the lees • 60% Pinot Noir / 40% Chardonnay • 20% aged in oak casks / 20% malolactic / dosage 8 g/l • Grand Crus from Montagne de Reims, Marne Valley and Côte des Blancs • 2008 – unusually dry and cool summer –vibrant acidity and powerful concentration •Article by Margaret Rand –November 23, 2018 • https://www.wine‐searcher.com/m/2018/11/cristal‐ champagnes‐do‐over‐vintage • Chef de caves Jean‐Baptiste Lécaillon, “We made 2008 remembering 1996 every day. There were many similarities. We tried to correct our mistakes.” • 1996 –“should have left grapes on the vine for another week” – laboratory ripeness –no malolactic / 2008 aromatic and phenolic ripeness – 20% malolactic Piper‐Heidsieck Rare • First made from 1976 vintage – subsequent releases of 1979, 1985, 1988, 1998, 1999 and 2002 –one release of Rare Rosé from 2007 vintage • Chef de caves Régis Camus strives for distinctiveness / 70% Chardonnay, primarily from Montagne de Reims (more muscular style of Chardonnay than from Côte des Blancs); 30% Pinot Noir, primarily from Ay. • Dosage 11 g/l • Rare was created with the spirit of Marie Antoinette in mind – revolutionary spirit • Special bottle –first designed in 18th century –“La Pinte Majeure” – originally asymmetrical shoulders – now updated design –golden lacy crown Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame • First vintage – 1962, released in 1972 – 200th anniversary of the house • 2008 is current release –first La Grand Dame made from start to finish by chef de caves Dominique Demarville • 92% Pinot Noir (Verzenay, Bouzy, Ay, Verzy, Ambonnay), 8% Chardonnay (Le Mesnil sur Oger) • Traditionally LGD had been 60/40 PN/Chardonnay • Demarville – “2008 was a great vintage for all varieties. Good level of sugar at harvest; strong acidity level (8.6 g/l in sulfuric). Ripening season was exceptional – sunny and dry with cool nights” • Next two releases of La Grand Dame will be the 2012 and 2015 –also more than 90% Pinot Noir • 2008 –dosage 6 g/l 3 12/17/2018 Perrier‐Jouët Belle Epoque • Current release 2011 –Traditional blend of 50% Chardonnay (Cramant, Avize); 45% Pinot Noir (Montagne de Reims), 5% Meunier (Dizy) • 6 years on the lees / dosage 9 g/l • First release from 1964 vintage –sold through Maxim’s and Fauchon, a luxury grocery store in Paris • Special bottle with hand painted flowers was first created in 1902 – Emile Gallé‐ Art Nouveau movement • Too expensive to continue this practice Mischer Traxler ‐ Austria Ritsue Mishima, Japan Henriot Cuvée Hemera • Newest prestige cuvée –this replaces Cuvée des Enchanteleurs • Why the change? – Enchanteleurs – difficult to pronounce / Hemera is much more in the Henriot style, as Enchanteleurs was oxidized style – Hemera, fresher • Hemera – Greek goddess of day and light • 50% Chardonnay (Chouilly, Mesnil‐sur‐Oger, Avize)/ 50% Pinot Noir (Mailly, Verzy, Verzenay –Montagne de Reims) • 2005 –first release –aged more than 11 years on lees • Dosage 5 g/l 4 12/17/2018 Laurent‐Perrier Grand Siècle • Introduced in 1959 –blend of wines from three vintages • Chardonnay 55% ‐ Pinot Noir 45% ‐ Fruit sourced from 11 of the 17 Grand Cru Villages (Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil‐sur‐Oger, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Mailly et al) • Aging in cellars (including bottle aging) between 7 and 8 years •Current release –blend of 2002, 2004, 2006 – disgorged in October 2017 • Special bottle with swan’s neck design – recreation of early Champagne bottles at the French royal court Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill • Pol Roger was Winston Churchill’s favorite Champagne • Famous quote: “Remember, gentlemen, it’s not just France we’re fighting for, it’s Champagne.” • Pol Roger knew of Churchill’s love for their Champagne, so they proposed the idea of this cuvée to his family after his passing in 1965. First vintage was 1975, released in 1984 • Pol Roger does not share many details about the wines, except that the blend is primarily Pinot Noir • Only produced in the finest vintages, and always released later than other vintage Champagnes from Pol Roger – 2008 is the 17th version produced • Full malolactic –matured in deepest cellars in Champagne –hand riddled Salon • One wine‐ Salon –prestige cuvée – 100% Chardonnay from a one hectare parcel in the village of Le Mesnil‐sur‐Oger that is owned by the winery –“Salon’s garden” • Wine is aged typically for ten years before release • Chardonnay deemed not of sufficient quality goes to sister winery Delamotte for their Blanc de Blancs • 41 vintages have been produced ‐Initial vintage 1905 that was released in 1911 • 37 vintages in the 20th century –4 vintages to date in the 21st century –current release 2007 • Maxim’s house Champagne in the 1920s‐ achieved great fame 5 12/17/2018 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires • First release from 1983 vintage (released in 1993) • Replaced “Champagne Charlie” • Since the 1983, the house has only released four vintages: 1985, 1990, 1995, 2004 • 2004‐ aged 13 years in cellars –very deep and old cellars –“Les Crayeres” (chalk cellars from the 3rd century) • 100% Chardonnay –sourced from 5 villages of the Côte des Blancs: Oger (structure), Le Mesnil‐sur‐Oger (balance), Avize (minerality), Cramant (complexity), Vertus (freshness and floral notes) Taittinger Comtes de Champagne • Blanc de Blancs – 100% Chardonnay • Grapes all from Côte des Blancs – primarily from Avize and Le Mesnil‐sur‐Oger • 5% is aged in oak –one‐third new –oldest barrels are four years old • 100% malolcatic • First vintage – 1952 –only 30 releases since • Current release ‐ 2007 Ruinart Dom Ruinart •Blanc de Blancs –all Grand Cru villages‐ both Côte des Blancs (Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil sur‐Oger, et al) and Montagne de Reims (Sillery, Puisieulx) • Montagne de Reims fruit is one‐third of blend – adds weight on the palate • Tom Stevenson –“In its youth, it often has common denominators with Chablis” 6 12/17/2018 Prestige Cuvée Rosé • Several famous examples: Perrier‐Jouët Belle Epoque, La Grand Dame, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Roederer Cristal • All of these are made in the traditional method in Champagne of adding a small percentage of red wine –for La Grand Dame, that means Pinot Noir from a prized vineyard in Bouzy known as Clos Colin • Dom Perignon Rosé – typically 50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay –vintage dated, released after classic Dom Perignon bottling

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