Another spectacular Champagne night at Graileys! Last night we hosted the lovely winemaker of Veuve Clicquot, Delphine Laborde, for our annual Veuve Clicquot Champagne Dinner and what a wonderful evening it was with good food, fabulous bubbles and great friends. As our cherished members came in for the event, we started with the NV Veuve Clicquot Brut Rose- a lot brighter in fruit and weight than previous bottlings with popping notes of strawberries, crushed raspberries and lemon with hints of rhubarb and spice. A wonderful bottle of Champagne Rose to start any evening or to pop by the pool on a lazy summer day.
We all sat down for a four course dinner prepared by one of our favorite local chefs, Top Chef Tre Wilcox, and a flight of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. From the 2004 Vintage Gold Label to the 1982 Cave privee and Roses and La Grande Dame in between, we sipped through each glass course by course while Delphine shared her thoughts on the vintages and the grapes held in each Champagne in the flight.
2004 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Gold Label- Very fresh and bright. Yellow flowers, apple blossoms and yellow apples, limestone and chalk with hints of sour dough. Good structure with active bubbles for a leaner stance in the palate.
2008 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Gold Label Rose- 15% red wine from the great Grand Cru Pinot Noir village of Bouzy. Uber fresh, more so than the ’04 Brut with notes of green strawberry to just ripe strawberry and tart cranberry. Phenomenal structure, silky texture, laser-like focus and great weight! This will age beautifully for decades!! This was one of the crowd favorites, as was one of mine.
2006 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut- The first thing that stood out with the La Grande Dame is that the texture is explosive! While the Vintage Gold Labels offered creamy bubbles, the La Grande Dame offers that plus more. Ultra creamy, completely round texture and the flavors just coat the entire mouth with bountiful notes of white flowers, white peach, green apples and white cherry pith. Entirely from Grand Cru villages, La Grande Dame was a clear step above the Vintage Brut.
2006 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Rose- Even riper and fresher than the 08 Vintage Rose with juicy raspberries and ripe strawberries that dominate the nose and the palate. Limestone, cherry blossoms and bright spice play well with the fruit while notes of flint and its powerful round texture gives it that extra ‘oomph’.
1982 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Cave Privee- Wow! It was alive and shining! Very complex with notes of overripe melon, brown pear, warm vanilla and spice. Dried herbs and dried white flowers also present with unending dimensions of savory flavors from white mushrooms, aged parmesan cheese crystals to dry sherry and smoke.
Winemaker of Veuve Clicquot Delphine Laborde
Delphine’s notes on the ’82 VCP Cave Privee- It was an honor to sit right next to the winemaker and I couldn’t help to ask what her thoughts were on this extraordinary wine. As we shared our tasting thoughts together she picked up flavors of candied citrus, preserved lemon, cigar and light tobacco, honey and wax with delicate notes of walnut and saffron.
Veuve Clicquot Dinner with Winemaker Delphine Laborde
NV Veuve Clicquot Brut Rose
2004 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Gold Label
2008 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Gold Label Rose
2006 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut
2006 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Rose
1982 Veuve Clicquot Cave Privee
Other Terrific Bottles Opened
1992 Meo Camuzet Clos de Vougeot
2000 Monbousquet
2003 Palmer
2009 Leroy Cote de Beaune Villages
2011 Ornellaia
2012 Dana Onda Cabernet Sauvignon
Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve in Magnum