- Last updated on April 21, 2023
Welcome! This is our Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne 2012 review.
This is a very special vintage Champagne released only for 5 years so far 1990, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2012.Â
If you are after a unique and exceptional bottle of Champagne, go for this one. It regularly scores over 95+ points by famous wine critics.
Made exclusively from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, this Champagne is a tribute to Madame Clicquot, who is considered one of the pioneering figures in the Champagne industry.
It offers layers of complexity, aromas, and flavors that bring this Champagne to another level.
Find below our Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne 2012 full review along with our food pairings recommendations, serving tips, curiosity, and where you can buy it.
Let’s begin!
Our Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne Review
- Brand: Veuve Clicquot
- Grape Varietal:Â Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
- Region:Â France, Champagne
- Tasting Notes: Ripe Pears & Dried Apricots fruit notes
- Glass & Serving: Flûte / 43-50 °F (6-10 °C) / Don’t decant
- Store: Up to 10+ Years
- Price Range: ~$220
- Bottle Size: 750 ml
Veuve Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne review: What's its color?
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne wine has a bright lemon color with persistent and tiny perlage.
If you want to know more about how to taste wine and the lingo that goes with it, check out this article: How To Taste Wine Like a Pro in 4 Steps.
What Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne taste like?
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne is a blend made primarily from Pinot Noir (90%) and Chardonnay (10%) grapes from 6 crus.
You can learn more about Champagne here.Â
On the nose, it is complex and intense, with a bouquet of white flowers, honey, toasted brioche, and hazelnuts.
As the wine opens up, it reveals more fruity and citrusy notes of lemon, grapefruit, and pear.
On the palate, it is well-structured and well-balanced, with a creamy texture and a fine mousse.
The flavors are consistent with the nose, with a prominent presence of citrus, nuts, and minerality.
The wine has a long and elegant finish that lingers on the palate.
Is Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne wine sweet?
No, it’s not sweet. Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne wine is a brut wine with roughly 6 g/L.
Brut wine contains less than 12 g/L.
Learn more about wine sweetness level here.
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne review: Which food pairs well with it?
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne is a complex, elegant, and bubbly Champagne.
Bubbles cleanse the palate and as such sparkling wines are very versatile wines that can pair with many dishes and can be used throughout a meal.
Classic appetizers are seafood risotto or pasta, salty olives, French fries, and salads to name some.
Meat wise go for turkey, chicken with sesame, and veal for example.
For fish, we recommend oyster, caviar, scallops, lobster, sashimi, and fish tartare.
If you are a cheese lover you should try it with cream cheese like Camembert and Brie to name some.
And yes, in case you wonder, it goes well with dessert too like macaroons, chocolate, Paris-Brest, and Saint-Honoré for example.
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne review: What's its alcohol content?
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne wine’s alcohol content is 12.5%.
In case you wonder about alcohol content or more precisely Alcohol By Volume, i.e. ABV, measure the alcoholic strength of a drink.
There is a direct relationship between the sugar left in the wine after the alcoholic fermentation has taken place, i.e. Residual Sugar or RS, and ABV.
During alcoholic fermentation, the yeast transforms the sugar in the grape juice into alcohol.
Grapes with high residual sugar will therefore produce dry wine with a high ABV.
How many calories are in a glass of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut Champagne wine?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture [1] a 5-ounce glass will contain about 120 to 130 calories.Â
Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. So a wine with high ABV will have a higher calories per glass than a wine with low ABV.
Furthermore, sugar contributes to the calorie count.
A dry wine will usually have 4 calories per gram vs a sweet wine that will have around 20 calories per gram of carbs, which include sugar.
What is Veuve Clicquot?
Here is an extract from the Veuve Clicquot brand website:
“In an era when women were excluded from the business world, she dared to assume the head of the company, a role she undertook with passion and determination.
Madame Clicquot’s character might be summarized with two words: audacious and intelligent.“
Conclusion
La Grande Dame is Veuve Clicquot‘s prestige cuvée, crafted in honor of the legendary Madame Clicquot, who revolutionized the Champagne industry in the 19th century.
Made from the finest grapes grown in the top vineyards of the Champagne region, La Grande Dame is a masterpiece of elegance, complexity, and finesse.
Flavors of citrus, pear, and red fruits are complemented by notes of honey, almonds, and toast, leading to a long and elegant finish.
It is a wine to be savored on special occasions, paired with exquisite dishes such as lobster, truffles, and foie gras.
With its rich history and unwavering commitment to excellence, Veuve Clicquot has once again demonstrated its mastery of the art of Champagne making with La Grande Dame 2012.
Once you had it, we’d love to know your opinion, so reach out and let’s know what you think! Enjoy!
