Description
Champagne André Clouet, “Grande Réserve” Brut Grand Cru
SommSelect newcomers are always at a severe disadvantage when André Clouet’s “Grande Réserve” takes center stage because our longtime subscribers immediately take their full 12-bottle allocation. And who can blame them? This $45 luxury experience is packed to the brim with (1) Grand Cru Pinot Noir from the iconic village of Bouzy and (2) reserves dating back to the fabled 2002 vintage.
It’s arguably the greatest value in Grand Cru Champagne, an opinion that seems to have been broadcasted, received, and transformed into fact because these wines are hotter than ever before. Accordingly, they’ve become increasingly hard to feature on a regular basis: Despite us maintaining first rights over each new disgorgement—and calling our liaison ad nauseam begging for more—we’re now coming up on eight months since our last offer. Secure your share while you can! Our inventory never lasts.
The Clouet family first found the spotlight after becoming the official printers for the Royal Court at Versailles in the mid-18th century (hence the beauty of their wine labels). Their estate in Bouzy, which current owner Jean-François Clouet still calls home, dates back even further! Beneath this historic site lies their labyrinthine chalk cellar, which still contains partial false walls that hid precious bottles during Nazi invasion in World War II. With all this historic grandeur surrounding him, Jean-François draws from tradition and time-honored techniques while respectively embracing modern technology. Clouet is a Pinot Noir specialist—Bouzy is widely regarded as one of Champagne’s greatest sites for Pinot Noir—and his wines are bold, soil-expressive, sumptuous Champagnes that demand to be enjoyed with food.
Their vineyard holdings, all Grand Cru, are spread across just eight hectares in Bouzy and its similarly Pinot-focused neighbor, Ambonnay. Grapes are hand-picked and sent to the winery where they ferment, both alcoholic and malolactic, in stainless steel vessels. After marrying the base vintage with older reserves, which includes a perpetual blend dating back to 2002, it is then bottled and aged in Clouet’s cellar for no less than 48 months. Once disgorged, the bottles are typically topped off with a dosage of 6-8 grams of sugar. With incredible terroir, extended lees aging, and meticulous winemaking, this offers an incredibly balanced combination of creamy complexity, rich fruit, and minerality that is nearly unrivaled in this price range.
Clouet’s Grand Cru “Réserve” features incredibly delicate bubbles and has a golden-yellow core that moves to green reflections on the rim. Aromas of sliced yellow apples, pineapple core, preserved lemon, freshly made brioche, and honeysuckle, jump from the glass. The concentrated palate evolves to deliver red fruits with hints of red currant alongside lemon curd and toasted nuts. It’s a wine that masterfully walks a high wire between the full-bodied, rich mouthfeel and the crisp acidity and stony minerality we all crave from the best Champagnes. To allow the magnificent aromatics of this wine to really flourish, avoid serving in thin traditional flutes. Opt instead for an all-purpose stem or a flared tulip and serve just below cellar temperature (about 45-50 degrees). Drink it as a solo apéritif, pair it with a variety of tapas, or station it next to a greasy, crispy platter of fried chicken. For the newcomers: Oh yes, we mean it. Be it Clouet or Krug, I always jump at the opportunity to enjoy this peculiar beauty-and-the-beast pairing. Cheers!
