Description
Champagne André Clouet, “Grande Réserve” Grand Cru
Today’s $45 luxury experience is arguably the greatest Grand Cru value in Champagne, an opinion that seems to have been broadcasted, received, and transformed into fact because André Clouet’s “Grande Réserve” is hotter than ever before. And still, Clouet continues to defy everything we know about Wine Econ 101: demand has skyrocketed, quality is at an all-time high, and prices remain virtually unchanged.
If there was ever enough of this texturally rich, deeply delicious Grand Cru Pinot Noir sparkler to go around, I’d be singing its praises on the daily like a newspaper hawker of yore. But alas, times have changed. Even though we maintain first rights over each new disgorgement, like today’s, we can no longer offer them whenever we desire. As far as a full-fledged offer goes, once per year has become the norm, perhaps twice if we’re lucky. Our longtime subscribers always take their full 12-bottle allocation so if you’re new around here, all I can say is time is of the essence!
BONUS: Click here if you’d also like to secure Clouet’s classic Grand Cru Rosé “No. 3”
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 ornate beauty of their wine labels. Their estate in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy dates back even further, and it’s the home of current proprietor Jean-François Clouet. Beneath this historic building 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 embracing modern technology.
Clouet is a Pinot Noir specialist—Bouzy is widely regarded as one of Champagne’s top 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 cellar where they ferment, both alcoholic and malolactic, in enormous vats—he calls them his “stainless steel giants”—and a small percentage of neutral oak. After marrying the base vintage with older reserve wines, today’s cuvée is then bottled and aged in Clouet’s cellar for no less than 36 months. Once disgorged, the bottles are topped off with a dosage of approximately six grams of sugar. With a hallowed terroir, extended lees aging, and meticulous winemaking, this offers a wonderfully balanced combination of creamy complexity, rich fruit, and minerality that goes unrivaled in this price range.
Clouet’s Grand Cru “Grande 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 or pair it alongside a crispy platter of fried chicken. Be it Clouet or Krug, I always jump at the opportunity to enjoy this peculiar beauty-and-the-beast pairing. Cheers!
