TRIO: The Most Iconic Champagne Legends (3 Bottles Total)
Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" 2012 [Limited Edition Artist Collaboration with Yayoi Kusama]
(Champagne, France) - [WE 96] [DM 96] [WS 95] [JS 94] [VM 93]
(Champagne, France) - [WE 96] [DM 96] [WS 95] [JS 94] [VM 93]
Yayoi Kusama adorns the La Grande Dame 2012 case and bottle with her iconic symbols. The opulent flower symbolizes vital energy, love and celebration of life.
The polka dots, Yayoi Kusama's signature patterns, are reworked like champagne bubbles to embody La Grande Dame 2012.
Previously in 2006, Yayoi Kusama had already played with her famous polka dots by revivifying the original portrait of Madame Clicquot for a charity auction in Tokyo. So, the dialogue between the artist and the Maison has never stopped and has reached another milestone in its most inspiring and sharing ways.
About the Wine:
La Grande Dame, is a showcase of the House’s excellence. It perfectly expresses its love for Pinot Noir, which since the 2008 vintage, has represented over 90% of the blend. The responsibility that lies on the shoulders of the Cellar Master is to glorify this grape and strike the right balance so that it expresses itself through its refined, elegant, light, delicate, yet powerful character, with firmness, extreme subtlety and a certain restraint. It is a tribute to Madame Clicquot and to the creative and elegant souls who have followed in her footsteps. A wine to reflect the image of La Grande Dame herself. Madame Clicquot used her determination, intuition and vision to choose and acquire exceptional parcels in the villages Bouzy, Verzenay and Verzy, all of which would later go on to obtain the prestigious Grand Cru classification.
”La Grande Dame 2012 is a wine that is both precise and delicate. It is playful, lively, laughing. This new vintage offers a strong minerality carried by Pinot Noir balanced with the freshness of the blend. Its aging potential is immense, it is a wine whose tasting makes me vibrate.”
Didier Mariotti, Veuve Clicquot Cellar Master
La Grande Dame 2012 blend is made mainly from grapes from historical Grands Crus vineyards, among the most prestigious in Champagne. Pinot Noir dominates the blend at 90%, magnified by 10% Chardonnay, with grapes from Aÿ, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, Bouzy. The 10% Chardonnay comes from the Grands Crus Avize and Mesnil-sur-Oger.
Ratings & Reviews
96 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"With a slight preponderance of Pinot Noir in the blend, this wine is rich and impressive. It is still young, with a crisp edge that makes the fruit shine. Apple and citrus flavors are integrated into a mineral vein. Drink from 2022." - RV (12/1/2020)
96 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"A generous golden colour betrays the dominance of Pinot Noir in the blend; this theme thereafter maintained by aromatics of fig, wild strawberries and Mirabelle plums; behind that, jasmine, red apples and a distant whiff of woodsmoke. Engaging already, in other words. One’s impressions are confirmed and amplified on the palate, with the aspiration voiced by both chef de caves Dominique and Didier, to allow the ‘cooler’ Pinot Noir sites full rein. This is eloquently evidenced by a subtle and deftly textured structure, the primary fruit notes of nectarine and citrus peel underscored by a richer, still somewhat reticent, core, darker and more savoury of intent and oh, so subtle at the moment. I have every confidence that this characteristic will come into its own over the longer term and mark the 2012 as one of the more successful outings for this outstanding cuvée. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036." -Simon Field MW (10/20)
95 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Fine and graceful, this dances across the palate with its bright, well-defined freshness and detailed flavors of Mandarin orange, toast point, crème de cassis and minerally oyster shell. Subtle in its intensity, with all the pieces seamlessly knit into an elegant whole. Disgorged September 2019. Drink now through 2030." - AN
94 Points - James Suckling:
"Aromas of lime zest, lemon and brioche follow through to a full body with a round, creamy texture, fine bubbles and a delicious finish. Direct and focused 2012. Lots of elegance and energy in this. Drink or hold." (4/1/2021)
93 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2012 La Grande Dame is terrific. In fact, it is one of the finest recent Grande Dames I can remember tasting. Vibrant and tense, the 2012 exudes energy. At this stage, the natural richness of the 2012 vintage is hidden behind the wine's bright, salivating acids. Green apple, pear, mint and white pepper add a brilliant aromatic top register. I would cellar the 2012 for at least a few years." - Antonio Galloni (11/2020)
Moet & Chandon "Dom Perignon" 2012
(Champagne, France) - [DM 98] [JG 98] [JS 97] [VM 97] [WA 96+] WS 96]
(Champagne, France) - [DM 98] [JG 98] [JS 97] [VM 97] [WA 96+] WS 96]
About Dom Perignon:
Dom Pérignon exists only as a vintage. Only the best grapes from a single year are chosen. Each vintage is unique and reinterprets the unique character of the seasons. Dom Pérignon dares not to declare a vintage if the result is not exceptional. After more than eight years of development in the cellar, the wine reflects the perfect balance of Dom Pérignon, its best promise. It is Dom Pérignon Vintage, the fullness of harmony.
Tasting Notes:
A year full of paradoxes for winemaking, 2012 gave birth to a great vintage, surmounting multiple challenges. Nature proved unpredictable and implacable as a series of climate events descended upon the vineyards: frost in the winter and spring, torrential rains, hailstorms, and cold spells while the vines were flowering, plus intense heat waves over the summer. A warm and dry climate alleviated any concerns as to the health of grapes, favoring the maturation of the fruit. The beginning of the harvest stretched from September 10 to 26, depending on the parcels. Tasting the grapes revealed tremendous promise, with a balance between freshness and generosity.
The nose
The nose is full and varied, mingling flowers with fruit, then vegetal with mineral. The bouquet is tactile, subtly enticing us along a trail of powdery white flowers and nectarous apricot, followed by the freshness of rhubarb and mint, and the minerality of ash. White pepper.
The palate
Energy dominates on the palate. After a welcoming open the wine quickly becomes vibrant and then literally explodes with a surge of effervescence and a tonic sensation. Focused by acidic and bitter notes, the finish brings a penetrating tautness, marked by ginger, tobacco and toastiness.
Ratings & Reviews
"What a magnificent bouquet for this Dom Pérignon 2012! Pastry, a hint of smoke and autolytic notes provide a compelling counterpart to eager yet elegant aromas of citrus (lime, tangerine and kumquat) joined by those of fresh fruit, herbs, liquorice, and menthol. There is even a refreshing note of ivy. The palate is tense, vibrant, and very fresh despite its impressive density, which meets its match with an unending finish. This 2012 incarnates the very essence of Dom Pérignon with such a concentrated degree of intensity, along with a capacity for ageing, that it is surely destined for a second life in a P2 edition." - Yohan Castaing (Apr 2021)
98 Points - John Gilman, View From the Cellar:
"The 2012 Dom Pérignon is a brilliant wine in the making and seems likely to ultimately be judged one of the greatest vintages here in the last quarter century. According to Chef de Cave Vincent Chaperon, the wine is close to its ideal cépages of fifty percent each of chardonnay and pinot noir in 2012. The wine is quite a powerful vintage of Dom Pérignon, but with all of the customary elegance and structural chassis of the greatest vintages here and it remains a young wine, brimming with energy and superb depth. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a classic blend of lime, green apple, menthol, stony minerality, discreet botanical tones, gentle smokiness and a topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a great core, superb mineral drive and grip, utterly refined mousse and a long, zesty and beautifully balanced finish. I love how the perfect ripeness of the 2012 vintage is seamlessly interwoven here with a superb girdle of acidity, great minerality and excellent purity, which will end up producing a legendary vintage of this wine. It is certainly approachable out of the blocks, but I would opt to tuck bottles away for at least eight to ten more years before starting to drink the 2012, as there is so much left here to still unfold." (4/2021)
"Wonderful elegance and balance to this Dom Pérignon with cooked apple, lemon and hints of white pepper and salt. It’s medium-bodied with really fine bubbles and balance. Spicy at the end. So wonderfully fresh, linear and long. Racy and elegant. A DP that invites to drink right now. All about finesse. Tension, too, with precise phenolics and bright acidity on the back palate. Subtle energy. Drinkable now, but will develop beautifully in the bottle." (Apr 2021)
97 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2012 Dom Pérignon is a dense, powerful wine. I am almost shocked by its vinous intensity and raw, unbridled power. The 2012 reminds me of the 2003, but with more finesse and not quite as pushed. Mildew, rain and frost were challenges and resulted in low yields, something that was further compounded by warm, dry weather that concentrated the fruit even more. Those qualities result in a dense Dom Pérignon endowed with real phenolic intensity. It is one of the most reticent young Doms I can remember tasting, I wouldn’t even think of opening a bottle for at least a few years. (Originally published in May 2021)" - Antonio Galloni (Nov 2021)
96+ Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2012 Dom Pérignon has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with notes of Anjou pear, smoke, toasted nuts, freshly baked bread and crisp stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's still tightly wound, its incipiently fleshy core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky grip, complemented by a classy pinpoint mousse. A touch drier and a touch less reductive than the 2008 out of the gates, these two vintages are clearly destined to be compared for some time to come; but at this early stage, my instinct is that the 2012 will have the edge in the long term." - William Kelley (Sep 2021)
96 Points - Wine Spectator:
"This eloquent Champagne has an enticing waft of Mandarin orange on the nose that continues on the palate, which is layered with flavors of crushed blackberry and cassis, toast, chopped almond, graphite and oyster shell. A bright, finely-knit and harmonious version, with a lovely, raw silk-like mousse, and a lasting, expressive finish. Drink now through 2037." - AN (Nov 2021)
Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne 2014
(Champagne, France) - [WS 98, #10 Top 100 Of '22] [VM 98] [JD 98] [JS 97] [WE 97, #1 Top 100 Of '22] [WA 96] [DM 95]
(Champagne, France) - [WS 98, #10 Top 100 Of '22] [VM 98] [JD 98] [JS 97] [WE 97, #1 Top 100 Of '22] [WA 96] [DM 95]
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About the winery:
Louis Roederer has been synonymous with the world's great Champagnes since 1776, and it is one of the rare family owned companies, which is still managed by the Roederer family today. They are also one of the only French champagne producers to own nearly 75 percent of the grapes in the most desirable vineyards in the Champagne. The property is located on 450 acres in the finest villages of Montagne de Reims, Côtes des Blancs, and Valleé de la Marne. Each region is selected to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with the elegance needed for perfectly balanced champagne. The Louis Roederer vineyards rate an average 98 percent based on France’s statutory 100-point classification scale.
Champagne Louis Roederer's "Cristal" was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II as the first "Prestige Cuvee" and it remains as such to this day. These are the best grapes from the best sites in the best vintages. The Champagne, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, spends an average of five years sur lie, and is notable for its richness. Cristal is an all-estate Champagne, from 50 hectares of vines: the best, oldest and chalkiest parts of Louis Roederer's vineyards. They farm these plots, which are roughly 1/3 from the Cotes de Blancs, 1/3 from the north-facing side of the Mountain de Reims and 1/3 from Ay, differently from the rest of the estate, intentionally working the land for lower yields and higher quality.
Technical Data
No malolactic fermentation. The dosage is 7.5g/L.
Varietals: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay (32% vinified in oak casks)
Dosage: 7.5 g/L
Tasting Notes
Golden yellow in color with glistening gold tints. Incredibly dynamic effervescence, so lively you can almost hear it! Rich and complex aromas with notes of zesty and candied fruit (lemon) mingled with pollen (white flowers), roasted hazelnut and Madagascar vanilla. After aeration, the bouquet develops rich notes of fresh pastries and smoky notes from bottle aging. A delicious, concentrated and chalky palate. It shows incredible tension and perfectly honed aromatic precision. The attack is powerful, distinctive and concentrated and reveals a silky, mouth-coating texture, characteristic of the ripe Pinot noirs from the 2012 vintage. The finish is long and remarkably concentrated. A deep and vinous wine, bright and noble, a true Cristal. It is balanced by a chalky freshness that cuts through and stretches the wine giving it with a slender fuselage and great finesse.
Ratings & Reviews
98 Points, #10 Top 100 of 2022 - Wine Spectator:
"An enlightened expression from a season of extremes, this has intensity, ripeness and depth of fruit that is underpinned by chalk soil-derived structure and freshness. Complex nose with lemon and grapefruit aromas, as well as closed red apple, blood orange, light biscuit spices and toasted hazelnuts. Super fresh. The palate starts pithy and fleshy with pink grapefruit, blood orange, red apple, sliced strawberry and nectarine. Expansive and mouth-filling build that is driven by concentrated fruit, Then it tightens and turns to a more mineral edge, before smoothly honed phenolics finish it long. It is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, 32% oak fermentation in those same proportions, no chaptalization, no malolactic and a dosage of 7g per liter. From organically farmed grapes. Very complex, it strikes a natural balance and is very drinkable already, though will develop well for more than a decade in the cellar." - Alison Napjus (June 2022)
98 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2014 Cristal is another in a long line of gorgeous wines from Roederer and long-time Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. A dazzling, vibrant Champagne, the 2014 impresses with a stunning combination of fruit density and linear energy that brings to mind a hypothetical blend of 2012 and 2008. At times, the bubbles feel totally wrapped up in waves of creamy, resonant fruit to the point the mousse is barely perceptible, especially with aeration. The flavors are bright and finely sculpted, leaning very much into the citrus, floral and mineral end of the spectrum.
The blend is a classic: 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay taken from 39 of the 45 parcels that comprise the Cristal estate. In most vintages, the Pinot components are roughly equally split between Verzy/Verzenay and Aÿ, but in 2014, Lécaillon favored Verzy and Verzenay, two north facing villages in the Montagne de Reims (where rain was less problematic) known for conferring saline energy and vibrancy. Rain was much more of an issue in the Vallée de la Marne. Consequently, some of the Pinots in Aÿ were diluted and did not make it into the blend. Chardonnays were sourced from historic plots in Avize, Mesnil and Cramant. About 32% of the lots were fermented in wood, the rest were done in tank. As always, all of the malolactic fermentations were blocked. In 2014, the growing season was marked by a good spring followed by a cool, wet summer and then very favorable weather in September. I vividly recall that there was not much enthusiasm for the vintage at the outset. Today, though, opinions are starting to change, at least with regards to some wines.
Since 2012, Cristal has been made entirely from organically-farmed grapes, an approach Lécaillon adopted in order to achieve a more ideal and parallel relationship between sugar and phenolic ripeness. “Champagne is always a battle between picking too early and rot,” Lécaillon has often said during our tastings. One of the other benefits of organic farming is that it naturally lowers yields. As Champagne fans know, the great wines of the 1950s and 1960s were made at a time when yields were in the 5,000 kilo per hectare range. Then, in the 1980s, widespread planting of higher-yielding clones led to an entirely different situation in the vineyard. Today’s permitted yields are 11,000 kilos per hectare, with some variation in years that present unusual growing conditions. With organic farming, yields for Cristal are in the 7,000-9,000 kilo per hectare range. Another innovation at Roederer has been a focus on higher-density plantings with newer vineyards, an approach that encourages low production per vine. But back to the wine.
The 2014 Cristal is a riveting Champagne. Don’t miss it. Drink 2024-2064." - Antonio Galloni (Feb 2022)
98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Sourced from 39 plots, the 2014 Champagne Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and the remainder Chardonnay, with 32% aged in oak, and it has 7 grams per liter dosage. It is highly expressive of classic elegance and purity, revealing aromas of crushed rock, almond croissant, and perfume of citrus blossoms. The palate is hyper-refined in its mousse, with pinpoint bubbles, a subtly rounded mid-palate, an irresistible chalky texture, and energy throughout its long and floral finish. Everything about this feels perfectly tailored. Drink 2024-2044." (11/1/2022)
97 Points, #1 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2022 - Wine Enthusiast:
"Still young, with toast aromas and shining white-fruit flavors, the latest release of Cristal is just setting out. A dry, tight core of intense flavors are shot through with minerality from the pure chalk soil of the 45 individual parcels in the blend. Drink this wine from 2025. Organic." -ROGER VOSS (7/1/22)
96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2014 Cristal is a terrific effort that transcends the vintage. Bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, white flowers, freshly baked bread and subtle hints of honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with an exuberant core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids, resulting in a wine that's simultaneously chiseled and demonstrative, meaning that early appeal doesn't come at the expense of the requisite tension for long-term cellaring. Concluding with a long, aromatic and intensely chalky finish, it is a brilliant Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window. This bottle was disgorged in June 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage." - William Kelly (Feb 2022)
95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The rollercoaster growing season of 2014 is reflected to perfection by the innate tension here; ripe citric fruit and even a touch of exoticism (mango and fig) tempered by a fine shard of acidity and a lifted ethereal character, described paradoxically by chef de caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon as ‘weightless density’. Purity, energy and power make for very happy bedfellows, courtesy the chalky terroir and its organic husbandry. The texture is silky, the bubbles joyfully integrated and the finish resourceful and precise, its salinity deferential to the deep-digging roots." Disgorged: June 2021. Dosage: 7g/L. (Drink between 2022-2030) - Simon Fields (Jan 2022)