Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame is name in honour of the famed and undoubted Champagne pioneer, widow Clicquot. Widowed at the tender age of 28, Madame Clicquot continued her late husband's work and is the sole reason why her Champagne house is held in the high esteem that it is today. The 1998 La Grande Dame is a wine of pure beauty and power. A majority blend of Pinot Noir, the vintage conditions are clearly visible in the glass with flavours of peach, apricot and touch of brioche and nuttiness. A true classic for the ages.

Fermented, aged and released in the same magnum bottle, only fruit from 7 Grand Cru vineyards is used to craft a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which spends over 4 years ageing on lees plus 6 months post disgorgement. Further gentle ageing takes place until deemed ready for release by the Cellar Master. It displays a multitude of citrus, white and red fruits, linked by a common thread of minerality producing a mature complexity, elegance and length.

Elegant, with colour changing naturally from a pretty raspberry hue to salmon-pink. A precise nose of extraordinary freshness and a wide range of red fruits: raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry, black cherry. A fresh and sharp attack for this supple and rounded wine. On the palate, it offers the sensation of plunging into a basket of freshly picked red berries. Pinot Noir from 10 different crus located mainly in the South and North areas of the Montagne de Reims including the famous Côte de Bouzy. Notably from the finest crus of Ambonnay, Bouzy, Louvois and Tours-sur-Marne. The grapes from carefully selected plots are sorted and destemmed before vatting. The maceration lasting from 48h to 72h depending on the harvest helps the extraction of the colour and the development of the full aromatic richness of the Pinot Noir, with 5 years minimum ageing.

Immerse yourself in aromas of fresh dark berries and a delicate floral lift, underpinned by intriguing hints of forest floor and a subtle smokiness. The taste is expansive, revealing layers of dark fruit, a fine chalky minerality, and a precise acidity that carries through to a persistent, beautifully structured finish, showcasing the strength of Pinot Noir.