PENFOLDS X Thienot Lot 1 175 Blanc de Noirs , Champagne

Founded in 1818 by husband and wife Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, the Billecart-Salmon House is rich with history. For nearly two hundred years, the Billecart family has been handing down the secrets to making exceptional champagne from generation to generation. The Champagne House is special for many reasons, but one notable reason is that it is one of very few to remain Family owned. The Billecart-Salmon House covers around 50 hectares, and gets its grapes from a total of 170 hectares of land. Frequently cited for the quality of its vintages, the House pays particular attention to selecting the best grapes.

In 1818, Madame Clicquot made the first-ever "rosé d'assemblage" champagne by mixing some of her red Bouzy wines with white ones. La Grande Dame Rosé honors her idea by using 90% Pinot Noir from the historical Grands Crus of Aÿ, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, and Bouzy, enriched by 10% Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This base is then blended with 13% Pinot Noir red wine exclusively from the 'Clos Colin' parcel, situated in Bouzy. Aged on lees for 10 years in bottle before being disgorged and topped with a dosage of 8g/L.

It’s a stunning, racy example of Avize, a little deeper than the Terre de Vertus, although more delicate and less fleshy than the Vieille Vigne du Levant.