Our Friday of Clouet event is wrapping up with a very special, and limited, treat: Almost two decades ago, Jean-François Clouet decided to start holding back his favorite vintages and then re-releasing them after long lees aging, with special labels, as the “Dream Vintages.” These textural, multi-layered wines are meant to be gastronomic, or, in other words, served with the finest meals. Unlike the rest of Jean-François’ wines which are primarily Pinot Noir (makes sense, as Bouzy is Pinot country) these special vintage releases are almost entirely built around Chardonnay. With a rich, golden hue, mouth-coating texture, and a velvety mousse, this is a delicacy you don't want to miss. But you need to act fast before they disappear!
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 the 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 into the mix.
Their vineyard holdings, all Grand Cru, are spread across just eight hectares in Bouzy and its similarly Pinot Noir focused neighbor, Ambonnay. As such, the vast majority of their cuvées are either dominantly, or entirely Pinot. However, they do have small holdings of Chardonnay, planted to the most chalky heavy parcels, and usually they use this fruit to add touches of saline minerality to their wines. But in 2005 Jean-François was really impressed with the quality of the Chardonnay, and so he set most of it aside and that is what eventually became the very first release of his “Dream Vintages.” That tradition has continued, and now whenever he has exceptional Chardonnay to work with he will set that aside to produce another limited edition “Dream Vintage,” which is exactly what he did in 2016.
With extended lees aging, and now a good chunk of time aging in the bottle as well, the 2016 “Dream Vintage” pours a beautiful, honey gold hue, with a very soft yet persistent mousse. Serve it cool, but not right out of the ice box cold, in all-purpose or Burgundy stems and prepare to sit with this wine for an evening of Champagne bliss. A bevy of aromas and flavors will unfold: green and yellow apple, hazelnut, fresh cut pineapple, lemon curd, brioche, baking spices, cocoa powder, and salty minerals. The rich, opulent texture is balanced perfectly by an elegant, bright acidity. The pairing possibilities seem almost endless, but the best bet is to think of this as a top-tier Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet, with bubbles, and go from there. The holidays are in full swing, so you’ll want some Champagne ringers on hand for when you need to really impress, and if you want to do that with spending close to four figures, then the Clouet 2016 is the perfect answer. Did I mention it is extremely limited? We have just a handful of cases, so don’t wait to pounce!
