Swede Richard Juhlin, the most comprehensive champagne taster of our time, is on record urging his followers to commit Paul Clouet to memory. Famed critics Bettane and Desseauve called them “one of the surest sources for champagnes of great origin.” And the iconic La Revue du Vin de France has bookmarked them as “a trusted address for lovers of vinous champagne.” Now, keep all that in mind while checking out the specific cuvée on offer today: Clouet’s flagship Blanc de Noirs. This 100% Pinot Noir was sourced from estate vines in Bouzy, an idolized Grand Cru terroir that produces some of the most limited, and expensive, Blanc de Noirs in Champagne. What’s more, is that the base vintage is 2012, a generationally great year in Champagne. For every 10 bottles Paul Clouet produces, six never leave French borders. Don’t let this rare opportunity slip through your fingers!
Although Champagne Paul Clouet is a separate entity from André Clouet, they are still very much related by blood. This tiny Bouzy property—established in 1907 with just a handful of hectares—is currently run by Marie-Thérèse Bonnaire, and it is her nephew, Jean-François, who’s in charge at nearby André Clouet. Champagne savants will have likely noticed another stellar surname from above, Bonnaire, which is helmed by Marie-Thérèse’s husband and his brother. Located down in Cramant, Bonnaire is renowned for producing some of the most irresistibly creamy Blanc de Blancs in Champagne. In short: this family has Pinot Noir and Chardonnay well covered!
Today’s cuvée hails entirely from Paul Clouet’s south-facing Pinot Noir vines in Grand Cru Bouzy. The base vintage is 2012–a tremendous vintage that brings both power and finesse–and was blended with smaller amounts of 2011. After vinification in stainless steel tanks, the resulting wine was transferred to bottle to begin a 7-year slumber on its lees. It was disgorged in October of 2020 and given a dosage of six grams, and then released to the thirsty Champagne lovers of France and beyond!
Four additional years of post-disgorgement aging have worked wonders for this wine. Served at a cool 50 degrees, it spills into an all-purpose stem with deep straw-yellow and light copper hues, and instantly returns intoxicating swells of bruised red apple, Asian pear, caramelized peach, toasted hazelnut, nougat, wet chalk, brioche, sweet herbs, and citrus peel. The palate is full, broad, ample—every descriptor that accompanies “vinous”—while showing incredible freshness and verve. That’s why I anticipate continued cellaring will further enrich this wine, be it 2025, 2030, or beyond. Enjoy this exquisite, perfectly aged Champagne collectible with some caviar and blinis and you’ll be instantly in the holiday mood!
