We really couldn’t wait. André Clouet’s importer received one last serendipitous shipment of freshly disgorged “Grande Réserve” directly from the winery’s cellars and we acted fast for two reasons: 1) So everyone could have their fair share before restaurants and retailers inhaled their allocations and 2) to get it in your hands so you could be opening it on Christmas and/or New Years. Hands down, it’s the absolute best companion to any holiday scenario.
Since the birth of SommSelect, we’ve enthusiastically championed this delicious Champagne, which remains astonishingly affordable despite containing 100% Pinot Noir from the spectacular Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay and Bouzy. This is always an addictingly rich, value-for-dollar benchmark for us and a trusted go-to for our customers. Skyrocketing demand is, of course, great for André Clouet, yet always a friction point for us—although everyone deserves to try this dazzling sparkler, there simply isn’t enough to pass around. It’s always safe to assume that the horde of people already privy to André Clouet are in the process of taking their full share, so if you still haven’t experienced this dream of a Champagne, don’t miss your chance this time around!
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 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. Clouet is a Pinot Noir specialist—Bouzy is widely regarded as one of Champagne’s greatest sites for Pinot Noir—and his wines are bold, soil-expressive, sumptuous Champagnes that demand to be enjoyed with food.
Their vineyard holdings, all Grand Cru, are spread across just eight hectares in Bouzy and its similarly Pinot-focused neighbor, Ambonnay. Grapes are hand picked and then sent to the winery where they ferment, both alcoholic and malolactic, in stainless steel vessels. It is then bottled and aged in their cellar for several years before disgorgement. This bottle was topped off with a low dosage of six grams of sugar (technically qualifying it for the Extra-Brut category). With incredible terroir, extended lees aging, and meticulous winemaking, this offers an incredibly balanced combination of creamy complexity, rich fruit, and minerality that is nearly unrivaled in this price range.
This wine features incredibly delicate bubbles and has a golden-yellow core that moves to green reflections on the rim. Aromas of dried yellow apple, dried pineapple, preserved lemon, freshly baked croissant, white mushrooms, honeysuckle, and gardenia jump from the glass. The concentrated palate evolves to deliver red fruits with hints of red currant alongside lemon curd, hazelnut, and brioche. It’s a wine that masterfully walks a high wire between the full-bodied, rich mouthfeel and the crisp acidity and stony minerality we all crave from the best Champagnes. To allow the magnificent aromatics of this Champagne to really flourish, avoid serving in thin traditional flutes. Opt instead for a white wine stem or a tulip Champagne stem and serve just below cellar temperature (about 50 degrees). Drink it as a solo apéritif, pair it with a variety of tapas, or station it right next to your main Christmas course. The attached fresh ham with honey and cloves sounds perfect to me, but whatever food tradition you and your family have is almost guaranteed to work, be it a standing rib roast, roasted chicken, leg of lamb...you can’t go wrong. Cheers, and a very merry one at that!
