Bouzy, Part Deux! I imagine Clouet, 2012 Champagne, and Grand Cru Bouzy caused our subscribership to collectively perk up, and while it most certainly is cause for great excitement, there’s a slight twist: This is our first-ever feature from the elusive Paul (not André) Clouet. This is a rarer, entirely unique producer that sees our soils in vastly smaller quantities, and while its buzz is limited to a few wise crickets in America, the exact opposite is true in Europe. 

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 2012 Blanc de Noirs. This 100% Pinot Noir was sourced from estate vines in Bouzy, an idolized Grand Cru terroir whose legend is only second to the mythical vintage from which it hails. Now at a decade old, this has evolved into a powerful and opulent Vintage Champagne with deep mineral cut. When it comes to premium origin and quality, you simply can’t find many 2012 Grand Crus priced like this. Unfortunately, the entirety of France is trying to keep it that way: 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. In 2012, these clusters were picked at optimum ripeness and gently transported to their cellar where they were further sorted before pressing. After vinification in stainless steel tanks, the resulting wine was transferred into bottle to begin a 6.5-year slumber on its less. It was disgorged in May of 2019 and given a dosage of seven grams. 

Four additional years of post-disgorgement aging have worked wonders for this wine. 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 Vintage Champagne collectible!