My day with Veuve Clicquot
Visited with Veuve Clicquot on Wednesday, April 15th in Reims.
Facts about Veuve Clicquot:
Veuve means Widow, and Madame Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin was widowed at age 27. Although she was married into the family, her strong business acumen convinced the family to allow her to run the property.
She ran the house of Clicquot until the age of 89 – becoming renown as the Grand Dame.
The house is now amongst the strongest brands in the world of wine.
80% of the wine is the Yellow Label NV blend (most famous – although the label is arguably Orange) and it is exported to every country in the world. The wine is 60-65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and the balance Pinot Meunier. 30% of the wine is made from Reserves (older vintages) which give the wine great richness and roundness.
Clicquot is the second largest vineyard owner and makes all their production in their Reims facility.
Madame Clicquot was a major force in the way we think about Champagne and the house of Clicquot maintains a very innovative edge.
- First to produce Rose
- First to produce Vintage
- First to label their Champagne
- First to package in baskets for export
- Hired German President who had the international touch to help establish the trade market.
- Stayed family owned until the late 1900’s and is now owned by LVMH
- LVMH owns Veuve, Moet, Krug, Ruinart, and just purchased Montaudon
My tasting was held with Pierre Casenave, a young winemaker from Bordeaux in his first year with Clicquot working under the experienced cellar master. We tasted the young wines as individual components which show you the singular benefits of each varietal – and when blended together how they compliment the wine. We tasted Yellow, Grand Dame and an older vintage.
In my opinion, the Champagne industry is in a great position. There is no issue with quality, supply is short, demand is long and price can increase without issue slowly over time. The great wine of Champagne, the “Tete du Cuvee†can increase in production to improve revenues, as long as the market is strong, and in weaker time periods or vintages, the supply of Non-Vintage can improve which is a great balance that I’m sure other wine appellations envy. The downside is that the cost of production is massive and the carry over cost of inventory is a killer. The wines require 3 years in bottle and the wine is made one bottle at a time. Consumers do not mind paying twice as much for a young red but have a hard time following Champagne all the way to the top of the price market. I think too many producers have fallen into the trap of marketing the Tete du Cuvee through high pricing, and that a natural selection of the best wines will establish the natural pricing structure.
Veuve Clicquot continues to innovate new ways to improve market share and sell at a premium. The American market for Veuve remains healthy; while the current 2009 marketplace may stress smaller brands back out and allow Veuve a healthy increase in market share.
Flavor profile: generous red fruit style, which drinks well as a cocktail as well as pairs well with food.
Competitors: Taittinger, Moet, Charles Heidseck, Piper Heidseck, Pommary, and a host of smaller grower wines.
Retail $39.99-49.99
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