Tech Notes
Wine Details
Decanter
International Wine Report
Wine and Spirits
Wine Spectator
International Wine Review
Wine Advocate
Wine Enthusiast
Jancis Robinson
By Veuve Clicquot
La Grande Dame 2008
The History
Created in 1962 and launched in 1972 to celebrate the bicentenary of the House, La Grande Dame is a wine that is both a tribute to Madame Clicquot and the reflection of the Veuve Clicquot terroir. When it comes to describing the style of La Grande Dame, the following four words will summarize it well: freshness, silkiness, elegance, and minerality. Pursuing this quest for perfection, Dominique Demarville, Veuve Clicquot's inspired Cellar Master, reveals his very first La Grande Dame creation via this vintage: La Grande Dame 2008.
The Vintage
The spring of 2008 was cool and rainy. Thanks to an also cool but dry summer, the grapes ripened in excellent conditions. Several factors were taken into consideration to make the 2008 La Grande Dame cuvee in respecting tradition and the House's quest for excellence: the exceptional quality of the grapes, and most importantly a remarkable acidity which recalled other extraordinary vintages at Veuve Clicquot, such as 1995, 1985, and 1979.
The Cuvee
La Grande Dame 2008 is an exclusive blend of 6 of the House's eight historical Grands Crus. The cuvee is made of 92% Pinot Noir (Ay, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, Verzenay) and 8% Chardonnay (Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger). As a constant hallmark of the House's style, the predominance of Pinot Noir provides the structure that is so typically Veuve Clicquot. However, for this specific vintage of La Grande Dame, the proportion of Pinot Noir was taken to another level (92%) by Dominique Demarville - one of the highest ever at Veuve Clicquot - as a true testimony of Madame Clicquot's heritage and a tribute to her fondness for structure and strength.
Winemaker's Note
Dominique Demarville states: "My vision is to bring La Grande Dame towards the finesse and elegance that the Pinot Noir offers us in these Grands Crus. In a way, this is the Veuve Clicquot twist: to combine depth and silkiness with lightness and elegance in this exceptional cuvee". According to the tradition and standards of reference of the House, the cuvee has been aged for ten years in Veuve Clicquot's century-old cellars.
The Tasting
On the eye, La Grande Dame 2008 light gold color has a surprising glint. The initial nose reveals a strong attack, both aerial and delicate. Upon being released, it presents notes of dried fruits (almonds, figs, apricots), ripe white fruits (pears), and finally, subtle toasted notes of hazelnut and praline. Thus, those luscious pastry notes are well balanced with the blend's freshness and clarity. On the palate, the attack is strong and sharp. La Grande Dame 2008 bestows a silky texture upon young fruits, carried by citrus and red fruits (cherry) notes. Pinot Noir, the signature of the Veuve Clicquot's style, shines extraordinarily by its freshness, minerality, and power. La Grande Dame 2008 is a perfect combination of complexity, structure, and strength. This unites into an elegant and perfect balance of freshness and structure, highlighted by the perfect dosage (6 g/l) that resonates with this cuvee's tension. This cuvee, without any doubt, foretells an amazing aging potential.
The Food Pairing
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2008 is a great wine for gastronomy. This cuvee will pair extremely well with oysters, fish tartare, seafood, or even chicken with sesame.
Additional Details
Crus: Grands Crus (Blend of six of the House's eight historical Grands Crus)
Grape Varieties: 92% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay
Reserve Wines: 0% (100% vintage)
Dosage: 6.00 g/l
Palate: Citrus and red fruits. Minerality and power.
Food Pairing: Oysters, fish tartare, seafood, chicken
Serving Temperature: 10-12 degrees C
Aging Potential: 15 years
[Information provided by Fedway]
Unit Size | 750.00 ML |
Varietal | Sparkling Blend
|
Vintage | 2008 |
Grape | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay |
Country | France |
Region | Champagne
|
Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame, Champagne, France, 2008
Tasted by Tyson Stelzer
Part of Has the Champagne price bubble burst?
Tasting Score: 97
Drinking Window: 2020 - 2048
Producer: Veuve Clicquot
Vintage: 2008
Wine Type: Sparkling
Colour: White
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Sweetness: Dry
Closure: Cork
Body: Full
Grapes: 8% Chardonnay, 92% Pinot Noir
Now almost blanc de noirs, boasting 92% Pinot Noir and just 8% Chardonnay [...]. La Grande Dame is one of the most affordable of Champagne's elite prestige set, and the stunning 2008 vintage was intricately engineered by the masterful Dominique Demarville for the long haul. It unites all of the enduring potential of its thundering grands crus with the tension and energy of this legendary season, colliding high-tensile acidity with deep, fine, powdery chalk minerality, bringing its finish into stark focus.
VEUVE CLICQUOT Champagne, Brut 'La Grande Dame' 2008
Points: 95
Drink: 2020-2040
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Appellation: Champagne
Editor: O. Bargreen
Issue: July, 2019
Importer: LVMH
The 2008 La Grande Dame is an absolute revelation. This is Cellar Master Dominique Demarville's first vintage of La Grande Dame, and he has crafted a blend with 92% Pinot Noir - the highest percentage ever in Veuve Clicquot's history. As this spectacular Champagne slowly unwinds, it begins to display deep diatomaceous earth tones that marvelously mingle with lemon oil and hazelnut aromatics that all are woven together in the glass. At this stage it is tightly wound, yet possesses a rich and highly satisfying mouthfeel that is beautifully defined and shows shades of roasted pineapple, Japanese pear, kumquat, salted praline with suggestions of freshly baked sourdough bread that persist throughout. This is a truly fantastic vintage for La Grande Dame, however it seems as if it is still going to require a few more years of bottle age before it reaches its optimal drinking window.
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 2008 Champagne La Grande Dame Brut
This is a sunny and delicious 2008, with brightness infusing the wine, from its platinum color to its mineral intensity, transforming its richness and power into cool elegance. Notes of agave and cassia bark add depth, suggesting the complexity this will develop with further bottle age.
Points: 95
Moet Hennessy USA, NY (12/18)
VEUVE CLICQUOT Brut Champagne La Grande Dame 2008
Score: 95
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Issue: Nov 30, 2018
An elegant Champagne, powered by a sculpted frame of acidity and minerality, this wears the refined, lacy mousse and well-meshed flavors of black currant, lemon curd, toast and marzipan like finely tailored clothing. Fresh and lasting, with hints of spice and smoke on the finish. [...] Drink now through 2033. -AN
2008 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame
Region: Champagne
Rating: 94
Price: $165
The 2008 La Grande Dame is youthful and all about structure at present. While it should be laid down for a couple of years, its potential is obvious. It's steely and a bit closed on the nose and tight on the palate with notes of white flowers, lemon zest, and oyster shells. If you must have this wine young, open it a couple of hours before serving or serve in a bigger glass. This is Demarville's first vintage at VC, and he significantly increased the share of Pinot Noir to 92%, up from 53% in 2006.
2008 Veuve Clicquot Brut La Grande Dame
France, Champagne
Rating: 93
Color: White
Type: Sparkling
Sweetness: Dry
Variety: Proprietary Blend - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Drink Date: 2022 - 2045
Reviewed by William Kelley
Issue Date: 30th Apr 2020
Source: Issue 248 End of April 2020, The Wine Advocate
Exhibiting aromas of pear, toasted brad, confit citrus and smoke, the 2008 Brut La Grande Dame is full-bodied, rich and textural, with a deep and layered core, ripe but racy acids and a saline finish. A blend dominated by fully 92% Pinot Noir, this is true to the cuvee's rich and muscular style, but the vintage lends it welcome additional cut and precision. It's showing a lot better than the bottles I tasted in the United States last year.
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin 2008 La Grande Dame Brut (Champagne)
Points: 93
Designation: La Grande Dame Brut
Variety: Champagne Blend, Sparkling
Appellation: Champagne, Champagne, France
Winery: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin
Alcohol: 12.50%
Bottle Size: 750.00 ml
Category: Sparkling
Importer: Moet Hennessy USA
Date Published: 12/1/2018
Reviewed by: Roger Voss
This rich Champagne is dominated, as usual, by Pinot Noir. Its ripe fruit is approaching maturity, the hints of toast and croissant becoming more apparent. It is balanced, rich but textured and with an opulent, ripe aftertaste. Drink now.
Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame 2008 Champagne
Producer: Veuve Clicquot
Cuvee: La Grande Dame
Classification: Brut
Vintage: 2008
Appellation: Champagne
Region: Champagne
Country: France
Colour: White
Score: 16.5++/20
When to drink: 2022 - 2030
Published: 1 Jul 2019
Date tasted: 19 Jun 2019
Reviewer: Jancis Robinson
Very tight and energetic even if not that much charm. Constant bead. A little introvert and the aroma has to fight a bit to make its presence felt. Dominique says he is concentrating on lightness (corrected later to brightness) for the Grande Dame (and power for the vintage - which seems a little counterintuitive). Lots of acidity and introversion. He recommends this for an aperitif or very light food.