2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame

Community Tasting Note

oldwines Likes this wine:

95 Points

Thursday, November 14, 2019 - Tasted at a local wine shop that I frequent, with a small group led by Nicole from Moet Hennessy. Always a fan of La Grand Dame going back to the 1980's, I was anxious to try this since I had purchased some before tasting it some time ago. I was told this was 73% Pinot Noir and 27% Chardonnay from the Cote de Blanc but other reviewers have different stats. Bright medium yellow with a tinge of green. The nose is fragrant, floral and fruity with yeasty citrus and under-ripe strawberry. Texture is rich and mouth coating with flavors of creamy apricot, golden raspberry and a nice mineral streak in the finish which is rather long. Definitely long lived and a notch or two above the Dom Ruinart '07 tasted just before but also a few of notches below the '08 Cristal I had the pleasure to try last month. Delicious with the golden Osetra caviar and various other bites of food we munched upon!

Post a Comment /
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (3,868 views)

5 comments have been posted

Comment posted by 2020:

1/12/2020 6:39:00 PM - Speaking of the topic regarding wines getting air, what are your thoughts on it regarding Champagne? I don't really usually consider that but should I be? Thx.
Comment posted by oldwines:

1/12/2020 6:56:00 PM - It is a curious trade-off... I think it does benefit from the air but you lose some or all of the effervescence depending on the amount of time. I think one compromise is to use a larger glass, like a fine chard/white Burgundy glass rather than a flute. You get the benefit from some air but you don’t lose the bubbles as fast as in a decanter. Slow-ox in the bottle helps only a little but you lose even less of the bubbles. Personally great Champagne will hold some bubbles longer than may be expected, but for me the nose on great champagne is what I love the most, so I would usually make the trade-off.

I would add, most people chill it too much...it should be just at cellar temp, not colder or in an ice bucket if you ask me.
Comment posted by 2020:

1/14/2020 5:53:00 PM - I agree. The nose is one of my favorite experiences of Champagne. My nephew is 3.5 and asks to smell the cork when we pop something.

I've heard that the French like to decant Champagnes. I thought that was odd, as I'm paying money for the bubbles to be in there! I suppose like you said, you sacrifice bubbles for air, and have a different experience.

Shoot, I'm probably chilling it too much. I usually ice bucket it for 30 mins in an ice water bath and then leave it in there. I did notice on Rose Champ it kills the nose and started drinking it warmer, which brough out aroma and made a much better drinking experience.

Do you think I should drink the white Champs the same way as the Rose'? Thanks!
Comment posted by oldwines:

1/14/2020 9:06:00 PM - I would say yes. I was speaking to a Cava winemaker just this afternoon and we both thought it best at cellar temperature not colder..
Comment posted by 2020:

1/15/2020 6:29:00 PM - Awesome. I will try it at cellar temperature next time. Thanks for the advice!