Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut - $132.99

Wine Details

Price: $132.99
Producer: Veuve Clicquot
Region: Reims
Varietal: Brut
Container Size: 1.5 L
Flavors: apricot, citrus, earth, green apple, honey
  • Sparkling Wine
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Product Description

  • First, Brut Yellow Label looks beautiful: golden-yellow, with a foaming necklace of tiny bubbles. Next it is so pleasing to the nose: initially reminiscent of white fruits and raisins, then of vanilla and later of brioche. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty aromas following the ageing in the bottle. The first sip delivers all the freshness and forcefulness so typical of Yellow Label with asymphony of fruit tastes following on. Here is a true member of the powerful Brut family, well structured, admirably vinous. The lingering aromas echo and re-echo, with each fruit or spice note distinct.

Expert Ratings

Ratings   Vintage Source Flavors
Tanzer - 87 Details: ($50) Bright, pale color. Initially reticent nose opened to reveal lemon, apple, mandarin orange, minerals and fresh herbs. Dry, bright and frothy, but with only moderate concentration and depth of flavor. Seems rather light-bodied for a wine from this house, but still a major improvement over a bottle I tasted last fall. Finishes with notes of apple skin and stony minerality. NV Tanzer
Tanzer - 89 Details: Aromas of lemon, currant, clove and mint; slightly rustic. Then fresh and frothy, with a strong mousse. Distinctly floral suggestion of rose petal to go with the berry flavors. Rather lacy for a wine from this house; not as weighty as some past releases of this wine. But boasts plenty of extract, and a generous, firm finish. 89 points NV Tanzer apple, fresh herbs, lemon, mandarin orange, minerals, stony
Tanzer - 85 Details: ($50) Apple and pear aromas lifted by a spicy gingery quality. Spicy but rather disjointed, with orange, melon and tropical fruit hints and a seemingly full dosage that does not quite cover suggestions of underripe fruit. Combines some unabsorbed acidity with a slightly cloying finish. 85 points NV Tanzer
WineEnthusiast - 88 Details: The standard-bearer, which, for many people, defines the classic taste of Champagne. Rich, round, lemony fruit fills the mouth, and there is a refreshing, lightly bitter, yeasty finish of citrus rind. NV WineEnthusiast apple, melon, orange, pear, spicy
WineEnthusiast - 88 Details: Fragrant hay, apple and stone-fruit aromas waft from the bouquet. Though it offers a dried-pear herb-mineral profile in the mouth, and an even, effervescent mouthfeel, don't expect much bead in the glass. Finishes long and dry, but flavorful. NV WineEnthusiast
WineEnthusiast - 87 Details: This is one of the most heavily marketed Champagnes, but it delivers. Intriguing aromas of yeast and eggs. Generously carbonated, but the extra gas seems to carry the pear and green-apple flavors more forcefully. Definitely a solid, well-made Champagne. The price is suggested retail from the importer; you should be able to find it for less. NV WineEnthusiast apple
WineNews - 88 Details: Pale gold hue with a persistent stream of fine bubbles and a good mousse. Shy aromas of malt, earth and a wisp of apricot. Creamy in the mouth with bright flavors of green apple, citrus peel, honey and beer barrel. Lengthy, almond-kissed finish. $50 NV WineNews pear

Food Pairings

Category Pairing
Poultry & Eggs Quail
Fruits & Nuts Fruit Salad
Vegetables Risotto, Vegetable, Fruit Salad
Fish or Shellfish Stews and Soups
Herbs & Spices Wasabi
Vegetables Leafy Greens

Wine Terms

Name Value
Champagne A region in France that makes wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. It is also the name of the world’s most famous sparkling wine. Although many winemakers outside of Europe can legally call their sparkling wine champagne, European Union regulations prevent any other member country from doing so.
France France is the standard bearer for all the world’s wines, with regard to the types of grapes that are used to make wine and with the system of defining and regulating winemaking. Its Appellation d’Origine Controlee, or AOC system, is the legislative model for most other European countries. Most French wines are named after places. The system is hierarchical; generally the smaller and more specific the region for which a wine is named, the higher its rank. There are four possible ranks of French wine, and each is always stated on the label: Appellation Contrôlée (or AOC), Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (or VDQS); Vin de pays, or country wine; and Vin de table. France has five major wine regions, although there are several others that make interesting wines. The three major regions for red wine are Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone; for white wines, the regions are Burgundy, the Loire and Alsace. Each region specialized in certain grape varieties for its wines, based on climate, soil, and local tradition. Two other significant French wine regions are Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, both in the south of France. Cahors, in the southwest of the country, produces increasingly good wines.
Brut A French term meaning "crude" or "raw". Used widely for sparkling wines to indicate one that tastes bone dry. Particularly dry wines may also be labelled brut natur(e).
Sparkling Wine Sparkling wines are part of a growing category of bubbly wines.
Reims Reims (Rheims) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne region in northern France located 89 miles east-northeast of Paris. It was founded by the Gauls and became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire. Reims has played a very important role in French history, as it was the place where kings like Charles VII were crowned. Besides the rich history Reims is world-famous for its sparkling wine. Many of the largest Champagne producing houses, known as les grandes marques, have their headquarters in Reims where Champagne is aged in the maze of caves and tunnels under the city.

Tasting Notes

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