Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grand Dame - $219.99

Wine Details

Price: $219.99
Producer: Veuve Clicquot
Region: Champagne
Varietal: Brut
Container Size: 750 ML
Flavors: berry, citrus
  • Sparkling Wine
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Product Description

  • La Grande Dame 1998 has a pale gold colour with jade glints. The wine is crystal clear, with unbelievably fine bubbles. On the first nose, typical Chardonnay characteristics come to the fore, with the arrival of floral and mineral aromas (acacia, ferns, chalk). By agitating the wine, scents of candied fruit (citrusfruits, apricots, quince) and sweet almond emerge, to reappear later in the mouth. After rotating the wine for a few minutes more, rare notes such as peaty malt, tobacco and delicate herbs, are gradually unveiled. This aromatic, impressively complex bouquet is confirmed in the mouth. On the palate, the wine is clear-cut and pure, perfectly balanced with a delightful silky smoothness.

Expert Ratings

Ratings   Vintage Source Flavors
WineSpectator - 91 Details: Floral, citrus, berry and whole-grain bread notes permeate this intense, well-toned Champagne. It's pleasantly grainy in texture on the long, satisfying finish. Drink now through 2008. (BS) 1996 WineSpectator berry, citrus
Tanzer - 95(+?) Details: ($160) Deep, highly complex aromas of citrus skin, nutmeg, porcini mushroom, toasted almond and clove. Rich, dry and impressively deep; superconcentrated and oily. A chewy, spicy Champagne that seemed to grow fresher as it opened in the glass. Really explosive on the aftertaste, finishing with a clinging quality and powerful spicy, nutty flavors. A major mouthful of Champagne, at its best at the dinner table. Displays the combination of high ripeness and high acidity of this vintage at its best. This thick, rich, very powerful wine is still a bit youthfully disorganized and will be even better for a few years of additional aging. One of the standouts of my recent tastings. 1996 Tanzer almond, citrus skin, clove, mushroom, nutmeg, nutty, spicy
WineEnthusiast - 91 Details: In five years, this rating may look conservative, as this wine seems to have the building blocks upon which to age well. Right now, it's tight and citrusy, with some riper pear notes and a creamy midpalate. Expect this to develop richer toast and nut nuances, and for the grapefruity finish to soften and become more harmonious. 1996 WineEnthusiast pear, toast
WineSpectator - 94 Details: Very distinctive. Bold and complex, exhibiting roasted elements of toasted bread, nuts and coffee, along with dried fuit and citrus nuances. The structure is firm and fresh, with a superlong finish evoking walnuts. Drink now through 2010. (BS) 1995 WineSpectator citrus, coffee, nuts, toasted bread
WineSpectator - 91 Details: Floral, citrus, berry and whole-grain bread notes permeate this intense, well-toned Champagne. It's pleasantly grainy in texture on the long, satisfying finish. Drink now through 2008. (BS) 1996 WineSpectator berry, citrus
WineSpectator - 91 Details: Exotic. Candied berry, candied citrus peel and marzipan notes pervade this rich yet firmly structured bubbly. It's balanced toward the acidity, with a tactile finish suggesting a non-malo style. Fine length. Drink now through 2010. (BS) 1995 WineSpectator berry, candied, citrus
WineSpectator - 91 Details: A '95 with attitude. Firm, focused and full of biscuit, citrus and hazelnut flavors backed by vivid acidity, though there's enough creaminess to keep everything in line. Good, nutty finish. Drink now through 2008. –BS 1995 WineSpectator citrus, hazelnut, nutty
WineSpectator - 89 Details: Tightly wound, yet there's good concentration to the berry and citrus flavors in this medium-bodied, vivid rosé. Still, it's tart on the finish, just lacking an impression of overall harmony. Drink now through 2012. (BS) 1995 WineSpectator berry, citrus
Tanzer - 89(+?) Details: ($230) Light orange color. Strawberry, earth and walnut aromas, along with a hint of Burgundian underbrush. Big but bright; spicy and very dry. Toothcoating, slightly drying finish calls out for food. A distinctly idiosyncratic rose; serious wine more than Champagne. I must point out that two subsequent bottles of this wine were dry-edged and tired. Also tasted: NV Demi-Sec*. (Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY) 1995 Tanzer
Tanzer - 92(+?) Details: ($150) Deep but youthfully unevolved aromas of toffee apple, lemon and mint. Penetrating, rich and thick, with a deep, yeasty, baked bread component. At once brisk and seamless but brooding more than expressive today. Finishes long, dry and backward. This may ultimately merit a score in the mid-90s. (Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY) 1995 Tanzer earth, orange, rose, spicy, strawberry
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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.

Tasting Notes

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