x
  • Country ranking ?

    1 437
  • Producer ranking ?

    56
  • Decanting time

    10min
  • When to drink

    now to 2040
  • Food Pairing

    Scampi and caviar toasts

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame is name in honour of the famed and undoubted Champagne pioneer, widow Clicquot. Widowed at the tender age of 28, Madame Clicquot continued her late husband's work and is the sole reason why her Champagne house is held in the high esteem that it is today. The 1998 La Grande Dame is a wine of pure beauty and power.

A majority blend of Pinot Noir, the vintage conditions are clearly visible in the glass with flavours of peach, apricot and touch of brioche and nuttiness. A true classic for the ages.

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Wine Information

La Grande Dame 1996 is a pale gold-green color with brilliant reflections that are typical of the vintage. Effervescence is delicate and extremely steady.

On the nose this wine is exceptionally elegant. Dominant floral notes (mint and white flowers) mingle with hints of fresh fruit (citrus fruits, fresh almonds). As it undergoes aeration, riper notes of vanilla and nougat come to the fore, giving a pleasant roundness to the wine. At this stage a typical Chardonnay characteristic, crisp elegance, clearly prevails over aromatic strength.

In the mouth, the Pinot Noir reveals its true personality. Fruity notes (white peaches, grapefruit and bergamot) dominate an energetic attack on the palate, which is prolonged by the structure and roundedness of the wine. The balance, a combination of freshness and vigour, is ideal. With a finish that is extremely persistent and clean, mineral notes add force to this noble wine.

La Grande Dame 1996 is based on a blend of eight Grands Crus traditionally used for this wine. The blend is dominated by Pinot Noir grapes (62.5%), which come from Ay in the vallée De la Marne, and Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy in the Montage de Reims. The Chardonnay grapes, (37.5%) come from vineyard plots in Avize, Oger, and Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VINTAGE:
1995 began with a mild winter and budburst occurred during the second week of April. After a short cold spell, the flowering was excellent, due to hot, almost summer-like weather. Ripening was very rapid and picking began on September 21st.

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Vintage 1996

Up to this point 1996 has been considered a fantastic vintage which produced classic wines; the best since 1990. A long, dry summer produced grapes of record ripeness with record acidity. Some, including myself, question how the 1996s are aging. The wines are generally characterized by a distinctive rather lemony acidity and very good attack, but some wines now seem terribly austere, while others already seem dangerously short of fruit. None of the subsequent vintages are quite as distinctive as 1996, which in the more successful cases should almost certainly be drunk after the 1999s.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

14 tasting notes

Tasting note

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Written Notes

A surprisingly tranquil, high-octane, elegant La Grande Dame that will probably develop into one of the greatest vintages of this wine ever made. The balance is extraordinary and the wine has a silky appearance, devoid of both sharp edges and an exaggeratedly chocolaty, muscular body. Hints of hazelnut and white chocolate are present, but for the moment handsome fruit and fine mineral notes from Oger and Le Mesnil dominate. A uniquely long aftertaste that should convince doubters that something big is happening here.
  • 96p

The fantastic acid structure of the great vintage suits La Grande Dame perfectly. Creamy lightness and layers are in their opening phase, although it is treacherously light for a Pinot Noir-oriented champagne. This is an elegant, linear and well-bodied wine that should still be kept in the cellar.

  • 90p
Ett vin som dessvärre har haft ett par snabbmognande exemplar sde senaste åren. Denna var dock precis så högoktanig och finstämd som man skall kunna förvänta sig från en ’96:a. Kan den till och med utvekclas till en av de största LGD någionsin? Det som tyder på detta är den mjuka sirliga framtoningen i kombination med en idag aningen överdriven kropp med chokladiga övertoner. Det som får mig att hoppas och tro på detta vin är de ytterst fina mineraltonerna från Oger och Le Mesnil. En unikt lång eftersmak som indikerar att det är något stort på gång här.
  • 96p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Extraordinary

Value For Money

Best buy

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None

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Yellow Label

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