Champagne Veuve Clicquot
Cave Privée 1995

The Maison Veuve Clicquot releases important vintages with a much longer cellaring period than the classic Vintage to create the limited edition Cave Privée.

The Champagne Cave Privée 1995 by Veuve Clicquot is the result of a skilful blending of 58% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 9% Meunier grapes harvested from vineyards from 20 Grands and Premiers Crus in the areas between the Montagne de Reims, the Grande Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs.

In the 1995 vintage, the vineyard, despite some climatic uncertainties at the beginning of the season, manages to develop in an ideal manner and under quite favourable conditions, resulting in abundance and quality of grapes. After a mild and rainy winter, the season begins with a few spring frosts, but only some localised damage is recorded. A subsequent alternation of hot and rainy periods then leads to the development of some pests, which are quickly controlled by the vine growers. Flowering takes place under favourable circumstances at the end of June and heralds a satisfactory harvest from the outset. Harvesting begins in fairly cool weather, on 18 September, and lasts for several weeks. The musts present splendid balances, comparable to those encountered in 1988, and hint at excellent potential.

Prolonged ageing on its lees for this Vintage 1995 lasted more than 18 years.

The Cave Privée 1995 presents itself with a very intense gold colour. On the nose it is rich, intense and expressive. Candied orange peel and orange preserve, white pepper, dried flowers, marzipan, honey and caramel. On the palate it has a firm, round and ample attack. Plum jam, cooked pears and beeswax follow. A perfectly balanced Champagne Vintage with a strong identity, stored until the perfect moment in the heart of the chalk cellars of the Maison Veuve Clicquot in Reims.

Champagne Veuve Clicquot

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is an important Maison, founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, coming from a family of bankers and merchants, also owning vineyards. He opened a négoce de vin à l’enseigne Clicquot with the aim of exporting it all over the world: a commercial document form the Maison's archives confirms that the first delivery took place in 1772 and was shipped to Venice. In 1805 François Clicquot left too soon and Madame Clicquot, a 27-year-old widow, became the company's manager: she was one of the first business women in the modern era. In 1810 Madame Clicquot showed the world her creative spirit and she produced the first Vintage Champagne in the world. In 1963 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin turned into a Ltd. and in 1986 joined the Louis Vuitton Group. The Veuve Clicquot vines are absolutely one of the best in the Champagne region, both for their size and their quality: 382 hectares, comprising 12 out of 17 Grand Cru and 18 out of 39 Premier Cru, which delivers 26-28% of the Maison's provision. The remaining production comes from vine growers in the Champagne region, selected for their quality and linked to the Maison by lifelong aggrements. The Veuve Clicquot style with a strong predominance of Pinot Noir grants the wines structure and strength. Together with fineness and freshness of Chardonnay, the wines acquire the unique style of Veuve Clicquot, distinctive trait of a great Maison de Champagne. The vinous taste reveals the great and perfectly controlled complexity of it.