When it comes to elite marketing for wine, few bottles have the recognition obtained by Veuve Clicquot.  Founded in 1772 in Reims, Veuve Clicquot is has had a storied history as a Champagne House.  The house was not originally named Veuve Clicquot, but eventually inherited that name in the 1800’s, when the son of the founder died, leaving the business to his wife.  You see, Veuve means widow in French, and Madame Clicquot holds the distinction of being one of the first women to run a Champagne House.

Using her influence, Madame Clicquot managed to get the wine into many royal courts around Europe and, notably, Russia.  By the time she died, some 51 years after her husband, the brand was easily recognizable thanks to it’s yellow label.  Today the brand is part of the luxury brand group Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy and is still bares it’s distinctive yellow label. Known for their luxury goods, and given Champagne is never cheap, is the relatively modest price of $40+ a bottle worth it for Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne?

Sight:  A moderate straw, with plentiful light bubbles

Smell:  The nose is toast with plenty of nuttiness, while there are strong undercurrents of lemon and fresh apple.  A subtle creaminess pervades from the nose.

Sip:  The start is incredibly bright, and the bubbles are plentiful and pointy.  A touch of bitterness creeps, and lemon flavors layer over the top of green apple skins.  There are nutty notes that come through, and hints of baked pastries hidden among the brighter, bitter fruit.  There’s a certain angularness, and hints of sweetness keep things from getting too pointy.  As it opens up, the bitterness relaxes, and unripe apricots pull through.

Savor:  The ending loses the tartness, and pulls out toward the pastry side of things.  That said, it never quite gets out of the realm of underripened fruit

The case has been made in the past that Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne is the best marketed champagne in the world.  It’s probably not far off from true, with perhaps the exception of Dom.  As it is, Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne is pretty good, but is it worth $40?  Probably not.  Similar flavors can be found in other bottles for less money (case and point, G.H. Mumm Brut Cordon Rouge), even if they don’t break out the same hype.

Verdict:  Green Apple, Underripe Apricot, Nutty, Pastry
Rating: 83
Price: $45
Champagne, France

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