Jean-Francois Clouet Came, Saw & Left a Swag of his Champagne for Wine Decoded to Devour! First in best dressed!
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In 1998, I was mucking around with some barrels in the winery at Yering Station and Tom came down to ask a question. “Want to do vintage in Champagne?” Easy question to answer. The next week I landed in Paris, jumped in a hire car and headed for Champagne. You can read about the full experience here. To sum up, at the bottom end of the spectrum, fruit is sourced from over-cropped vineyards, made to a recipe, and, churned out as fast as technically possible. We’re talking battery acid with a little alcohol in it, and, always more sugar than you’d need if you had fruit of quality giving you flavour.
The top end of the spectrum is often perceived (due to a lot of marketing) to be the Super Cuvées like Dom Perignon and Krug. Don’t get me wrong these are great wines. The thing is when you get the chance and taste the top wines from smaller houses like Clouet, you find yourself taking things to an all new level. Their vineyards are immaculate, the fruit comes in with so much intensity you could happily drink the finished wines after they’ve gone flat.
With vineyards in the very best sites of Bouzy and Ambonnay, and a history that pre-dates Dom Perignon and Bollinger, Jean-Francois Clouet’s wines are a great expression of Pinot. Each style unique, each delicious. The Grande Reserve a great start to the night (coin toss with the Rosé), the Brut Nature demanding a little something to nibble on, and the Rosé whilst fresh, and, more than devourable as an apperitif, will handle many a dish with ease!
The 1911 a homage to Jean_François’ Great Grandfather is 100% pinot noir from Clouet’s 10 best plots, dubbed by Jean-Francois ‘the golden square of Bouzy’, 50% 2006 fermented in Sauternes barriques from Doisy-Daëne, 50% solera of reserve wines; full malolactic fermentation, a symbolic production of just 1911 bottles. All this combined with a slightly lower pressure gives the wine a lucious mouthfeel. It just draws you in!
“Le Clos” has an incredible purity about it. Such length and elegance. It needs a couple more years at least to really come into it’s own. Like the Silver it has zero dosage, it can’t hide behind sugar. The quality of the fruit shines through. This is brilliant bubbles. In France a Clos is a walled vineyard. The most well known being Krug’s Clos du Mesnil and Clos d’Ambonnay. Clouet’s Le Clos is an incredible site in the best part of Bouzy, the Pinot Noir grown in 2008 exceptional.
*We only have a very small number of 1911 750ml & Le Clos Magnums. 1st come 1st served. All wines are available for immediate delivery
750ml Bottles
André Clouet Grande Reserve Brut NV
Pinot Noir | France, Bouzy
André Clouet Silver Brut Nature NV
Pinot Noir | Champagne, Ambonnay
André Clouet Brut Rosé NV
Pinot Noir | Champagne, Ambonnay
André Clouet Cuvee 1911
Pinot Noir | Champagne, Bouzy
… because Magnums are Better!
I’m a firm believer that Champagne tastes better from magnums. Bare with me. This is based on science, not, thirst! The larger bottles have a different fermentation, typically slower and longer. The resultant texture is often creamy and the expression of flavour and aroma just the edge greater.