Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012 Yayoi Kusama

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012 Yayoi Kusama is a prestige cuvée Champagne presented in a limited artist-collaboration bottle at 12.5% ABV (750ml). Scored 99 points by the Bettane & Desseauve Guide and 96 points by Wine Enthusiast, this vintage stands among the most acclaimed expressions of La Grande Dame ever released. The bottle itself features the iconic polka-dot motifs of legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, making it as visually striking as the wine within.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12.5%  |  Origin: Champagne, France  |  Vintage: 2012  |  Producer: Veuve Clicquot  |  Blend: 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay

Production & Heritage

Veuve Clicquot traces its history to 1772 and rose to prominence under the leadership of Madame Clicquot, one of the first women to run a Champagne house. La Grande Dame, the house's prestige cuvée, was reimagined by chef de cave Dominique Demarville beginning with the 2008 vintage as a near blanc de noirs — an unusually Pinot Noir-dominant blend for a top-tier Champagne. The 2012 vintage is composed of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, vinified using the traditional Champagne method with over seven years of aging on the lees in Veuve Clicquot's historic chalk cellars beneath Reims. Dosage is set at 6 g/L, giving the wine a brut-level dryness that lets the fruit and mineral structure speak clearly.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with an elegant wave of white flowers — jasmine, honeysuckle, and vine blossoms — before giving way to ripe apple, pear, and peach. Fresh almond and frangipane notes develop with time in the glass, adding depth and pastry-like complexity.

Taste: The entry is silky and immediately textural, carrying flavors of dried apricot and honey across the mid-palate. Hazelnuts and a subtle sugar-candy sweetness emerge next, held in tension by a strong mineral backbone driven by Pinot Noir. The freshness of the small Chardonnay component keeps the blend poised and prevents the richness from becoming heavy.

Finish: Long and refined, with lingering notes of toasted almond and chalky minerality. The mousse remains fine and persistent through the finish, leaving a clean, elegantly dry impression.

How to Drink La Grande Dame 2012

Serve chilled between 10–12°C in a large white wine glass or tulip-shaped Champagne glass to allow the complex aromatics full expression. This is a Champagne built for attentive sipping rather than rapid cocktail mixing, though its structure and depth make it versatile. A French 75 gains exceptional complexity from La Grande Dame's floral and almond notes. A Champagne Cocktail (sugar cube, Angostura, Champagne) pairs beautifully with the wine's honey and frangipane character. For a lighter serve, a simple Kir Royale with a restrained pour of cassis provides a striking color contrast and berry-floral interplay.

Best For

• Gifting a serious Champagne collector or wine enthusiast who values both art and viticulture
• Celebrating a milestone anniversary, wedding, or significant personal achievement
• Displaying as a conversation piece at a curated dinner party
• Adding a critically acclaimed prestige cuvée to a fine wine collection

Frequently Asked Questions

What does La Grande Dame 2012 taste like? It leads with silky dried apricot, honey, and hazelnut flavors underpinned by strong chalky minerality from its Pinot Noir dominance. White flower aromatics and fresh almond add elegance, while the finish is long and cleanly dry.

How does La Grande Dame 2012 compare to Dom Pérignon? Both are prestige cuvées from major Champagne houses, but La Grande Dame 2012 leans heavily into Pinot Noir at 90% of the blend, giving it a richer, more textural profile, while Dom Pérignon typically uses a more balanced Pinot Noir-Chardonnay split that emphasizes finesse and citrus-driven freshness. La Grande Dame 2012 scored 99 points from Bettane & Desseauve, placing it among the highest-rated prestige Champagnes of its vintage.

Is La Grande Dame 2012 good for sipping neat? Absolutely — its seven-plus years of lees aging and complex flavor arc from floral to nutty to mineral make it ideally suited for slow, contemplative drinking without any additions.

Where is La Grande Dame made? La Grande Dame is produced by Veuve Clicquot in Reims, in the heart of France's Champagne region. The wine ages in the house's extensive chalk cellars, which maintain naturally cool and stable conditions ideal for extended maturation.

What foods pair well with La Grande Dame 2012? Seared scallops complement the wine's silky texture and mineral depth. Aged Comté cheese mirrors its nutty, honeyed notes. Roasted lobster with drawn butter echoes the richness without overwhelming the Champagne. White truffle dishes amplify the earthy, almond-like aromatics. Tarte Tatin or almond-based desserts pair naturally with the frangipane character on the nose.

What sizes does La Grande Dame 2012 Kusama come in? The Yayoi Kusama limited edition is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is La Grande Dame 2012 worth the price? La Grande Dame positions firmly in the ultra-premium prestige cuvée tier, and the 2012 vintage — with its near-perfect 99-point score from Bettane & Desseauve and 96 points from Wine Enthusiast — represents one of the strongest modern vintages of this label. The Yayoi Kusama artist edition adds collectible value beyond the liquid itself.

Why La Grande Dame 2012 Kusama?

The 99-point score from Bettane & Desseauve places this vintage in rarefied territory for prestige Champagne. What truly distinguishes it within the category is its 90% Pinot Noir composition — a near blanc de noirs approach that is rare at this level, where most houses chase a more conventional Pinot-Chardonnay balance. Seven-plus years on the lees in Veuve Clicquot's chalk cellars deliver a textural depth and mineral complexity that reward patient drinking. The Yayoi Kusama collaboration transforms the bottle into an art object, but the wine inside needs no visual embellishment — it is among the most critically lauded Champagnes of the 2012 vintage on its own merits.