Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015 is a prestige cuvée Champagne from Montagne de Reims, bottled at 12.5% ABV in a 750ml format. Blended from 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay sourced across eight Grand Cru vineyards, this vintage earned a remarkable 95 points from four major publications — Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Vinous (Antonio Galloni), and JebDunnuck.com — while Bettane & Desseauve awarded it an even more striking 98 points.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12.5%  |  Origin: Champagne, France  |  Vintage: 2015  |  Producer: Veuve Clicquot

Production & Heritage

Veuve Clicquot was founded in 1772 in Reims, France, and is now part of the LVMH group. Madame Clicquot herself is credited with inventing the riddling table (pupitre) in 1816, a technique still fundamental to traditional Champagne production. La Grande Dame — the house's prestige cuvée, named in her honor — draws exclusively from Grand Cru sites: Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, and Verzenay for its Pinot Noir, and Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for its Chardonnay. The 2015 vintage was aged on its lees for a minimum of seven years before disgorgement, with a dosage of just 6g/L, placing it on the drier end of the Brut spectrum.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with fresh minerality and delicate floral tones — jasmine, acacia — before revealing layers of white fruit and citrus: Granny Smith apple, pear, clementine, and lemon zest. Subtle white pepper and chalky, stony minerality emerge with time in the glass.

Taste: The entry is silky and enveloping, with ripe apple and blackberry fruit supported by candied ginger and mandarin orange peel. At mid-palate, the wine shows medium to full body with a refined, rounded mousse and generous texture. The Pinot Noir dominance reveals itself in the structure — layered ripeness held in balance by bright acidity and fine mineral tension.

Finish: Long and persistent, with toasted brioche, smoke, and a chalky mineral thread that lingers well after each sip. The low dosage integrates seamlessly, leaving a clean, precise close.

How to Drink La Grande Dame 2015

Serve well-chilled at around 10–12°C (50–54°F) in a tulip-shaped wine glass rather than a narrow flute — the wider bowl lets the complex aromatics develop fully. This is a Champagne built for contemplation, and neat is the primary serve.

For cocktails: a Champagne Cocktail (sugar cube, Angostura bitters, cognac) highlights the wine's toasty depth; a French 75 benefits from its structured body and citrus brightness; a Kir Royale made with crème de cassis pairs naturally with the blackberry-tinged fruit character.

Best For

• Celebrating a milestone anniversary or significant life event
• Gifting a Champagne collector or dedicated wine enthusiast
• Pairing with a multi-course tasting menu at a formal dinner
• Adding a prestige cuvée to a cellar for further aging potential

Frequently Asked Questions

What does La Grande Dame 2015 taste like? La Grande Dame 2015 delivers ripe apple and blackberry fruit layered with candied ginger, mandarin peel, and toasted brioche, all carried by a refined, silky mousse. It finishes long with smoke and chalky minerality.

How does La Grande Dame 2015 compare to Dom Pérignon? Both are prestige cuvées under the LVMH umbrella, but La Grande Dame 2015 is significantly more Pinot Noir-dominant at 90%, giving it a richer, more structured profile. Dom Pérignon typically blends Pinot Noir and Chardonnay more evenly and tends toward a more restrained, reticent character by comparison.

Is La Grande Dame 2015 good for sipping neat? La Grande Dame 2015 is built for sipping — its complex aromatics, layered palate, and long finish reward slow, deliberate tasting. Serving it at 10–12°C rather than ice-cold allows the full range of flavors to emerge.

Where is La Grande Dame 2015 made? La Grande Dame 2015 is produced by Veuve Clicquot in Reims, within the Champagne region of northern France. Its fruit is sourced exclusively from eight Grand Cru vineyards located across the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.

What foods pair well with La Grande Dame 2015? Lobster or crab dishes complement its richness and minerality. Aged Comté or Gruyère echo the toasty, nutty notes. Seared scallops with citrus beurre blanc mirror its citrus brightness. Roasted poultry with herbs works alongside its Pinot Noir-driven structure. Tarte Tatin or apple-based desserts harmonize with its apple and brioche character.

What sizes does La Grande Dame 2015 come in? La Grande Dame 2015 is available in the standard 750ml bottle, and magnums (1.5L) have also been produced for this vintage.

Is La Grande Dame 2015 worth the price? La Grande Dame sits at the prestige cuvée tier — the highest level in a Champagne house's portfolio — and its pricing reflects that standing. With 95-point consensus scores from four major publications and fruit sourced exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards aged seven-plus years on lees, it represents strong value within the prestige Champagne category.

Why La Grande Dame 2015?

The 2015 vintage in Champagne was warm and generous, and La Grande Dame channels that character through its heavily Pinot Noir-weighted blend — 90% from five of the region's most celebrated Grand Cru villages. Seven years of lees aging before release has built a complexity that justifies the rare four-way 95-point consensus from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Vinous, and JebDunnuck.com, with Bettane & Desseauve going even further at 98 points. The restrained 6g/L dosage allows the wine's natural depth and chalky minerality to speak without interference. Among prestige cuvées, this vintage emphasizes power with precision — a direct expression of Madame Clicquot's Pinot Noir-first philosophy drawn from some of Champagne's finest terroir.