Champagne Perrier-Jouët has released the 24th vintage of the House’s acclaimed prestige cuvée, Belle Epoque 2006. Described by Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps as:
‘pure silk: the perfect expression of a year characterised by ripeness and generosity. The 2006 is set to be one of the most sought after vintages of the Belle Epoque cuvée in the last 20 years.’
Belle Epoque remains the true expression of Perrier-Jouët’s floral, stylish and diamond cut style, hallmarked by the finest Chardonnays in the Côte des Blancs, benefitting from two centuries of winemaking expertise in the art of vintage. It is a beautifully elegant wine that closely mirrors the spray of white anemones adorning the bottle created by Emile Gallé in 1902.
COMMENTS ON THE VINTAGE Deschamps says: “We enjoyed perfect growing conditions in 2006, achieving grapes with some of the highest potential alcohol we’ve seen in the last decade. As a result, the Belle Epoque 2006 has a distinctive fourth facet: an extraordinary silkiness in the mouth that is a unique expression of this vintage. The wine has the perfect balance between richness and elegance; it’s a silky and sensual Chardonnay dominant cuvée with a persistent finish and the potential for long ageing.”
THE VINTAGE The year began with an unremarkable winter in 2006. Some parts of the region suffered from late Spring frosts, but Perrier-Jouët’s vineyards were unaffected and flowering completed successfully in a very hot June. The whole region basked in a heatwave in the early part of the summer, but the weather brought some respite and welcome rain in August before turning warmer and dryer again in September allowing the grapes to reach optimum ripeness.
THE VINEYARDS Some of the Chardonnays parcels in Perrier-Jouët’s finest vineyards in Cramant and Avize reached potential alcohol levels as high as 11°, compared with an average of 9.8°, which combined with the slightly lower than average acidity to give a distinctive silky sensuality in the vins clairs.
ABOUT BELLE EPOQUE The 2006 Belle Epoque cuvée is an assemblage of 50% Chardonnay from Cramant, Avize and Chouilly, bringing freshness, minerality and floral notes to the blend. The generosity and fresh fruit notes come from the 45% Pinot Noirs from Mailly, Verzy and Aÿ. Deschamps also chose to add 5% Pinot Meunier from Dizy to add ripe fruit aromas and extra roundness to the final cuvée. The wine was aged for six years in the Perrier-Jouët cellars before disgorgement, when it was given a light dosage of 9g/l.
PERRIER-JOUËT ‘BELLE EPOQUE’ 2006 | Epernay | Champagne | Frankrike | importör: Pernod-Ricard | price 1 150 sek | 45PN 5PM 50CH |
TASTING NOTE ‘I have difficulty in imagining a bottle of Belle Epoque that does not pass the 90-mark or that ravishes one in a mature phase later on in life. Refined, youthfully appealing Champagne with seductive floral quality, citrus tone, and a substantial dose of mineral. Spring-like and sensual, with a caressing softness and refreshingly long house-typical resonance.’ | RJ has not tasted this vintage yet. Björnstiernes points 92(95)
