Perrier-Jouët champagne has released the latest vintage of the House’s acclaimed prestige cuvée, Belle Epoque 2007. Described by Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps as ‘a crystalline vintage whose subtlety and generosity highlight the precision of the Perrier-Jouët style,’ the 2007 is set to be one of the most sought after vintages of the Belle Epoque cuvée in the last 20 years. The crystalline characteristics are displayed through the lightness and luminosity of the wine and its delicate freshness and elegance.
The 2007 Belle Epoque cuvée is an assemblage comprising 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 finishing touch of 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.
Temperatures during the spring of 2007 reached the equivalent of summer months causing the vines to flower early. A rainy summer followed, which was made up for by some fine August sunshine allowing the grapes to ripen fully and leading to an early harvest and a generous vintage. Belle Epoque remains the iconic 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 designed by Emile Gallé in 1902.
Commenting on Belle Epoque 2007, Deschamps says: “It is an epicurean wine. It reflects the Perrier-Jouët Art of Vintage and is the result of a unique and astonishing year, marked by a very mild winter and an exceptional spring.”
