Veuve Clicquot's winemaker Bruno Dagnée on the Maison's dedication to its reserve wines

As Madame Clicquot's Maison celebrates its 250th anniversary, its head of wine innovation, Bruno Dagnée, visits South Africa, where for the first time the limited edition Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old is now available.

The winemaker oversees new product development and improved winemaking and production techniques. While a lot of this innovation is naturally kept under wraps, he does share that, while quality is always of the utmost importance, part of his job is to ensure maximum efficiency to achieve this level of quality. The team constantly explore methods to ensure they are taking a future-forward approach, with sustainability playing a big role.

The Maison’s 250th anniversary celebrations involve exhibitions around the world featuring a mix of its pillars of history, art, and wine. Dagnée believes it’s important to showcase this legacy: “250 years! You can imagine the vineyards, cellars, products, and collaborations there have been — there’s a lot to showcase.” The celebration also includes the launch of a new “250-year anniversary” addition to the neck of the Yellow Label’s bottle. On the local front, South Africa, for the first time, will receive an allocation of Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old, and the reason for Dagnée’s visit is to launch this to market.

The third edition of this unique bottling sees the winemaking team play with 24 vintages of reserve wine, eventually selecting vats from eight superlative vintages to create this special cuvée. The current release consists of wine from 1990, 1998, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2014, with the idea being to highlight the delicate and beautiful aromas of the champagne and its evolution through the effects of aging.

It’s also a remarkable display of Veuve Clicquot’s passion for and dedication to its reserve wines — currently, the oldest of its reserves is a 1988 chardonnay. “Extra Brut Extra Old is about understanding reserve wine and the effects of age on champagne,” says Dagnée. While Extra Old naturally refers to the blend of vintages used, Extra Brut refers to the sugar dosage, with Extra Brut Extra Old requiring a very low dosage (3g/l) owing to the intensity and richness of the reserve wine.

It’s a wine of complexity and character. The golden hue and ultra-fine mousse hint at the nose of citrus blossoms, lemon zest, and rich notes of freshly baked pastry. A savoury palate follows, almost creamy, offering subtle fruit, confected lemon, orange rind, toasted brioche, and flaky croissant, along with a phenomenal freshness and balancing acidity, leading to a long savoury finish. This is a champagne for the connoisseur and wine geek; those who will revel in the stunningly developed notes, the contrasting freshness, the harmony, and the balance.

Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old 3 is available in limited quantities at select retailers.