Perrier-Jouët has unveiled the 2012 vintage of its Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs. To mark the launch of this rare cuvée in the United Kingdom, Pierre Gagnaire, head chef of three-Michelin-starred restaurant Sketch, designed a five-course tasting menu to pair with various Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs vintages, from the 2012 release back to the 1993 vintage.
“Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs is the jewel of the Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque collection – the quintessential expression of Chardonnay in the style of Maison Perrier-Jouët,” noted cellar master Séverine Frerson.
Crafted from Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Cramant in the Côte des Blancs, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs gets its grapes from just two limestone-rich plots: Bouron Leroi and Bouron du Midi, which cover less than 40 hectares. The 2012 vintage was characterized by a cool, wet spring, followed by a sun-filled summer, producing incredibly well-balanced wines with bright fruit flavors. The wine then spent a minimum of eight years in the cellars in Epernay,
“For its elegance, its refinement and its wonderful silken texture, I associate Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2012 with a white orchid, my favourite flower,” said Frerson. The Champagne bottle, meanwhile, features white Japanese anemone and was designed by Emile Gallé in 1902.
The nose of the wine is delicate, characterized by aromas of white flowers: rose and white-fleshed fruit. The palate features a firm attack and satiny texture. It’s a subtle, precise worked cuvée with a hint of white pepper. “Giant glorious Champagne so flowingly rich that you are dazzled by vanilla-powdered nectar-like tasteful essence,” says Champagne expert Ricard Juhlin. “Yellow juicy fruit with notes of coconut, mango and burgundy buttercream. Chardonnay in its essence.”
“I consider it a wine for gastronomy, ideally paired with noble seafood – a carpaccio of scallops with citrus zest, seabass in a salt crust, turbot, lobster or langoustines, for example,” says Frerson. The brand also recommends pairing with spider crab, passion fruit, and mushrooms.
The Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2012 is priced at £340 ($425 USD). For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
