Belle Epoque is the perfect expression of the style of the luxury boutique Champagne House of Perrier-Jouët: floral, stylish, diamond-cut.
This champagne is the result of an exceptional year, painstakingly cultivated in line with the Perrier-Jouët tradition developed over two hundred years: the art of a great vintage. Belle Epoque comes in a stunning bottle whose iconic anemone was conceived especially for Perrier-Jouët in 1902 by Emile Gallé, one of the most eminent practitioners of the Art Nouveau style. The swirling motif of Japanese anemones echoes the wine’s floral style, in a tribute to elegance and beauty.
Belle Epoque reflects the exceptional quality of Perrier-Jouët’s vineyards, classified 99.2% on the “échelle des crus” scale. The complex blend developed by the Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps showcases the grand crus of Cramant (29 hectares) and Avize (11 hectares) for the elegance and minerality of their chardonnays combined with the delicate qualities of the pinot noirs from the Montagne de Reims. The Dizy cru of pinot meunier contributes balance and harmony.
The wines are created cru by cru, each one traceable from picking to blending, so that they can be combined with the utmost precision to bring out the nuances of the different terroirs. Belle Epoque reflects this multitude of aromas within its elegant, delicate harmony.
The winter and spring frosts of 2004 did not affect the vines. The cool temperatures at the end of June led to a lengthy flowering. After a moderate summer (July was dry and fairly warm, August was very mediocre), September’s Indian summer resulted in exceptional ripening. By the end of the month, the grapes had achieved a lovely balance between sweetness and acidity. The quality of the musts was an early indicator of a good vintage. The wines lived up to this promise, particularly the grand cru chardonnays, which were a great success.
Hervé Deschamps blended this cuvée in such a way as to find the ideal balance between the character of the year and the consistency of the Perrier-Jouët style.
- 50% chardonnay, for freshness and dominant floral notes: Cramant, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger.
- 45% pinot noir, for its generous, supple qualities and fresh fruit notes: Mailly, Aÿ, Ambonnay, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.
- 5% pinot meunier, for ripe fruit aromas, roundness and balance: Dizy and Venteuil.
The wine has been aged for six years in the cellars, and over time, this diamond-cut blend has developed remarkable, rich aromas.
TASTING NOTES:
- Appearance: a beautiful pale, clear gold.
- Nose: a generous bouquet of lightly scented white flowers like hawthorn, lime blossom and white clover. These make way for the fruity, exotic notes of pear, fresh ginger and pineapple.
- In the mouth: a fresh feeling that is both light and silky. There are the same aromas as on the nose, with some nuances intensifying, such as the white and yellow fruit. The structure unfolds around a mineral core. The subtle, lingering finish is a revelation.
Belle Epoque can be enjoyed as an aperitif, and during meals, it should be served ideally with shellfish, fish or white meat.
Celebrating its distinctive Art Nouveau heritage and continuing its longstanding association with the Arts, Perrier-Jouët recently supported the London-based solo exhibition of Hitomi Hosono, the inaugural winner of the Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Prize. Hosono is a London-based ceramicist who was selected by the Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon members from a shortlist of 12 candidates, nominated by leaders within contemporary craft. The Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon, made up of 13 of the UK’s foremost creative influencers, chose Hosono for her fulfilment of the criteria to evoke a contemporary interpretation of the Art Nouveau spirit of the House of Champagne Perrier-Jouët.
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