Madame Clicquot - champagne and woman. This is perhaps the best combination of sparklingness and sophistication, invented in the entire history of mankind. "Madame Clicquot" (champagne) has already become a household name. He received a gourmet drink, characterized by a light heady aroma and made from the best grapes harvested in the province of Champagne. The best compliment a girl or woman can give is to offer her a glass of Madame Clicquot.
Champagne: a story
The creation of this drink is closely intertwined with the history of the Veuve Clicquot wine house, and its taste and properties are often reflected in the famous works of Claude Monet, Agatha Christie, Jules Verne, etc. And this is not at all surprising, because you can equate the classics of world literature with the classics wine culture.
It all began in those days when the great-grandmothers of today's business women danced at balls and gracefully fainted. At the beginning of the XIX century, Nicole Ponsardin, at the age of 27, took up the development of family business and became the first business woman in the world who was able to achieve success on her own. And the reason why Madame Clicquot decided to take such a step is very sad - in 1805 her husband died, who was the son of the owner of the Clicquot distillery. Thus, Nicole became the widow of Clicquot.
Winemaking Excellence
First of all, the young housewife decided to improve the quality of the sparkling drink. At that time, Madame Clicquot's champagne was cloudy due to the fact that it included yeast. This woman was distinguished by a brilliant mentality. It was probably for this reason that a great idea came to her mind. But what if the bottle is kept neck-down? Then the yeast cake will accumulate at the cork, and after cooling it will fly out with the cork. In this case, the wine will remain completely transparent.
This technology is called remuage, and it was invented exclusively by Madame Clicquot, the champagne of which is today known all over the world, and the methods that she used in preparing the drink have become classics of the wine industry.
How did Clicquot pick grapes?
Remodeling technology is not all that the legendary woman was capable of. She understood that raw materials play an important role, so she began to expand her plantations and cultivate the best grape varieties. To date, Veuve Clicquot plantations are classified as Grand Cru and Premier Cru, which indicates the excellent quality of the grapes. To create a drink, a third of the grape raw materials that were collected on the territory of Champagne were used. Everything else came from neighboring regions. Madame Clicquot's wine house traditionally used grape varieties such as Pinot noir and Chardonnay to make a sparkling drink. In some cases, the addition of Pinot less is possible.
Technology for making champagne in Madame Clicquot distillery
Grapes began to be harvested only when the optimum ratio of acid to sweetness in the berry was achieved. Blending of wines of the autumn harvest usually occurred in December or January. Directly the whole process takes place under the strict guidance and control of the masters of professional distilleries, taking into account the classic recipes of the House of Clicquot.
Then comes the aging process and the already known remuage. And only after that, at the last stage, champagne is dosed. At this point, there is no sugar in sparkling wine. According to the recipe, dosing liquor is added to it, depending on the amount of which the further type of drink is determined. This ends the poetic part of the production - the process of degorging, bottle clogging, installation of wire bridles follows. After all, the bottles go to the cellars for a few more months.
Madame Clicquot - Champagne in Russia
Russian citizens were able to appreciate the taste of the legendary sparkling wine. In 1805, almost a quarter of 10 thousand bottles went to Russia. A few years later, the whole world was able to appreciate the unsurpassed quality and sophistication of the new Veuve Clicquot VINTAGE champagne - sparkling wine with a tart taste, which is due to the high content of Pinot noir.
It was from this time that the personal representative of House Clicquot had a special post in St. Petersburg, and sparkling wine constantly flaunted on tables at Russian rulers. The princes did not want to know any other drink - they only demanded "Klikovsky".
Deserved popularity
Clicquot champagne wines quickly conquered all of Europe. In 1790, Philip Clicquot sent the first batch to Russia, and later Madame herself worked closely with this and many other states. So, for example, only in 1825, 252,452 bottles of sparkling drink were brought to Russia. And while all of Europe was engulfed in the fire of war, Madame Clicquot established supplies to other countries where this drink was more appropriate. The end of hostilities was another triumph for the legendary champagne. The royal and imperial courts were literally subdued by the creation of French distilleries.
Madame Clicquot lived to be 80 years old. She left her descendants the greatest legacy - not only directly to the distillery itself, but also the oldest traditions and classic recipes, thanks to which the world knows what the legendary Madame Clicquot champagne is.
Features of a sparkling drink
“Madame Clicquot” - champagne with a classic yellow label - this is the most famous type of sparkling drink from the legendary Clicquot House. Thanks to the harmonious combination of grape varieties such as Pinot noir (65%) and Chardonnay (about 35%), the result is such a refined and noble taste, which is famous throughout France. Sparkling wine Veuve Clicquot Brut is characterized by a characteristic golden color, which gives a special flavor to the smallest bubbles. The taste of this exquisite drink is a unique combination of bright fruit aromas and piquant grape notes.
In order for Madame Clicquot champagne, whose photo allows the reader to determine the characteristics of the producer, to acquire the same refined taste, it is kept in cellars for about five years.
Oldest sparkling wine
A bottle of Veuve Cliquot sparkling wine was found in the ancient sideboard of Torosey Castle (Scotland), which was corked back in 1893. Today it is the oldest instance of French sparkling wine.
Rarity was found by the current owner of the Scottish castle. He did not manage to open the buffet on his own - only with the help of a locksmith was found the old wine cellar of the former owner - banker Arbutnot Getry. In addition to the characteristic bottle with a yellow label, a few more copies of exclusive drinks were found in the buffet. So, there was also discovered a special decanter for port, a bottle of whiskey and claret, and in the corner - sparkling French wine, whose age has already exceeded 100 years. Now it is stored at the headquarters of Veuve Cliquot in French Reims.
Life in pink
The pink Madame Clicquot collection is champagne that deserves special attention. The unsurpassed taste of “Widow Clicquot La Grand Dame Brut Rose” is the result of centuries of work by masters of the French distillery. Bright sparkling wine with a rich fruity taste and unsurpassed aroma will be a real decoration of the festive table. Champagne has a pronounced taste of raspberries, red currants and strawberries, which smoothly flows into the characteristic notes of figs, almonds and bergamot. The highest grade grapes are used to create this type of sparkling wine - usually Pinot noir and Chardonnay. The characteristic pink color is achieved due to the slow squeezing of juice from grapes.
"The widow of Clicquot La Grand Dam Brut Rose" will not leave indifferent any connoisseur of exquisite drinks. Its characteristic pink color and a magnificent combination of fruit shades will plunge into the atmosphere of sunny France and its endless vineyards.
Karim Rashid specially created an original stand for this champagne, which directly highlights the bottle itself with a delicate pink tint, which gives it even more romanticism and sensuality.
Types and types of champagne
"Madame Clicquot" - collection champagne. There are several types or types of it, as it is more convenient for anyone. The classification of sparkling wine depends on the grape variety and the aging. Nevertheless, the following Madame Clicquot (champagne) species are distinguished:
- "Not vintage." It is a one-year sparkling wine, which is improved by the addition of better quality wine. Such champagne is aged for three years.
- "Vintage." It is a more improved sparkling wine, which is created thanks to the unique blending of the best varieties of French wines. Such a drink is aged in cellars for at least six years.
- "Roses" is an exquisite combination of red and white wines. Differs in refined taste and characteristic color.
Champagne “Madame Clicquot” is not a cheap pleasure. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, to create an exclusive drink, you need to collect truly high-quality raw materials, and the necessary grapes grow in a limited area. Secondly, regular testing of products leads to significant losses. And thirdly, the storage of sparkling wines and the payment of tasters who select a truly high-quality wine are expensive.
But the result is the vintage "Madame Clicquot" - champagne, the taste of which easily justifies its value. A bottle of gourmet champagne is an excellent gift that is fully capable of expressing the most tender and wonderful feelings. A glass of this drink is a unique opportunity to plunge into the very atmosphere of France and feel like an aristocrat who has access to the best wines and the best time on Earth.