Champagne Perrier-Jouët Réserve Belle Epoque Brut 1995

Details

The house bears the surnames of its founders, Champagne native Pierre Nicolas Perrier and Norman Rose Adélaïde Jouët, who created their own brand in 1811. From the beginning, their vintages stood out for their high standards of quality. Rigor, but also extravagance, as evidenced by the eccentric château built in Epernay in the mid-19th century. Inherited from Pierre's father, their vineyard grew over the years, reaching 65 hectares today, 99.2% of which are classified as grands crus, including 40 hectares of grand cru chardonnays in Cramant (29ha) and Avize (11ha), with two legendary plots, Bourons Leroy and Bourons du Midi, reserved for the Belle-époque cuvée. The meuniers come from the premier cru of Dizy and the pinot noirs from Mailly. This vineyard provides a third of the grape needs, the rest being purchased. Adélaïde takes care of clients while her husband travels the world exploring new markets. The estate operates with High Environmental Value certification.

Since 1993, Hervé Deschamps has been the house's seventh cellar master; he crafts limited-volume vintages, favoring the exceptional over quantity. He crafts his blends with small batches tasted regularly, until he achieves the elegance and finesse that are Perrier-Jouët's signature. No pre-blends: he sketches out the broad outlines and then develops the final blend in one go. Years deemed average are discarded. And from the early 19th century, the house opted—and this is rare—for low dosages.