Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old – when old is gold

Champagne maison Veuve Clicquot launches a new expression, the Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old made entirely from reserve wines, into Singapore.

First founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot leapt into prominence with a wine-making innovation that has since made modern Champagne what it is. Nicole Barbe Ponsardin, better known as Widow Clicquot after she inherited the business upon the untimely death of her husband and heir to Veuve Clicquot François Clicquot, discovered the process of remuage, or riddling, where bottles are turned in a series of rotations from a horizontal position to a vertical one in order to encourage the lees to collect in the neck of the bottle and make it easier for disgorgement.

That penchant for innovation continues – Veuve Clicquot has launched the Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old, a premium cuvée blended from reserve wines. In fact, the assemblage is made specifically by cellar master Dominique Demarville with reserve vintages from 1988, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010, chosen for a balance of freshness, structure and expression. Technically this means that Extra Brut Extra Old is still an NV, non-vintage, but an old, old one.

The process of remuage, or riddling, in méthode traditionnelle sparkling winemaking is credited to Nicole Barbe Ponsardin, better known as the Widow Clicquot.

Extra Brut, of course, means that the wine has less than six grams of sugar per litre – in this case it clocks in at around 3g/L. As for Extra Old, unlike the production of Cognac Champagne’s wine appellation laws do not specifically define that term. In Veuve Clicquot’s own definition, Extra Old refers to the double maturation process; first three years sur lie – aging on the lees – in stainless steel vats, followed by another three years in the cellar before disgorgement. This is far more than the minimum 12 months on lees by law, and as long as the minimum three years a regular vintage champagne spends in the cellar.

The resulting wine shares a relatively similar profile with its iconic Yellow Label with its complexity and cleanliness, richness and freshness, but elevated to a new dimension. Expect intense and powerful yet balancing its depth with a crisp mineral purity that’s rounded off with toasty, buttery brioche-like notes.

Starting at $110 SGD for a 75cl bottle, Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old is also available as a magnum bottle and can be purchased exclusively through Cru World Wine.