Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Cellar Selection #6: Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne

Imagine a woman running a successful business back in Napoleonic France, one who did not just thrive and survive, but a lady who truly made mass-production of bubbly possible with her innovations, not to mention helping to create the concept of brut champagne, and assisting many of her fellow winemakers in the bargain! The entire story of the Veuve (Widow) Cliquot Ponsardin is contained in a delightful new book by Tilar J Mazzio, and I'd love to spend hours covering the contents with you, but since this is an eat-and-drink forum and not a literary society, I feel I should leave off discussion of the Widow herself at this point, and instead describe the merits of her most famous creation in the bottle with the bright orange label: Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne.

The robe of the Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne is the pale, cold, clear dawn of a morning in Reims, France, the city in the Champagne provence where the winery is located. The nose decanted Granny Smith apples, pineapple, and minerals to my senses. Truly a panolpy of flavors wash over the palate including washed gravel, apples, pineapples, and tangerines, finishing with the slightest kiss of muted mint. Oysters and champagne are a legendary combination, I would experiment with all manner of chicken or shellfish dishes. Website is www.veuve-cliquot.com, and if you enter your country of origin in the designated spot (Choisissez votre pays), the language of the site will magically translate into English when you enter USA. Start your own legendary business soon, and remember:

LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD!!!

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