Cuvée Belle Epoque Perrier-Jouët 1996

Lot presentation

Cuvée Belle Epoque Perrier-Jouët 1996

The wine

In 1902, Henri Gallice – the owner of Maison Perrier-Jouët – asked his friend Emile Gallé to design a bottle set with anemones in arabesques. This bottle was to languish for more than 60 years in a cupboard of the house, as nobody was able to reproduce it. One day in 1964, a glass craftsman rediscovered the secret of its manufacture, enabling the precious original to be reproduced. Thus, since 1969 the "Cuvée Belle Epoque", for which this bottle is now the vessel, is now home to Perrier-Jouët's most remarkable of champagnes, combining fullness and refinement.

About the Producer Perrier-Jouët

The company takes its name from its founders, Pierre Nicolas Perrier from Champagne and Rose Adélaïde Jouët from Normandy, who established their own brand in 1811. From the outset, their cuvées have stood out for their uncompromising quality. The chateau in Epernay, which was built by Pierre's father in the middle of the 19th century, is an example of both precision and eccentricity. The vineyards were extended over the years and now boast 65 hectares. 99.2% of these have grand cru status, including 40 Chardonnay grand crus in Cramant (29ha) and Avize (11ha), with two iconic parcels, les Bourons Leroy and Bourons du Midi, reserved for the Belle-époque cuvée. The Meunier grapes come from the premier cru vineyard in Dizy and the Pinot Noir from the Mailly premier cru. The vineyards provide one third of the champagne house's grapes and the rest are bought in. Adélaïde looks after the clients while her husband travels the world conquering new markets.
Hervé Deschamps became the company's seventh cellar master in 1993. He skilfully crafts the limited production cuvées, favouring the exceptional over quantity. His blends are worked on and tested regularly until they express the characteristic elegance and finesse of Perrier-Jouët. There is no pre-blending. Instead, the basic wine is developed and then the final blend put together in a single process. Any years deemed to be average are discarded. Since the early 19th century, the house, unusually, has opted for low dosage.

Detailed characteristics