Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Price

The 2018 La Grande Dame is just as impressive as it was last year. The focus on northern and northeastern sites in Verzy and Verzenay yields a Grande Dame that impresses with notable tension and cut. Lemon peel, white flowers, chalk, mint and slate race across the palate. There's gorgeous mineral-drenched drive here. Impeccable.

Antonio Galloni, 94

The 2015 La Grande Dame, in magnum, is terrific. It offers a bit more mid-palate presence than the wine from bottle. Citrus confit, orchard fruit, white flowers and spice are beautifully amplified by the big bottle. Brisk acids pull it all together on the vibrant finish. In large format, the 2015 Grande Dame is seriously beautiful and vivid. Disgorged June 2024.

Antonio Galloni, 96

Medium golden yellow, silver reflections, fine, persistent mousse. Fine nuances of baked goods and almond are underpinned by yellow tropical fruit, ripe lime zest, nuances of acacia honey and mandarin zest. Complex and full-bodied on the palate, silky texture, nuances of plum point to the Pinot Noir dominance of the cuvee, delicate blossom honey, mineral and persistent on the finish, good freshness in the aftertaste, a balanced, already accessible food companion.

Peter Moser, Gerhild Burkhard, Benjamin Herzog, Dominik Vombach, Ulrich Sautter, Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler, Irene Forni, 95

This graceful Champagne offers hints of smoke and toasted brioche that transition to patisserie apple and blackberry fruit, candied ginger and mandarin orange peel notes. Seamlessly knit and mouthwatering, with a minerally underpinning and a finely detailed, dotted bead. Lush and creamy on the vibrant, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2035.

Gillian Sciaretta, 95

Since 2008, Veuve Clicquot has increased the Pinot Noir in this blend to 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. The 2015 Champagne La Grande Dame is a bright silver/yellow hue and is fresh and ripe on the nose, with lovely purity. Medium to full-bodied, it has a refined and rounded mousse, wonderful length, and purity with a lot of freshness. Don’t sleep on these wines. Drink over the next 15-20 years. 6 grams per liter dosage.

Antoine Petrus, 95

A soft colour and gentle mousse; the nose is at first flinty-reductive, oyster shell and green apple to the fore, red fruit hitherto intriguingly absent. The floral notes are next to appear; jasmine and a touch of honeysuckle; delicate and upstanding. A little aeration and a little more by way of revelation; a citric foundation, then a slow build of honey, nutmeg, and just a whisper of ginger. Subtle power, la force tranquille; the dance of the seven veils is well under way, this promising plenty of drama to come and a more than happy ending.

Simon Field MW, 94.5

With a slight preponderance of Pinot Noir in the blend, this wine is rich and impressive. It is still young, with a crisp edge that makes the fruit shine. Apple and citrus flavors are integrated into a mineral vein. Drink from 2022.

Anna Lee C. Iijima, 96

A generous golden colour betrays the dominance of Pinot Noir in the blend; this theme thereafter maintained by aromatics of fig, wild strawberries and Mirabelle plums; behind that, jasmine, red apples and a distant whiff of woodsmoke. Engaging already, in other words. One’s impressions are confirmed and amplified on the palate, with the aspiration voiced by both chef de caves Dominique and Didier, to allow the ‘cooler’ Pinot Noir sites full rein. This is eloquently evidenced by a subtle and deftly textured structure, the primary fruit notes of nectarine and citrus peel underscored by a richer, still somewhat reticent, core, darker and more savoury of intent and oh, so subtle at the moment. I have every confidence that this characteristic will come into its own over the longer term and mark the 2012 as one of the more successful outings for this outstanding cuvee.

Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Sarah Jane Evans MW and Pierre Mansour, 96

Fine and graceful, this dances across the palate with its bright, well-defined freshness and detailed flavors of Mandarin orange, toast point, creme de cassis and minerally oyster shell. Subtle in its intensity, with all the pieces seamlessly knit into an elegant whole. Disgorged September 2019. Drink now through 2030.

Gillian Sciaretta, 95

The 2012 La Grande Dame is a dense, powerful Champagne. Now with a few years post-disgorgement, the 2012 is starting to show the first signs of aromatic development. Dried pear, chamomile, spice, light honey and marzipan are beautifully amplified throughout. The blend is 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, with the weight of Pinots from the southern part of the appellation lending considerable volume. Compared to the wines that follow it, the 2012 feels very much like it has one foot in the older style here. Disgorged: February 2021.

Antonio Galloni, 94

Notably mineral, even metallic, nose. Certainly not the floral perfume of Pinot Noir but something quite tight and not at all sweet. More structured, transparent, fresh and rewarding than many a Grande Dame I have tasted before. Long and well balanced with some lift and even slight bitterness on the end. I can see winemaker Didier Mariotti's description of this as 'vertical'.

Samantha Cole-Johnson, 87.5

Now almost blanc de noirs, boasting 92% Pinot Noir and just 8% Chardonnay from 60%-70% estate vineyards. La Grande Dame is one of the most affordable of Champagne’s elite prestige set, and the stunning 2008 vintage was intricately engineered by the masterful Dominique Demarville for the long haul. It unites all of the enduring potential of its thundering grands crus with the tension and energy of this legendary season, colliding high-tensile acidity with deep, fine, powdery chalk minerality, bringing its finish into stark focus.

Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Sarah Jane Evans MW and Pierre Mansour, 97

Medium yellow gold, silver reflections; fine, lively mousse. Ripe yellow fruit, apricot and pear underlaid with pleasant toasty aromas with hints of fig and brioche. Juicy and powerful on the palate, pronounced core fruit, well-structured acidity, a hint of nougat on the finish which is accompanied by salty, mineral nuances; an elegant, multi-faceted food wine.<br />

Peter Moser, Gerhild Burkhard, Benjamin Herzog, Dominik Vombach, Ulrich Sautter, Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler, Irene Forni, 97

An elegant Champagne, powered by a sculpted frame of acidity and minerality, this wears the refined, lacy mousse and well-meshed flavors of black currant, lemon curd, toast and marzipan like finely tailored clothing. Fresh and lasting, with hints of spice and smoke on the finish. Disgorged August 2016. Drink now through 2033. - AN

Gillian Sciaretta, 95

Exhibiting aromas of pear, toasted brad, confit citrus and smoke, the 2008 Brut La Grande Dame is full-bodied, rich and textural, with a deep and layered core, ripe but racy acids and a saline finish. A blend dominated by fully 92% Pinot Noir, this is true to the cuvee's rich and muscular style, but the vintage lends it welcome additional cut and precision. It's showing a lot better than the bottles I tasted in the United States last year.<br /> <br />

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, William Kelley, 93

Very pale with a greenish tinge. Fresh, pretty youthful nose. Masses of acidity and very definitely not ready yet. Still seems embryonic. But it certainly isn’t too sweet!

Samantha Cole-Johnson, 87.5

The prestigious 2006 La Grande Dame is made from 47% Chardonnay and 53% Pinot Noir, and assembles the fruit of eight grand cru villages. Very intense and complex on the nose, this is a full-bodied, round, rich and mouth-filling, but also refined prestige cuvee; it reveals a fascinating purity, precision and freshness. The finish is long and complex, and shows a spicy minerality. There are coffee beans, bread and toast aromas in the aftertaste. This comes highly recommended.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, William Kelley, 94

(made from fruit grown in eight different grand crus, mostly Verzenay and Avize; lot 5122815): Vivid gold. Heady aromas of orange, white peach and smoky minerals, with a note of buttered toast adding depth. Densely packed citrus and pit fruit flavors show chewy texture and a bright mineral quality that adds vivacity. Rich but lively and precise, finishing very long, with notes of candied fig and toasty lees.

David Schildknecht, 93

A bunch of Champagne & Sparkling Wines (Random): Dough, raspberry, strawberry, minerals and floral notes. Complex overall with a medium finish. I did not like this as much as the 1998 and at $120 a bottle I will pass.

92 points, 2010-12-11

Deep color. The nose is expressive; showing toasty aromas of orchard fruits, raspberry, minerals, ginger and a saline streak. This is medium full bodied on the palate with excellent concentration and very good class. The fairly long finish features a strong mineral element.

91 points, 2008-12-30

Light gold. Rich, smoky aromas of buttery pear, peach and smoked meat, complemented by exotic spice accents and a hint of white flowers; seems livelier on the nose than the deep, rich 1996 version. Weighty citrus and orchard fruit flavors are framed by juicy acids, and come across as a bit youthfully stunted right now. With air a note of poached pear emerged, along with a suggestion of toffeed hazelnut. Give this a few years.

David Schildknecht, 92.5

Clear medium yellow with very fine bead. Notes of quince paste, grapefruit pith, chamomile, ginger ale, almond biscuit, dry sherry, chalk, white peach, saffron. Improved with warming to 55F. Subtle, complex, outstanding. Wears the patina of age with poise and grace.

92 points, 2026-05-29

This bottle was way much fresher than the previous bottle I had 5 months ago. No buttery or fat on the nose or in the mouth.Very closed scent, hard to feel anything.Taste of, yellow apples, light sour ginger, citrus, lime, light minerals, limestone. Minimalistic touch of pear.Hopefully within 5-8 years the bottle will get a more rounded and complex bouquette.Semi fresh, semi crisp but a little weak boquette.The last bottle was better with its fat structure and richer bouquette.After some hours this bottle became sour. The first glass was the best one.

89 points, 2025-02-20

Presented in the polished wood Riva box. Medium-deep yellow with very fine bead. Notes of bruised apple, ginger, lemon curd, limestone, almond biscuit, chamomile, white tea. Sublime, nuanced, supremely pure and refined, with endless interesting details. The bubbles ceased after an hour, but the wine retained a sparkle on the tongue throughout the evening.

95 points, 2024-10-23

PNP - Rich golden colour in the glass - some effervescence showing it is alive, but not vigorous or persistent. oxidative notes toasted nuts, baked apples very rich but a little past drinking window at least for this bottle. Smooth texture with secondary and tertiary flavours like toasted brioche, almonds toffee and dried fruits.

89 points, 2024-10-04

Scent of pear, citrus, darker bread, fudge, plum, peach. Had a buttery and quite fat scent.Taste of sour green apple, lemon, citrus. The body consists of various mixed yellow,orange and white fruits. Its hard to pick flavours out from this wine because of the high acid it has.

93 points, 2024-09-21

Deep, highly complex aromas of citrus skin, nutmeg, porcini mushroom, toasted almond and clove. Rich, dry and impressively deep; superconcentrated and oily. A chewy, spicy Champagne that seemed to grow fresher as it opened in the glass. Really explosive on the aftertaste, finishing with a clinging quality and powerful spicy, nutty flavors. A major mouthful of Champagne, at its best at the dinner table. Displays the combination of high ripeness and high acidity of this vintage at its best. This thick, rich, very powerful wine is still a bit youthfully disorganized and will be even better for a few years of additional aging. One of the standouts of my recent tastings.

David Schildknecht, 95.5

Tightly-packed with notes of citrus oil, orange rind, white peach, honeysuckle, and brioche, the medium to full-bodied 1996 La Grande Dame Brut should age well for 15-20 years. Crisp, fresh, and backward, it is another brilliant example from the exquisite 1996 vintage.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, William Kelley, 95

In five years, this rating may look conservative, as this wine seems to have the building blocks upon which to age well. Right now, it's tight and citrusy, with some riper pear notes and a creamy midpalate. Expect this to develop richer toast and nut nuances, and for the grapefruity finish to soften and become more harmonious.

Anna Lee C. Iijima, 91

Deep golden color. very comp,ex nose lingering and long lasting. Very fine bubbles nut, almond butter brioche. Full bodied perfectly balance and excellent length

95 points, 2026-07-07

Voluptuous and still vigorous. Perfect now. Rich, some oxidative notes, incredibly outshone a 2000 Cristal. By far the best Grande Dame I've ever had. The vintage quality really comes through here. I don't see that this will improve any more so I would drink it up to capture it at peak.

93 points, 2025-12-17

Perfection now. Light and floral in a way that the grande dame reach with the right amount of age. Sweetness but not sweet. Still lots of fruit backed by an elegant acidity. Very, very long aftertaste.Drink now. Will not improve IMHO but will probably hold for several years more.

97 points, 2025-11-10

Un nez encore puissant et extraordinaire pour un champagne de prA¨s de 30 ans avec une bulle fine, mais bien prA©sente, des notes de miel et d'abricot une couleur un peu jaune foncA© mais encore tellement plein d' arA´mes et trA¨s long en bouche

96 points, 2025-10-21

Un nez encore puissant et extraordinaire pour un champagne de pres de 30 ans avec une bulle fine, mais bien presente, des notes de miel et d'abricot une couleur un peu jaune fonce mais encore tellement plein d' aromes et tres long en bouche

96 points, 2025-10-21

Deep but youthfully unevolved aromas of toffee apple, lemon and mint. Penetrating, rich and thick, with a deep, yeasty, baked bread component. At once brisk and seamless but brooding more than expressive today. Finishes long, dry and backward. This may ultimately merit a score in the mid-90s.

David Schildknecht, 92.5

Luscious and deliciously flavorful, this has very ripe, round fruits and plenty of spicy power. It's tasty and impactful, extremely flavorful and forward, displaying loads of sweet vanilla and semi-tropical fruits, all wrapped around a long, full, lush finish.

Anna Lee C. Iijima, 92

This wine was recommended, but no tasting note was given.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, William Kelley, 92

Scent of caramel, yellow fruits, apple, minimalistic note of wood or oak.Citrus, semi waterish green apples, yellow apples, earth, wet rocks, autumn, leaves, honeycomb, light caramel, pear and light minerals at the end.Much more baked bread and toasty notes than the LGD from the 2000s.In the aftertaste comes a lot of honey followed by light oak.The bubbles where a little weak, but in my opinion the complexity and great flavour register makes up for this.In my humble opinion this wine deserves at least 94 points. With more bubbles easy going up to 95 or 96 points.Had a lighter and less concentrated bouquette than the 1998.I like the 1995 better. More easy to drink and had more complexity and flavours.Both bottles where great tough.One of the best La Grande Dames I had in my life.Thank you Veuve Cliquot.On the edge to 95 points.Points 94.5 (96)

94 points, 2024-09-25

Medium gold with very little tiny bubbles.Intense aged nose with gingerbread, old wood cabinet, lemon, nuts.Medium body, with little sparkle, intense flavours of lemon and candied lemon, ginger, savoury, slightly oxidised. still very high acidity. excellent length.Very good aged champagne in excellent conditions.Much better than the bottle I had 3 yrs ago.

93 points, 2023-02-11

Mature but not oxidative. Toasted nuts, brioche. Everything I enjoy in a mature champagne.

95 points, 2021-05-16

Plums and red apples in a nice combination on this mature showing bottle. Opens up with a delicious butterscotch touch both on the nose and the lengthy finish, but at the same time some of the freshness of 1995’s is missing, and it feels more like a 1996 with its acidic focus. Despite it all it was drinking very well, especially with grilled corn fed chicken breast. (Best 2010-2025)

92 points, 2020-09-24

Not my favourite wine maker but I have to admit it performed wonderfully tonight. Still a good color and week but persistent mousse. Quite complex and heavy with impressions as always with LGD. Minerality in the form of stones and chalk. Citrus, brioche, hazelnuts and chocolate. Very rich and filling as always but hasn’t got any future.

94 points, 2020-05-17

Very ripe aromas of pear, apple, cinnamon, mace, toast and honeysuckle. Large-scaled, rich and mouthfilling, with a flavor of toffee apple. This is thick with extract but can't quite equal the best Grande Dame vintages for concentration and thrust. But still impeccably made, very rich Champagne.

David Schildknecht, 92

Upon opening, the cork smelled suspect (potentially corked), but once poured into a glass, beautiful aromas of buttered popcorn and creme brulee exuded from the glass indicating a fantastic aged Champagne. Palate showed pronounced tertiary notes of salted caramel, toasted almonds, fresh baked pastry, and creme brulee. Still showing plenty of fine mousse, great balance of acid, and an exuberant amount of tertiary and secondary notes indicating a wonderfully and gracefully ageing Champagne from a lesser vintage. This was really quite fantastic - I am usually not the biggest fan of Veuve, but I have to concede that this was a beautiful showing. I have quite a few bottles left and am excited to open them over the next 5 years. Based on the condition of this bottle, they are just starting to peak and could last for at least another 5 years. 94-95

94 points, 2025-03-13

Early Mar 2024, Rheingau Gourmet Festival, rarity diner “25 vintages of Chateau Montrose”: golden amber color; almost no perlage; bouquet of tree and tropical fruits plus yeasty notes; soft on the palate well-balanced by a fruity acidity.

93 points, 2024-03-02

Delicious hue of oxidation, yellow fruit, vibrant, citrus, zesty, quite large. 93

93 points, 2023-04-29

Beautiful again, fresh citrus notes with light oxidative profile, zesty, delicious. 93-94

93 points, 2022-12-20

As my tasting partner pointed out, this bottle resembled another bottle tasted last autumn or so- very developed with rich, toasty character of toffee, hazelnut, pecan pie, white chocolate and deep, baked apple notes both on the nose and palate. Impressive width and volume to the flavors (also seen in the first bottle). As this warms up, it continues to open out and show more nuance. There is a note of Sherry/oxidation that one may not find attractive if there is an aversion to mature Champagne. Quite complex- rich and sweet, though its time to drink up. 93-94.

94 points, 2022-09-19

I highly recommend the Veuve Clicquot 1990 La Grande Dame. It is exquisitely rich and accessible, yet bursting with potential.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, William Kelley, 95

The 1990 La Grande Dame is a shock to the palate after all the older wines in this tasting. Candied lemon, rosemary, dried flowers and spices are all super-expressive in the glass. The 1990 retain a good bit of brightness, especially for its age. The citrus flavors have still not moved into realm or more orangish tonalities, as is likely to happen over time. The 1990 can be enjoyed now and for the next 20 years or so.

David Schildknecht, 94

Tight and straightforward, but quite complex. Licorice and lime grace the linear palate. A lot of intense but soft fruit in the mouth. An immensely clear, forward and stately Champagne. One of those "big name" status bubblies that does what it takes to deserve its praise.

Anna Lee C. Iijima, 92

This is shining where the 1995 and 1996 misfired: wondrously complex, yeasty, cakey, luxurious, spicy. Still has a tight structure on the palate, but really cranks up the complexity on the finish. Fabulous saline and smoke note.

Samantha Cole-Johnson, 90

A really striking wine. Yeast, bread (rather like one of those traditional European holiday breads studded with fruit), dried pears, ginger, honey, and limes, followed by an exceptionally long and complex aftertaste with green apples, middle eastern preserved lemons, greengage plums, and dried apricots (but without any sweetness), ending on a smoky herbal note and then, at the very end, minerals and white grapefruit. Powerful and intense--as far from a delicate Champagne as one can get! Not much fizz left at this stage, but that did not feel like a fault. {Tasted over more than two hours from the Jancis Robinson glass.} Previously tasted, with, I see, very similar notes, on 9/1/25. This is a tricky wine to score numerically--a case could be made for a higher score.

94 points, 2026-06-22

A tired pop of the cork, but the wines pures beautifully in the glass with a great stream of super tiny bubbles.Deep, old gold color.Scent: In beginning hard to feel anything at all, very closed bottle.Old, dried yellow fruits. dried apricotes, peach, red mated apples, fleury light bread.On empty glass comes light butter.Taste: Tight, concentrated mix of yellow dried fruits. Apricotes & peach.Aftertaste of yellow and green apples and grilled citrus.A good champagne, a bit tight, and could be considered somewhat tired, but the flavour is great!Points: 94 (95)

94 points, 2026-03-20

This was fascinating--it's a wine that's easy to underestimate. There's a initial rush of bread, lemon peel, dried pears, and honey or caramel, all so powerful that unless you taste carefully you'll think that's the whole story. But keep paying attention and you'll find a host of subtle things quietly going on beneath the surface as the wine expands in the mouth with green apples, greengage plums, preserved lemons, and rose petals, becoming explosive just before an aftertaste marked by minerals, citrus, and apricots (but with zero sweetness), and then finally fading into a ghost aftertaste with smoky herbs. This demands a lot of attention--you need to give some real time and effort to taste beyond the powerful surface to the much more quiet but extraordinarily complex and subtle undercurrents. But that effort will be totally rewarded--this is a remarkable wine. [Tasted over several hours from the Jancis Robinson glass.] My score may be too low--the difference between the powerful surface and the very quiet undercurrents makes this a difficult wine to score. If this bottle is typical, there's no hurry.

94 points, 2025-09-01

Spectacular wine from Jeroboam. Well preserved and drinking perfectly. Maybe the 750s are past prime, but large format still stunning.

97 points, 2025-07-25

Lovely. No pop on the cork, but fear not, still a good amount of fizz. Still a light straw color, which was surprising. Palate was fantastic and evolved rapidly. A whole array of creamy citrus and melon notes, with plenty of caramel and vanilla too. Every sip was unique. Paired with various dishes at Thattu and they all worked perfectly. While I generally loathe young wines from the big houses, with 20-30+ years, these are a joy. The body of this wine could continue aging for a few years, but I’m not sure the bubbles would have lasted much longer. Fill was a tad low, so may not be a universal truth.

95 points, 2024-06-14

Yeasty, vinous, pinot driven aromas of red berries and earth. Large-scaled and mouthfilling, with excellent intensity and subtle notes of apple, lemon and toast. Has a perfumed quality in the mouth. Subtle and very long and nicely balanced for the vintage.

David Schildknecht, 92

The richest and ripest of the 1988-1990 trilogy, with notes of brioche and berry flavors. Round and full in the mouth, but without the same degree of elegance exhibited by the other two years.

Anna Lee C. Iijima, 90

JD’s Birthday Celebration (George Trois): Magnum. Mature golden color with a short mousse. Apple, cashew, toffee and Bit-O-Honey aromas. Lovely. Flavors of apple, baked tangerine and candied walnuts. Mature, but lovely, and drinking well at this stage. 93-94 pts. (J&J)

93 points, 2024-11-16

Wonderful aged champagne. Good bubbles slight oxidative taste, good weight on the palate for its age. Long finish.

96 points, 2024-08-01

To Tony (La Grange Park, IL): You know what -- this was better than the Krug I had a few days ago. Shocker, I know. But this was everything the Krug was missing: more of a structure, more acidity, just more oomph overall. Chewy structure, mature fruit, but also holding so much minerality and balanced acidity. A real surprise of a bottle.

95 points, 2024-05-01

Drinking beautifully now. Light color belied the pleasing Lemon-pear, nutty taste.

95 points, 2023-05-31

WIML93Tasted non blind. Tasted from MAGNUM.Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with medium beading. Nose of sherry, brandied pers and caramel. Flavors of cherries, lemons and candied pears. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean towards drink.Jose Rodriguez Memorial Dinner

93 points, 2022-06-23

Still tastes young and fresh, despite having the color of polished brass and showing some mature aromas of mushrooms, meat and honey. Quintessentially elegant, with a long, delicately etched finish.

Anna Lee C. Iijima, 92

No Specific Tasting Note

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, William Kelley, 90

Golden color, few bubbles. Nose Hints of corked that blew off in 15 minutes. Nuts, candied lemon rind, buttered dark toast. Palate adds some earthiness to the above notes.Medium body, mellowed acidity, creamy. Good length. On the downhill side. Would have liked more, esp from this vintage.

92 points, 2024-05-18

About 5 years late if I had to guess. Opened sufficiently after about 45 minutes. Brown and nutty. We finished the bottle.

88 points, 2021-12-31

Really fresh with bubbles but super drying. Very strange didn't have the age I expected.

90 points, 2021-09-04

Still spirited. Slightly darker color but not oxidized. Fantastic showing for all to try.

94 points, 2019-12-21

Guldgul farg, ingen vidare mousseSmorigt som bara den, appelmust, brioche, brynt smorBra syra, rostade toner, valdigt harlig langdUnderbar champagne som fortfarande haller ihop bra. En av arets basta champagne

93 points, 2019-10-20

No tasting note.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, William Kelley, 95

1985 Horizontal Bordeaux (+ Champagne) (Melee): Certainly mature but still with a good depth and structure, backed up with a nice acidity. An excellent wine and a bottle in a good shape!

94 points, 2025-10-04

BYOB dinner NOTK (Supernova hotel, Rotterdam): This was an amazing bottle, such a privilege to taste such a cuvee with serious age in this condition. Medium+ intensity on the nose with tangerine, nuts, orange peel, caramel, honey, butterscotch. Still some fine mousse, high acidity. Marvelous development on the palate, finishing off with over a minute length. 94-95

95 points, 2024-04-03

This was beyond fantastic. I was surprised how good condition the cork where. It opened whit a little poof and the bubbles where there. Great mousse for the age. Perfect copper color. After a short while in the glas there was a fantastic coffe on the nose and palate. After a while ther were more of mocha, orange milk chocolate and still so fresh. I would say this was one of the best champagne I had in my life. Fantastic. I wish I had more.

98 points, 2022-11-20

Vi skalar for lille Bjorn i en vackert bronsfargad champagne som tappat ratt mycket av sin mousse men som bjuder en underbar doft med vinterapplen, citronkarameller och en smula brodighet. Samma toner i smaken parat med en ratt ordentlig sotma, vinet ar mer halvtorrt an torrt. Nagot overraskande men valdans lattdrucket.

93 points, 2021-04-23

Wine Tasting Group - Champagne, sorta - Nov. 9, 2019 (Brian's place): In a uniquely curvaceous black bottle. Low neck fill. Golden yellow color. Initially some burnt rubber aromas that eventually blew off. Nutty, oxidative aromas with baked apples. Palate was very nutty with mild sherry-like flavors along with apples, herbs, and mild grapefruit pith flavors. Long finish. Excellent acids. Over the next several hours, more vanilla/coconut/cocoa powder flavors emerged that peaked into almost a nutty, chocolate dessert drink by the end of the night. Fascinating transformation and really enjoyed it much more earlier in the night. Probably not the most sound bottle and was certainly more aged than the 85 Dom Perignon. Still enjoyed it during the earlier portions of the evening.

90 points, 2019-11-09

A birthday treat to myself, I couldn't resist at this price (a cuvee de prestige in perfect condition of this age would normally cost much more). Cork felt loose, but there was still a sigh and vapour when removed. Deep antique gold colour, just the occasional bubble visible. Marvellous old champagne nose: caramel, baked apple and pear, toasted nuts. A pleasing spritz on the tongue, and bright acidity. Still very much alive, rich and concentrated. A little air did wonders. For sipping and contemplating, rather than glugging. So glad I was finally able to try the famous waisted bottle. [Cork + cage; 12% abv; Nickolls and Perks, £144].

92 points, 2015-10-15

The 1979 La Grande Dame is one of the more exotic wines in this tasting. Kirsch, rose petal and Mirabelle plum all give the 1979 an intensely aromatic, perfumed profile that is nicely balanced by underlying veins of acidity that give the wine its freshness and energy.

David Schildknecht, 95

A little too sweet. Old school sherried champagne. Just a little lacking in minerality and acidity.

93 points, 2023-07-28

2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): This golden elixer is a blend of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. It retains a respectable tiny bead considering its age, and serves up and intense olfactory experience. Dried fruits, roasted almonds, honeysuckle, toast and mineral aromas are followed by similar flavors on a vibrant palate. There is more tactile activity on the tongue than would be anticipated based upon the visible bubble activity. The back end seems to go on and on. This bottle (ex-chateau) was amazingly youthful and delicious. Comparably cellared bottles should provide pleasure for at least another five years. Drink now-2022.

95 points, 2017-10-20

Barnstensfargad, ingen vidare mousseSherrytoner, notig och knackig, valdigt mycket branda tonerSmorig och rund, fyllig, bra langd, aven lite branda toner i munnen. Bra langd och syran finns dar fortfarande, trots nastan 40 ar. Forst lite fadd i smaken men det forsvann sen. Pigg och bra smak. Behovde lite luft for att komma igang.

91 points, 2017-01-28

1979 always delivers in Champagne, fruit cake, honey,vanilla, caramell, mocca, dried fruits as apricot, still bubbles, good acidity,long finish, 94-95

94 points, 2016-12-16

Darker color, good nose, hint of bubbles, drinking past its prime now but enjoyable on the palate and finish. Drink up.

91 points, 2016-04-19

Drank at 67Fully mature nose but incredible complexity and depth on the palate. Wonderful.

95 points, 2018-11-20

A big, rich wine, the 1976 La Grande Dame reflects the personality of this drought vintage in its size and slightly forward personality. Dried flowers, spices and dried stone fruits all meld together in the glass. Although it is pretty much mature, the 1976 retains plenty of explosive energy and overall depth. I don't see the 1976 improving from here, but it might hold for quite some time.

David Schildknecht, 94

Drinks at Bo and Mich's (Sydney, Australia): 1976 Grand Dame. This took quite a bit of time in the decanter to open up. It was a bit musty at first, a bit tight, but when it opened up, it had a really nice nose of honey, earth, flowers and dried stone fruit, this ringed with just a bit of roasted almond and brioche - very much like an old white Burg. The palate was still really fresh, with tons of zippy lemony acidity running through matured notes of kumquats and browned apples, again with just a little lick of toffee and caramel. Nice Long finish too, with a kick of stony minerality and a nice nutty accents. Lovely stuff. Mature and idiosyncratic, and a lovely pairing for Jamon.

92 points, 2019-09-07

Drank at 67Much better than the previous bottle. Beautiful mature and still with a sparkle. Lovely

94 points, 2021-07-03

Round, ripe (of course), no edges and 'old' sour, creamy, very fine mousse and a golden colour. At the end the finish is less compact, but at that moment you're already in love with the Grande Dame, so you hardly notice it; 92 point for pure quality + 1 point for the appearance of the Grande Dame.

93 points, 2016-04-05

From the same batch as the last bottle. Definitely past the peak, still some bubbles. Based on my experience, this needs alot of air to freshen up and drink more like a mature white Bordeaux.

90 points, 2016-07-30

2015 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/3/2015-11/9/2015 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Lovely golden color with plenty of shy bubbles. The flavor profile is very similar to dry white Bordeaux of the period. Apricot, baked cinnamon apple, honey, smoke and mineral. Medium concentration, bright acidity and good length. A few thought madeirized but I felt just mature. Not showing a great deal of complexity and certainly further advanced than the other 73s I had. It would be interesting to try at home over a couple of days as the mature whites tend to get fresher and gain weight with a few hours of air.

94 points, 2015-11-04

Baller dinner honoring Chicago winos -- 99 La Tache, 99 Leroy RSV, 07 SE & etc (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): I am a big fan of the 73 Champagnes and I was looking forward to this bottle. Sort of an old school funky shape bottle. Lovely golden color with plenty of shy bubbles. The flavor profile is very similar to dry white Bordeaux of the period. Apricot, baked cinnamon apple, honey, smoke and mineral. Medium concentration, bright acidity and good length. A few thought madeirized but I felt just mature. Not showing a great deal of complexity and certainly further advanced than the other 73s I had. It would be interesting to try at home over a couple of days as the mature whites tend to get fresher and gain weight with a few hours of air.

90 points, 2014-08-08

40th Birthday Old Vino Dinner (Era Bistro, Brisbane): This wine kicked off the night. At first I found it a little sweet, but by the second mouthful it really came into its own. Almost a golden colour, still with a few bubbles. It was fully mature, a little apricot/butterscotch, but still with acidity that kept it in balance. It worked really well with the canapes - a lovely old champagne that will still drink for a few years yet.

89 points, 2013-11-29

Big Champagne Tasting of old Champagnes6th best CHampagne in the flight (out of 6)too much oxidation signs, sherry notes predominate, no freshness, nuts, marzipan, acidity still alive, with food better

87 points, 2014-09-21