Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 1979

What the critics scored the 1979

One critic score is on record: 95/100, November 2015.

By score the 1979 ranks 2nd of 16 (tied with 1985 and 2008) scored Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame vintages, 1.1 points above their review-weighted 93.9.

The 1970s by score: 1976 94.0 and 1979 95.0. The 1979 leads the decade.

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.

What drinkers rate it

92.9 out of 100 from 20 drinker ratings, the most recent in August 2024.

That is 2.1 points below the critics' score.

Drinker rank: 4th of 22. The most-rated vintage has 270 ratings.

5 written notes, December 2016 to July 2023, rating it 90 to 95.

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

Fruits rouge, framboise, epices, grande fraicheur aromatique, belle ampleur, aromes tertiaire, texture legere.

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.

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.

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

When to drink the 1979

2015 to 2024: 9 years, opening 36 years after the harvest.

Closed 2 years before our 2026 snapshot, so provenance counts for more than price.

Window length rank, longest first: 8th of 11.

The 1979 against its neighbours

The 1979 beside its 3 nearest recorded years.

Here, by score, it places 1st of 4 (tied with 1985).