NV Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne

Tasted from magnum, the silver/straw-colored NV Champagne Yellow Label Brut has an assertive and expressive nose with flinty notes of apricot and toast that lift from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, it’s juicy and inviting on the palate, with a silky texture, a rounded feel, a very fine, pinpoint mousse, and a rather long finish. it is quite pleasing out of magnum, which is kept five years rather than three.

This harmonious Champagne boasts a bright streak of tangerine peel-infused acidity, with flavors of ripe green apple, pastry cream and biscuit, plus accents of crystallized honey and candied ginger, all set on the lacy mousse. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

Comprising 85% of production, the NV Champagne Yellow Label Brut is 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and the rest Meunier, with 35-40% reserve wine. Entirely fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, it spends three years on the lees, and the wine sees 9 grams per liter of dosage, but the house does not disclose the disgorgement date. A golden straw hue, it’s ripe with aromas of yeasty bread dough, peaches, and fresh flowers. Medium-bodied on the palate, it’s ripe and juicy with rounded red berried fruit, a supple texture, a pillowy mousse, and a warming finish. Fresh and inviting, this is a solid and consistent aperitif to enjoy over the coming several years.