Mission Codename Eternal love in a bottle
Here we have, arguably the most archetypical of sparkling luxury, the venerable Fleur de Champagne - “the flower of Champagne” - Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque, a tribute to the dawn of the 20th century and timeless Art Nouveau. As a symbol of elegance, grace and nobility that only the finest of Champagnes can represent, there are very few gifts on earth that can convey eternal love as exquisitely.
This origin story of those house dates to 1810, when the Épernay-based cork supplier Pierre Nicolas Perrier married Rose Adélaide Jouët. Successors Henri Gallice and his younger brother Octave were both art lovers, but while Henri managed the family business in Épernay, Octave spent much of this time in Paris, sharing in the excitement of the ‘Belle Epoque’ those heady years at the start of the 20th century when France was swept along by whirlwind progress in science and arts. In the capital, he met Emile Gallé, one of the pioneers of the Art Nouveau movement, the revolutionary artistic expression of the period who created a design for Maison Perrier-Jouët, drawing on his own passion for botany to imagine a spray of Japanese white anemones. Four magnums enameled with this delicate motif were delivered in 1902, becoming the iconic emblem, not only of the prestigious Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque cuvée, but of Maison Perrier-Jouët itself.
Did you know? One of the three bottles of the oldest wine in the world, verified by the Guinness Book of Records, a 1825 vintage Perrier-Jouët was opened and tasted in 2009. French critic Michel Bettane said the wine was “unbelievable” while Master of Wine Serena Sutcliffe is quoted saying “it must have been incredibly powerful and extremely sweet when young.”
Here’s what the wine press has to say:
95 Points, Cellar Selection –Wine Enthusiast - “The iconic Belle Epoque bottle reveals a well-structured, taut wine. With Chardonnay very much in evidence in the mineral texture, the wine is almost as floral as the bottle. Drink from 2021.”
94 Points - James Suckling - “A very complex and toasty nose with nicely cut, autolytic, reductive kick that adds flinty notes to the lemons and pink grapefruit, as well as fresh, lightly spiced pastry. The palate has a super fluid and attractively fresh feel with a bold, sweetly fruited core that delivers a long, succulent and elegant finish. This is in form! Drink or hold.”
What the Winery Says
2012 'Belle Epoque' Brut Fleur de Champagne
- Winemaker
- Régis Camus
- Blend
- 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir
- Vintage
- 2012
- Appellation
- Montagne de Reims, Marne, France
- Alcohol
- 12%
- Aging
- 7 years on the fine lees prior to disgorgement
- Disgorgement
- July 1, 2015
- Production
- 525 cases