2012 Champagne Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame, Brut (Artist Edition)

Very difficult spring with frost and some hail but lovely summer. They could choose when to pick, on 17/18 September, a month later than 2020. Quite a bit of wind, so very healthy fruit. Good acidity, as in 2004 (less than 2008). 90% Pinot Noir mainly from Aÿ, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy. The 10% Chardonnay comes from the Grands Crus Avize and Mesnil-sur-Oger. Verzy and Verzenay were favoured in 2012 for their minerality. They moved to the north from the south of the Montagne de Reims in 2012. Full malo for all Veuve Clicquot wines so far. No oak for Grande Dame ingredients (cf vintage Veuve Clicquot). Dosage 6 g/l. Artist Yayoi Kusama has designed a very attractive, but not at all sustainable, package. This seems designed for the gift market.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'.Drink 2020 - 2026jancis_robinson_mw MW, JancisRobinson.com (November 2020)

The 2012 La Grande Dame is terrific. In fact, it is one of the finest recent Grande Dames I can remember tasting. Vibrant and tense, the 2012 exudes energy. At this stage, the natural richness of the 2012 vintage is hidden behind the wine's bright, salivating acids. Green apple, pear, mint and white pepper add a brilliant aromatic top register. I would cellar the 2012 for at least a few years, as it is nowhere near ready to drink.Drink 2027 - 2042antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (November 2020)

Aromas of lime zest, lemon and brioche follow through to a full body with a round, creamy texture, fine bubbles and a delicious finish. Direct and focused 2012. Lots of elegance and energy in this.Drink or holdjames_suckling, jamessuckling_com (July 2022)

The 2012 La Grande Dame has started to relax a little post-disgorgement, with some malted bread, honey and toasty complexity building over what is still an impressively precise release for such a Pinot Noir-heavy blend, more focused on delicate red fruits than the broader orange/yellow of the 2015. Sweet red apple, nut oil and lemon marmalade flavours ride a persistent snap of citrussy acidity, the texture softening now but still promising a drawn-out and rewarding unwinding of flavour for those that can wait. 90% Pinot Noir from Äy, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy, and 10% Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Dosage 6 g/L.Drink 2023 - 2043Tom Hewson, Decanter.com (March 2023)