Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012 By Yayoi Kusama

Grapes from 50 to 60 different crus, or growing areas, are used to produce the Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label: 50-55% Pinot Noir ensures the structure so typical of the House wines. 15% to 20% Pinot Meunier rounds out the blend. 28% to 33% Chardonnay provides the elegance and sophistication essential to a perfectly balanced wine. A high proportion of priceless reserve wines (between 25% and 40%) ensures the continuity of the House style.

95% of the Veuve Clicquot vines are classified as Grands or Premiers Crus while the latter only represents a quarter of the total surface of vines in the entirety of the Champagne region. Each plot’s grape variety is determined by assessing its soil, climate and exposure. The Veuve Clicquot vineyard is comprised of 47% Chardonnay grapes, 36% Pinot Noir and 17% Meunier. The Clicquot vines are mostly situated on gentle sloping hills allowing the vines to benefit from shallow soil and a maximum exposure to sunlight. Since its foundation, the Maison of Veuve Clicquot has also established a strong partnership with its fellow winegrowers in Champagne. These providers of grapes and white wines help insure the consistent quality of the Veuve Clicquot wines. Integrated pest management (also known as lutte raisonnée) is a key part of sustainable agriculture. It includes setting thresholds at which action needs to be taken (e.g. if pest populations reach a certain level and affect too much the quality of our grapes), identifying and monitoring pests, always setting up preferably preventative measures, and evaluating and implementing control options if needed only. To preserve this high-quality terroir, Maison Veuve Clicquot is committed to using no herbicides in 2018, with the proportion of phytosanitary products decreasing every year. Transitioning to a sustainable viticulture and soil resilience philosophy.