Clouet - Dream Vintage, Grand Cru Bouzy, Champagne, France (2009)

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in steel vats. The wine has then aged on its lees for four years.

The Clouet family first found the spotlight after becoming the official printers for the Royal Court at Versailles in the mid-18th century (hence the beauty of their wine labels). Their estate in Bouzy, which current owner Jean-François Clouet still calls home, dates back even further!

Beneath this historic site lies their labyrinthine chalk cellar, which still contains partial false walls that hid precious bottles during the Nazi invasion in World War II. With all this historic grandeur surrounding him, Jean-François draws from tradition and time-honored techniques while respectively embracing modern technology.

While Clouet is a Pinot Noir specialist—Bouzy is widely regarded as one of Champagne’s greatest sites for Pinot Noir— all of his wines including the chardonnays are bold, soil-expressive, sumptuous Champagnes that demand to be enjoyed with food.