LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

TASTING NOTES The wine itself is half Pinot Noir, which gives a sense of structure and body. “It has the same weight as Taittinger,” observes Igor, “but while Taitt shows more overtones, Veuve has a strong focus on core flavours. You sense the red fruit and, instead of any floral aromas, a distinct nuttiness.” That toasty nuttiness will increase if you let the wine age for a couple more years in the bottle. It’s something of a cliché that the English adore old Champagne and the mellow, bis- cuitty notes that evolve with time. But, like so many clichés, it’s true.

veuve clicquot brut yellow label LCBO 563338, $70.60

While the Brits revel in lesser-known growers’ pro­ ductions (see p. 154), North Americans are more likely to pay a little more and go with a name—and an unassailably reliable Champagne—that they know well. Veuve Clicquot—and that unmistakable orangey-yellow label—is about as famous as it gets. Established in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot Muiron, the marque achieved its exalted status under the auspices of his widowed daughter-in-law, Nicole-Barbe Clicquot-Ponsardin, an entrepreneurial genius who also developed some major cellaring techniques during her long life. Of all the famous “Champagne widows” she is the most renowned and her portrait is on the little metal cap that tops the cork on every bottle of the Yellow Label.

150  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2016