Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old
A Champagne made entirely from the house's reserve wines: over 400 wines from seventeen vintages, with the oldest dating from 1988. While other bottles use reserve wine to adjust the blend, here it makes up the entire bottle.
Only reserve wine, from seventeen vintages
Every Champagne house holds back wine from good years to adjust the blend in less favorable years. At Veuve Clicquot, 30 to 45 percent of that stock goes into Yellow Label, so the bottle tastes the same year after year. With Extra Old, the ratio is reversed: it consists entirely of reserve wines, over 400 of them from seventeen vintages, with the oldest dating from 1988. So there is no young base wine setting the tone, only wine that has already spent years in the cellar.
That is reflected in the name. Extra brut indicates a lower dosage than a regular brut, and that makes sense with wines of this age: there is little to cover up, and sugar would only push the aged character into the background. The grapes are the house's three varieties: pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier. The alcohol content remains 12%, the same as Yellow Label. There is no vintage on the label, because there are seventeen of them.
In brief
Silky smooth, complex and composed
Layered
Complex and layered rather than overtly fruity. Seventeen vintages side by side create a nose that reads differently with every sip.
Silky smooth
The texture is its hallmark: soft and cohesive, without sharp edges. That comes from the age of the wines, not from sugar.
Elegant and dry
A low dosage lets the finish end dry. What lingers is aging, and it fades slowly rather than abruptly.
Flavor profile of the Extra Old. It relies entirely on aged reserve wines, so a generous glass and a few extra degrees make a noticeable difference.
Pour it like a white wine
Treat this bottle less like a party fizz and more like an aged white wine: 8 to 10 degrees, a generous glass, and time to open up.
From a wine glass
Pour 10 cl into a wine glass and let it stand for five minutes. The layers from seventeen vintages only come loose when air can reach them; in a narrow flute, they remain trapped beneath the rim.
Wine glasses →With oysters or white meat
Allow 12 cl per glass alongside oysters or a piece of poultry. The dry, silky style suits both, and unlike a young brut, this bottle has enough body for meat.
Glass: wine glass or spacious tulip →Taste it alongside Yellow Label
Pour 6 cl of Extra Old and 6 cl of Yellow Label side by side. The same grapes, the same percentage, and yet two different wines: that's the difference between reserve wine as an adjustment and reserve wine in the starring role.
To Veuve Clicquot →Cocktails with champagne
Serve this bottle neat. More than 400 reserve wines from seventeen vintages disappear behind the first splash of liqueur or juice, and then you're drinking an expensive mixed drink. The classics below call for a simpler brut, such as Yellow Label.
French 75
Gin, lemon, and syrup with bubbles added. The gin sets the tone, so the champagne can be simple.
Champagne Cocktail
A sugar cube with Angostura, topped up slowly. Bitters mask every mature nuance.
Sgroppino
Lemon sorbet, vodka, and bubbles stirred until foamy. A young, fresh bottle belongs here.
Aperitif cocktails
Overview of light serves for before the meal. Serve the Extra Old neat alongside it rather than mixing it in.A wine glass does more here than a flute
Matured wine needs air. A spacious bowl lets its layers rise, while a narrow flute mainly holds the bubbles in and keeps the aroma contained.
More Veuve Clicquot flavors
Veuve Clicquot
Where it began. On the brand page, you can read all about Veuve Clicquot: its origins, varieties, and classic cocktails.
To Veuve Clicquot →
Veuve Clicquot Rosé
Copper-colored, full and juicy. Raspberry, wild strawberry and cherry, with pastry underneath.
View Veuve Clicquot Rosé →
Veuve Clicquot Brut Vintage
A single harvest, partly aged in wooden foudres. Apricot, fig, honey and mocha.
View Veuve Clicquot Brut Vintage →
Veuve Clicquot Demi Sec
Ripe, candy-like fruit and wine gums over freshly toasted bread. The house's dessert champagne.
View Veuve Clicquot Demi Sec →
Veuve Clicquot Rich
Citrus and floral notes, full and rounded. Intended for ice cubes and a single garnish.
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Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame
Exclusively Grand Cru grapes, floral and silky smooth. The bottle for oysters and caviar.
View Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame →Everything about champagne: the types, the best-known brands and the cocktails.
Questions about Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Veuve Clicquot page or explore our cocktail recipes.
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