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Perrier-Jouët

Perrier-Jouët was established in 1811 by Pierre-Nicolas-Marie Perrier, adding the maiden name of his wife, Ad le Jouët, to name the house. They established themselves in the town of Épernay, and set about building up their brand and exploring foreign markets; by 1815 they were already exporting wine to England, and within a few more years they added the USA to their list of export destinations. Such success obviously led to a greater demand for their wines, and the family were soon acquiring or planting new vineyards in Aÿ, Avize, Cramant, Mailly and elsewhere. Many were planted with Chardonnay, bringing a delicacy to the Perrier-Jouët style, a style said to have been favoured by Pierre-Nicolas-Marie, and a trait that can still be found in the wines of Perrier-Jouët today.

Although off to a flying start it was the next generation, in the shape of Charles Perrier who succeeded his father, that did most to build up the reputation of the family business. Thanks to Charles, the wines of Perrier-Jouët soon found their way onto the tables at several European courts, and were increasingly exported overseas. The range expanded, and in 1854 Perrier-Jouët became the first house to release a dry Champagne, a style subsequently imitated across the region. At the time the wines were prevailingly sweet, and by this action Charles Perrier was essentially the creator of the Brut designation that is the predominant style today. His innovations did not stop there, however, as Charles was also an early advocate of the single vintage Champagne, as well as greater transparency of labelling, sometimes featuring the names of the villages on the labels, a practice that remains rare in the region even today. Such dedication naturally brought reward and recognition; in the latter half of the 19th Century the wines of Perrier-Jouët were consumed in Queen Victoria's court, as well as that of Napoleon III. Such success secured the future of the business, and also financed the construction of a fine chateau on the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, a fine building which remains the Perrier-Jouët headquarters to this day.

After Charles Perrier there was no natural heir, and thus control of Perrier-Jouët passed with Charles' blessing to nephew Henri Gallice, and then in 1918 to Louis Budin, Henri's brother-in-law, a family member only by marriage. After thirty or so years he was succeeded by his son, Michel Budin, and it was Michel that was the last in the line to maintain complete control over his Champagne house. Since this era Perrier-Jouët has, as is the case with many Champagne houses, been the subject of outside investment and even complete takeover. In 1959 the Mumm group took control, although Michel stayed on with the company, and it was he that oversaw one of the great additions to the range of Champagnes produced by Perrier-Jouët, the prestige cuvée La Belle Epoque (known instead as Fleur de Champagne in the USA). Subsequently the house was purchased by Seagram, and this story of takeover continued throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries; the current owners are Pernod Ricard, who completed a successful takeover of previous owners the Allied Domecq Group in 2005.

Without doubt the stand-out wine in the Perrier-Jouët range is the aforementioned Belle Epoque. Although conceived by Michel Budin, marketing director Pierre Ernst and cellarmaster André Bavaret in the latter 20th Century, its origins are actually much older than this date suggests. Their inspiration was the discovery of a beautifully decorated bottle, dating from 1902, found long neglected and gathering dust in a cupboard in a back room. The bottle bore enamelled artwork by the glassmaker Emile Gallé, a panoply of glazed and delicately hued anemones. It would seem that Gallé had created the bottle at the request of Henri Gallice, as a symbol of the glorious 1890s, but why it lay undiscovered for six decades is not clear. Today Gallé is renowned for the high quality of his glasswork, and is rightly regarded as instrumental in the art nouveau movement in France; it is unsurprising that this serendipitous discovery prompted Ernst and Bavaret to create a Champagne worthy of such a fabulous piece of art. The first vintage of Belle Epoque, a Brut style, was the 1964, released in 1969, and sold exclusively through a small number of select outlets. It was subsequently joined by the La Belle Epoque Rosé in the 1976 vintage, and later by the La Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs.

The straight Belle Epoque is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier. The strength of this prestige cuvée is finesse and elegance rather than power or fruit, so for this reason inexperienced critics have been known to discount Belle Epoque, having been underwhelmed on first tasting. Some have even accused Perrier-Jouët of putting more effort in to the design of the bottle than the wine that goes into it. These critics have laid bare their lack of understanding of a wine that possesses impeccable balance, something far more valuable than powerful fruit. With appropriate bottle age these wines reveal their true class, the high quality origins of the fruit from some of the best sources in the region.

The Belle Epoque Rosé is made by the addition of red wine rather than the saignée method, with a final blend otherwise very similar to the straight Belle Epoque, with the Chardonnay sourced from Cramant in each case. This is also the source for the Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs. There was also a Réserve La Belle Epoque released in the 1995 vintage, bottled in 2000 jeroboams, with a whopping price tag - although the price did include a room for two with dinner at the Maison Belle Epoque, the Perrier-Jouët guest house which is crammed with art from the nouveau period. The remainder of the Perrier-Jouët range includes the non vintage Grand Brut, 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, and the vintage Grand Brut, a similar blend with just 10% more Chardonnay and 10% less Pinot Meunier than the non vintage cuvée. Both can be excellent. In addition there is Blason de France, a non-vintage cuvée launched in 1965, which is is a blend of almost one third of each of the three main Champagne grapes and which is seldom seen at tastings. There is also the more frequently spotted Blason de France Rosé which has a little more Pinot Noir and less Chardonnay. (6/4/04, last updated 8/1/08)

Contact details:
Address: 28 avenue de Champagne, 51201 Épernay
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 26 53 38 00
Fax: +33 (0) 3 26 54 54 55
Internet: www.perrier-jouet.com

Perrier-Jouët - Tasting Notes

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1999

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1999: Here we have a gentle and reserved nose, revealing in a rather tight fashion a little core of honey and toffee. Similar flavours on the palate are quite direct in style, although overall it is showing its youth in a unfocussed, loose knit fashion, the mousse quickly fading away, and the front of the palate is not well defined either. But I think this is simply way too young. There is freshness and delicacy of fruit, so I am hopeful that there is potential for this to come together in bottle. 17+?/20 (November 2007)

1998

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1998: The fourth time I have tasted this vintage and this is the most integrated, coherent example of them all. It today shows a nice, honeyed, slightly mealy nose, and a lovely depth of secondary character. Notes of toast, brioche. Good acidity, but above all a fine, integrated composition. This is all set for giving some delightful drinking - sooner than the 1996 for sure - and although is approachable now it will continue to improve over a few years I think. 17+/20 (November 2007)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1998: An attractive presence of perfumed, smoky fruit. Really nice style, with lots of fruit, and a creamy-foamy mousse. It is still showing its youth but has settled down somewhat since I last tasted, and clearly has good potential with its bright, creamy style. Nice bite on the finish. Needs some time in bottle to settle down. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16.5+/20 (March 2007)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1998: Rather closed at first, but this opened as I chatted with David Large of Dreyfus Ashby. With time it shows a perfumed mineral character, not entirely appealing, but not atypical for adolescent vintage Perrier-Jouët. Soft, nicely structured, rather open knit at present, with a gentle mousse. I'm sure this will show significant improvement with further bottle age. Needs time, probably 3-4 years at least. From the annual Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16+/20 (March 2006)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1998: More honeyed, opulent, forward and seductive than the 1997. Beeswax and lemon-edged white fruit. Again a firm mousse. Good, strong acidity. A more together wine for sure. Strong finish. This needs 4-5 years, then should be just great. 16.5+/20 (May 2005)

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1998: Lots of white fruit on the nose here, surprisingly still showing a trace of sulphur. A lovely presence on the palate, round and complete, yet gentle and elegant. Belle Epoque is never the most forceful of prestige cuvées, but this is quite broad although livened up with crisp acidity and a tingling, peppery mousse. Creamy, elegant on the finish. Plainly very youthful and simple at present, but has fine potential. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16.5+/20 (March 2007)

1997

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1997: Refined. Nutty. Iodine-seaweed notes on the nose, which I find very appealing. Served a little too cold. More iodine and sea salt character, herbal, gentle but slightly sherbetty mousse. Firm acidity. Firm finish too. Rather green, and angular though. Needs 4-5 years at least, then we shall see. 14.5+/20 (May 2005)

1996

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1996: A pale, lemon-gold hue, with a fine bead at the core. Some fresh citrus fruit character on the nose, with a thin vein of almond nuttiness coming in at the edge. The palate is quite fine, with a lovely, nutty maturity, with a little mushroom and coffee beginning to show, but still with a very fresh, bright, clean character. Quite a bold, sharp mousse and then a little bitter grip on the finish. Full and flavoursome, quite broad. This is very impressive, and will be even better in 3-5 years. From a 1996 Champagne tasting. 18+/20 (August 2007)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1996: A good depth of colour here, demonstrating a moderately rich, lemon-gold hue. The nose doesn't give too much away, but it certainly displays elegance, with its pure, creamy, smoky white fruits and nuts. The palate is simply fabulous - it has texture, balance, a fine mousse and piles of leafy white fruit flavour, with a nutty edge, fanning out on the finish to show autolytic complexity. Finesse, richness and character combined, and a fabulous length as well. This is splendid - showing real class now, but destined for greatness. 18+/20 (March 2004)

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1996: Rounded, nutty, refined nose. More forceful than previous vintages - perhaps just the exuberance of youth? Firm, coffee-cashew nut palate. Less floral than usual, more caramel notes. Good acidity. This is one for the cellar. Needs six years at the very least. 17+/20 (May 2005)

1992

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1992: A good depth of colour, a yellow-golden wine. Just a gentle bead in the glass. The nose seems quite youthful, with some fresh fruits tinged with a tropical nature, with only emerging hints of maturity, evidenced by fleeting moments of coffee and brioche. Fresh, grippy and youthful on the palate, with great acidity which made this a wonderful food wine. Still dominated by fruit, but with the beginnings of maturity similar to the nose. In the past I've found a number of 1992 Champagnes to have troublesome acidity, but this wine has matured and lost some of the awkwardness of youth evident when I last tasted it two years ago, and the acidity has settled and is now helping it to age gracefully. Would benefit from another three years in the cellar. 16.5+/20 (March 2004)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1992: Lemon gold. An almost non-existent bead. Initially a sharp citrus nose, but it opens up to reveal creamy, yeasty aromas with doughy marzipan and notes of cinder toffee. The palate has a sharp mousse and equally sharp acidity. There is a creamy edge to this wine, but it is dominated by that acidity. 15.5+/20 (May 2001)

1990

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Brut 1990: Golden yellow wine tinged with amber. Wonderful nose, packed with maturing aromas. A subtle note of oxidation adds interest to the oily white fruits, layered with nuances of coffee, toffee, honey, cashew nuts and butterscotch. Sublimely elegant on the palate. Light and fresh, with bright acidity supporting the gentle, creamy texture and correct, slightly sharp mousse. Full flavoured on the finish. This is a wine still on the way up, and has shown some development since last tasted. 17.5+/20 (March 2004)

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Brut 1990: A fine but barely noticeable bead in this pale, golden wine. Rich, white fruit aromas dominate, with a subtle twist of coconut. The mousse reflects the bead with no more than a soft, prickling sensation, but it builds to a creamy texture on the palate. Delicious balance. More rich, white fruit, and on the endpalate the development of some toasty, nutty complexities, which persist through the finish. I expected more complexity, although this may come with further maturation in the bottle. 17.5+/20 (February 2001)

1989

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut 1989: A good, biscuity, honeyed brioche nose. Quite marked acidity on the palate, but with plenty of rich flavour. Pleasant finish. An unfortunately brief note from a blind tasting of 1989 Champagne. 16/20 (June 2000)

1988

Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1988: A delicate but expressive floral nose. Lovely freshness on the palate, with caramel-meaty richness offset by the floral character that marks this cuvée I find. Soft mousse, but still has some firm acidity showing on the finish. Toffee notes on a decent length. Still needs cellar time, a feature of this vintage. From a Prestige Cuvée Champagne tasting. 17+/20 (September 2004)

Non-Vintage

Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: Current release. Underneath the sulphur there are some sweet white fruits with an apply brightness. This lively show continues on the palate where there is a well defined core of golden fruits, with a fine acidity around it. A good creamy mousse. There is elegance and substance here. My only concern is that sulphur is also detectable on the palate, but I suspect it will dissipate. Very good potential. From the 2008 annual Champagne tasting. 16.5+/20 (March 2008)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: Current release. This is fresh, floral, minerally and sherbetty, and this particular bottling is still showing the faintest hint of residual sulphur on the nose also. Very clean on the palate though, with a firm mousse. It has a good, precise, well defined style with good fruit acidity. There is both substance and flavour here, and very good potential. 16.5+/20 (November 2007)

Perrier-Jouët Brut Blason Rosé NV: A very pale pink wine, with soft fruit aromas reminiscent of strawberries and redcurrants, with a light, leafy character. This carries through onto the palate, which is fairly firm with a good acid backbone and a nice weight. It isn't the most elegant style, and I am not often a fan, but this has good freshness and looking at previous tasting notes this is one of the better bottles I have had. 15/20 (November 2007)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: Current release. A stony, crisp minerality on the nose here. Quite herbal. Unsurprisingly, some sulphur too. Full, soft and creamy on the palate, but nicely crisp with some lovely supporting structure. Very fresh, with good acidity. Should perform well after a year or two in the bottle I think, as it integrates and that sulphur dissipates. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 16+/20 (March 2007)

Perrier-Jouët Brut Blason Rosé NV: Current release. This wine has a pale, copper-tinged salmon pink wine. The nose has a stony, mineral character, laid over some redcurrant fruit. Rather sweet and confected on the palate, and rather simple. Straightforward. I can find little else positive to say here. From the annual Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 13.5/20 (March 2006)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: From two half bottles, with consistent notes. Purchased Summer 2003. Mid gold hue, with a tiny but persistent bead. Simply delightful maturing nose, showing nutty and bready character at first, with notes of apples and sweet biscuits appearing with a little air. Great palate, showing a good blend of fresh acidity and full, developed flavour. Nice, creamy style nevertheless, helped by an elegant, gentle mousse. Coffee-tinged baked apples. Appreciable development since last tasting (July 2005), and deliciously ready now. 17/20 (September 2005)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: From a half bottle, purchased Summer 2003. Nice golden colour. Maturing nose, showing some nutty, toasty brioche character. Fresh, expansive, broad palate, starting very firm and primary, before the secondary flavours open out on the midpalate, before closing up in a tight ball of acidity. Tight, appealing mousse. Lovely, and it shows the potential of NV cuvées, even in this format, given a cellar with the right conditions. Drink over the next two to three years. 17/20 (July 2005)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: Base vintage 2001, on the market Summer 2005. Very appealing nose. Nutty, complex, intriguing. Rich palate, very fine and persistent mousse. A decent, nutty-sherbetty finish. This is a very good non-vintage cuvée. 16.5/20 (May 2005)

Perrier-Jouët Brut Blason Rosé NV: Current release. Very pale. Subtle, strawberry-toffee nose. Quite a full, textured palate. Nice, slightly foaming mousse. Firm acids. Herbal-peppery fruits. Good. 15/20 (May 2005)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: From a half bottle, purchased Summer 2003. Mid gold colour, and a very fine, sparse bead. Lots of interest on the nose, which has the creamy white fruits of youth, but is also showing complex notes of marzipan, lemon meringue and toffee. Full, creamy, with a rich mousse on the palate, although showing firm youthful acidity. Coffee notes in the background. Needs perhaps a year for the acidity to settle, and then should drink very well for a year or two. Obviously standard formats will age differently. 16+/20 (March 2004)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: From a half bottle, purchased Summer 2002. Perrier-Jouët has had a rebrand recently (perhaps this involved a 'focus group'), and both vintage and NV bottles now bear attractive golden, oval labels. Nevertheless recently I've been working my way through a case of halves which bear the old style label, and demonstrate some maturity. I thought it was about time I posted a tasting note. A very pale wine, with the barest touch of white-gold, and a gentle bead. A lovely nose, with lots of autolytic character, and warm, freshly baked biscuit aromas. Elegance on the palate, which has good acidity, fine flavour and a fresh, slightly firm mousse. Coffee notes. NV Champagnes don't come much better than this. 17/20 (September 2002)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: Two bottles tasted within the space of a month or two. The first was purchased Spring 2001. A very pale wine, with a barely present bead. A doughy, apple pie nose. Cracking acidity on the palate though, with a good mousse and creamy texture. More apple and pastry notes, and an unappealing confected, sherbetty character, becoming more prominent towards the finish. The second was a tasting of the NV cuvée on the market at the time of writing (May 2001). Served from a magnum. Tonight the appley and slightly yeasty nose is pleasant but unexciting. A strong, foaming mousse dominates the mouth, less sherbetty than I recall, but still too much for me. Good acidity. Really quite simple for Perrier-Jouët. 15+/20 (May 2001)

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV: Two bottles tasted within a few months of each other. The first was purchased in Summer 2000. Light lemon colour, with quite a fine bead. Attractive brioche nose, with light yeasty and citrus aromas. Refreshing palate, with a fine mix of brioche, lightly toasted bread and citrus fruit flavours, and a crisp, clean acidity. The mousse is gives a creamy texture to the wine, and it finishes beautifully. Very elegant. The second was from restaurant stock (tasted at Left Bank restaurant). Just a brief note. Delicious and quite rich, with a fine bead and creamy mousse. A good non-vintage wine, all the better for being available by the glass. 16+/20 (September 2000)