VEUVE CLICQUOT
DAME MADAME CLICQUOT & THE BIRTH OF AN ICON
In an era where women were excluded from business, Madame Clicquot headed up the company with passion and determination. Madame Clicquot leaves a legacy within the brand and her persona - audacious and intelligent.
DAME CLICQUOT GRANTED CONTROL IN 1805
After the tragic death of her husband, Dame Madame Clicquot had a decision to make. She could relax and enjoy the pleasures of life as a wealthy widow, as almost anyone of her age and social status would have done, or commit to something more extraordinary.
Fortunately for us, she did the latter; after convincing her father-in-law to grant her control of her late husband’s business, she set about building an empire still synonymous with Champagne, revolutionising the world of fine wine and inventing many of the standardised winemaking techniques still employed by premium brands around the world.
INVENTED BLENDED ROSE CHAMPAGNE
Among other key innovations, Madame Clicquot invented the concept of rosé as we know it. 2018, marked the 200th anniversary of Veuve Clicquot Rosé, the first known blended rosé champagne.
Not content with the addition of an elderberry concoction to achieve the colouring of pink wine (she remarked that ‘our wines must be flattering both on the palate and on the eye’) she instead blended wine grapes with her still white wine, achieving the first known blended rosé champagne.
We raise a glass and toast one of the most influential and formidable female icons of wine and business to have ever lived.
MADAME CLICQUOT'S LEGACY
1777 - Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin is born, the daughter of a prominent textile manufacturer and politician.
I798 - Barbe-Nicole marries Francois-Marie Clicquot. Given the timing - in the midst of the revolution - the wedding is held in secret (in a cellar, in fact).
1804 - Under her husband’s management, the house prospers, catering to tastes of the luxurious and indulgent courts across Europe. Madame Clicquot is destined for a very comfortable life.
1805 - Tragedy strikes at the age of 27 when her husband passes and leaves her to raise their child. At a time when it is almost unheard of for a woman to lead a business, she convinces her father-in-law to allow her to put her in charge.
1806 - Madame Clicquot invests a further 80,000 francs into the business. Unfortunately, the first few years are trying; Europe is at war.
1810- Madame Clicquot creates the first vintage Champagne, showing a knack for innovation.
1811 - An excellent vintage coincides with the timing of a comet seen in the skies for much of the year. The Veuve Clicquot ‘comet vintage’ is considered by some as the first great modern Champagne vintage.
1814 - After several years of an embargo on French bottled wine, the Russian tsar opens the doors for trade again. Maison Clicquot charter a ship with 10,000 bottles, followed by another 12,000 bottles. The timing of the arrival results in a windfall for the business.
1815 - After Napoleon’s defeat, the rest of Europe enters a period of merriment, with Champagne at the heart of all celebrations.
1816 - Madame Clicquot invents the first
‘riddling table’, the process of ageing and turning a bottle to guarantee a clear wine. This process is still used today. She also becomes known as ‘La Grande Dame of Champagne’.
1818 - Madame Clicquot invents rosé as we know it today, blending still white wine with red grapes.
1866 - Madame Clicquot dies in July. Sales had reached 750,000 bottles a year and her life is celebrated across the world.
LA GRANDE DAME 2006 & CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA
8 GRAND CRUS
53% Pinot Noir: Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy and Verzenay 47% Chardonnay: Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
2006
La Grande Dame is only produced in the finest vintages of the region
NAMED IN HER HONOUR
Madame Clicquot, La Grande Dame of Champagne
La Grand Dame translates to:
An elderly woman of great prestige or ability
‘Veuve’ translates to: widow
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WHO IS CHARLOTTE OLYMIA
Charlotte Olympia is an iconic accessory designer who designs glamorous collections with a modern silhouette. Charlotte is best known for her Iconic styles such as the Dolly with its signature ‘island’ platform and her distinctive Kitty flats. The collaboration with Clicquot is a perfect combination of businesswomen and global success.
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