The 2007 vintage is completely atypical in character and a little disconcerting. This vintage possessed a unique freshness which cellarmaster Hervé Deschamps wished to present at its peak without waiting for the 2006 vintage to be finished.
The very precocious summer of 2007 resulted in early flowering, and a harvest 3 to 4 weeks earlier than usual. The aim of Hervé Deschamps in crafting this cuvée was to highlight the qualities, and notably the great freshness of this vintage. It is a champagne evocative of Spring with delicate floral notes, hence its name Edition Première, ephemeral and rare, and available only in limited quantities.
Its very singular, delicately pink tinged colour is obtained by gentle maceration of the Pinot Noir grapes, grown at Vertus, the only village in the Côte des Blancs to produce black grapes. However, the blend is dominated by Chardonnay in an even greater proportion than classically used for the Belle Epoque (90%), conferring immense freshness and elegance.
The Belle Epoque 2007 Edition Première from Perrier-Jouët is a soft pale pink with glimmers of peach. An abundance of white flowers, peach, marshmallow and citrus emanate from the nose, whilst the decisive palate offers a round smoothness and well balanced acidity.
This is a fresh and sophisticated champagne perfect to accompany Spring dishes.
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