La Grande Dame is the prestige cuvée of Veuve Clicquot, introduced in 1972 with the 1962 vintage to coincide with the house's bicentenary. It is a tribute to Madame Clicquot, the widow who ran the house.
The 2006 is 53 per cent Pinot Noir and 47 per cent Chardonnay, all from eight Grand Cru villages. The Pinot Noir comes from Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy and Verzenay, and the Chardonnay from Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The harvest ran from 14 to 29 September, and the wine then spent around seven years on its lees. The dosage is 8 grams per litre.
The result has a saline, mineral nose with acacia, peach and pear, then hazelnut and roasted almond. With air, brioche, nougat, ginger and candied lemon appear. The palate is silky and full, with chalky minerality and a long finish.
Serve it cool rather than ice cold, in a white wine glass instead of a flute, so the layers can open up. Scallops, shellfish and delicate fish dishes suit its finesse.