Eight of the most coveted Prestige Cuvées ever crafted from
the Four Iconic Champagne Houses
Dom Perignon, Dom Ruinart, Krug,
& Veuve Clicquot…
Dom Perignon 2015
Dom Perignon Rose 2009
Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2013
Dom Ruinart Rose 2009
Krug Vintage 2006
Krug Rose Edition 27
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut 2015
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rose 2015
A once-in-a-lifetime tasting that brings together the crown jewels
of four legendary Champagne houses.
Wednesday 21 May
Hosted by Dean O’Reilly – Moet Hennessy Champagne Brand Ambassador
Dinner: 7.00pm, 9 Champagnes with a paired 4 course Kate Lamont menu, $450
(Seats are strictly limited. For lovers of Champagne and collectors of unforgettable moments)
Veuve Clicquot
Pioneer of riddling (remuage) — Madame Clicquot invented the riddling table in the early 1800s, revolutionising the Champagne clarification process and setting the global standard for crystal-clear sparkling wines. Her fearless leadership also helped the house thrive during the Napoleonic wars, earning her the nickname "La Grande Dame of Champagne."
Krug
Master of parcel-by-parcel vinification — Joseph Krug believed in individuality over uniformity. The house meticulously vinifies each plot separately, allowing maximum expression and complexity. Krug also pioneered the notion that a non-vintage Champagne (Krug Grande Cuvée) could be just as — if not more — prestigious than a vintage, by blending up to 200 wines from more than 10 different years.
Dom Pérignon
The symbol of vintage expression — Named after the Benedictine monk often (romantically) credited with inventing Champagne, Dom Pérignon became the first prestige cuvée Champagne in history when it was launched in 1936. The house produces only vintage Champagnes, an innovation that emphasises the unique character of each harvest.
Dom Ruinart
The original house of Champagne — Founded in 1729, Dom Ruinart was the first-ever Champagne house. It was also among the first to highlight Chardonnay as the star grape for elegance and longevity, especially in its Blanc de Blancs releases. Its commitment to Chardonnay has elevated the grape’s status in the region.
From the Critics…
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93 points, Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com
92 points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
91 points, Essi Avellan MW
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97 points, JamesSuckling.com
96 points, Wine Spectator
96 points Antonio Galloni , Vinous
96 points, Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com
95 points, Johan Castaing, The Wine Advocate
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99 points, JamesSuckling.com
98 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
97 points, William Kelley, Wine Advocate
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97 points, Tom Hewson, Decanter
97 points, James Suckling
96 points - Bettane & Desseauve Guide
95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
95 points, Wine Spectator
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97 points, Essi Avellan MW
96 points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
96 points, Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
96 points, James Suckling
94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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99 points and Top 100 Wines of 2020 - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
97 points, Decanter
97 points, Wine Spectator
97 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
97 points, William Kelley, Wine Advocate
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98 points, James Suckling
96+ Points, Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
96 Points, Ana Napjus, Wine Spectator
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95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
95 points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
95 points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
93 points, JamesSuckling.com
91 points, Essi Avellan MW
94 points, Tom Hewson, Decanter -
96 points, John Gilman, View From the Cellar
95 Points, Tom Hewson, Decanter
95 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
The Champagne List
On Arrival…
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV
Brimming with pear, white peach and citrus fruit this enchanting Blanc de Blancs is so bright and succulent and is very hard to resist. I love the very long, silky and clean finish which has beautiful balance. Really fine mousse.
93 Points Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com
First Course
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut 2015
The 2015 La Grande Dame is bright and nicely focused. There’s good energy driving a core of Pinot Noir fruit. Pear, white flowers, mint, white pepper and lime are nicely delineated. The 2015 is not the most complex Grande Dame I have ever tasted, but it offers plenty of immediacy with no vegetal notes or hard contours that have proven so challenging elsewhere. This is an expertly made Champagne by any measure.
95 points, Antonio Galloni - Vinous
Dom Perignon Brut 2015
A super-complex Champagne with chewy tension. Aromas of coffee beans, lemon peel, burnt sugar, chalky minerality, barley candy and tarte tatin. Fine pinprick bubbles with flavors of lemon leaves, aspirin and Mirabelle plums, plus a touch of grapefruit bitterness keeping the tension. Zesty yet integrated chewy acidity and a medium body with a toasted finish. Drink of hold.
97 points, JamesSuckling.com
Second Course
Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2013
Dom Ruinart 2013 is a blanc de blancs of lithe, satin-smooth beauty already upon release, very much built around the reserved, cool energy of the 2013 vintage. This cuvée's new aromatic range, amplified since the 2010 release by toasty, spicy energy brought on by bottle fermentation under cork (sous liège), is very much at play. However, with undertones of roasting coffee, honey and fresh walnut playing with smoky gunflint and nougat richness as the gentle lemon, lime and even tropical fruit eases out with time in the glass. It's narrow rather than austere, gently sea-salt-savoury rather than lip-smackingly mineral or chalky – a Dom Ruinart with a long, long life ahead, but an equally rewarding window already opening up.
97 points, Tom Hewson, Decanter
Krug Vintage 2006
Krug leaves other great champagnes in its wake, as it fills the senses to overflowing. A blend of 48% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay and 17% pinot meunier; 12 years on tirage. It has an incredibly complex play between berry fruits and spicy brioche flavours and it's hard to imagine a better structured and balanced wine. Drink by: N/A."
99 points and Top 100 Wines of 2020 - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
Third Course
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rose 2015
The wine is a beautifully deep salmon color and delivers an utterly refined aromatic constellation of strawberries, blood orange, a touch of sumac, chalky soil tones, rye bread, rose petals and a delicate topnote of smokiness. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and shows off stunning depth at the core, with fine mineral undertow and grip, a lovely girdle of acidity, utterly refined mousse and a long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is a brilliant bottle of Rosé!
96 points, John Gilman, View From the Cellar
Dom Ruinart Rose 2009
the 2009 Dom Ruinart Rosé possesses a complex, vibrant bouquet with aromas of cherry, spring flowers, gooseberry, tangerine, almonds, pastry and slightly reductive elegant notes. Full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, the palate is perfectly balanced, dense and concentrated, with a delicate mousse and a long, saline, penetrating finish. There’s plenty of structure and substance here. There is no reason to wait, but it will age beautifully for another five to eight years.
96 points, Yohang Castaing, Wine Advocate
Fourth Course
Krug Rose Edition 27
Aromas of bread dough and watermelon with peaches on the nose. Some dried fruits. Full-bodied with phenolic tannins, like a fine pinot noir. The finish is very Burgundian with rose hip tea and dried lemons and kumquats. Crunchy. Delicious finish.
98 points, JamesSuckling.com
Dom Perignon Rose 2009
This shows incredible depth of fruit with strawberry, cherry and phenolics. Full-bodied and layered with an incredible, three-dimensional element to the wine. This is so transparent and dynamic with dark fruit, yet it remains vivid and bright. Refined and precise, it goes on and on. Really savory, fresh and incredibly pinot-noir-like. What a wine. 13 years of maturation in the bottle. So drinkable now, but it will age for many years ahead.
99 points, JamesSuckling.com