A “prestige cuvée” is considered the top-quality bottling of a Champagne house, often produced from grapes harvested from the best vineyards and during the finest vintages. Most of these wines have extended bottle ageing before being released to the market, giving them complex aromas of toast and brioche bread, a creamy texture, and delicate bubbles.
A prestige cuvée can be a blend of wines made during a single year, for example Drappier “Grande Sendrée 2010”, produced with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and aged on its lees for 9 years. On the other hand, Laurent Perrier uses a blend of three outstanding vintages (2007, 2008 and 2012) for the Grand Siècle N26, which they age for 10 years before its release. Tsarine Champagne’s prestige cuvée is Tzarina, a fresher style made from different harvests and the three classic grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier that rests for five years before it is launched. Regardless of how they are produced, prestige cuvées are fine examples of the elegant wines that the Champagne region can produce.
Author: Maytte Rivera
