When it comes to fine champagne, Perrier-Jouët is the real deal. It was founded in 1811 in the Épernay region of Champagne by Charles Perrier, who took over the running of the company following his father’s death in 1854. He created the first brut champagne and later introduced vintage dated champagne. After Charles’ death, brothers Henri and Octave Gallice became the directors of Perrier-Jouët. The brothers were great lovers of art, and Octave spent a lot of time in Paris enjoying the belle époque movement at the turn of the 20th century. There he met Emile Gallé, one of the pioneers of the art nouveau movement, and commissioned him to design a bottle for Perrier-Jouët. The gorgeous signature design of Japanese white anemones was born and thus became an iconic emblem of Maison Perrier-Jouët.
Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé’s bottle is just as beautiful, adorned with Perrier-Jouët’s signature anemones but with an added rosy pink touch. The apricot-tinted bottle perfectly complements the pink anemones. Unveiled recently, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé 2012 is a rare vintage as it is only crafted in exceptional years and produced in limited quantities.
The year 2012 marked difficult weather conditions for the Épernay vineyards. Winter was mild, but spring brought frost and hail, which damaged the vineyards. Despite these harsh conditions, 2012 still produced what Maison Perrier-Jouët calls “balanced” wines – and one of the most notable is the new Belle Epoque Rosé 2012. This cuvée is extravagant in its packaging, bottle and taste. Its pink essence comes through in its aroma, with scents of pink flowers – rose and peony – and strawberry, raspberry and grapefruit notes.
The distinctive pale peach tint of this champagne is thanks to the small addition of Pinot Noir (11%) from Aÿ, Mailly, Verzy and Sillery. These wines are produced by macerating the white juice of Pinot Noir grapes on their red skins. This is then blended with floral Chardonnay grapes from Cramant, Avize and Le Mesnil to create a unique champagne blend.
This cuvée boasts light, fresh and complex flavours that remain on the palate long after your first sip. The complexity of flavours within Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé 2012 means that it pairs well with both sweet and savoury dishes such as white fish, cheese and citrus-based desserts.
