Pommery celebrates 150 years of brut Champagne

Pommery is marking the forthcoming 150th anniversary of its creation of brut Champagne with the release of a limited edition blanc de blancs cuvée blended from Chardonnay from some of Madame Pommery’s favourite plots.

Historically, Champagne was generally much sweeter, but in 1874, as the story goes, Madame Louise Pommery of the eponymous maison instructed cellar masters Olivier Damas and Victor Lambert to create a dry style of the traditional method sparkling in order to better allow the quality of the fruit to shine through.

Now, just shy of 150 years later, Pommery has unveiled its 150, a blanc de blancs extra brut cuvée made using Chardonnay from a number of plots prized by Madame Pommery herself.

Pommery cellar master Clément Pierlot, carrying on the legacy of Damas and Lambert, explained the vision behind the blending of this special anniversary Champagne: “In 2016, we decided not to make any vintages, but to devote the House’s best vats from prestigious growths to making Cuvée 150. To pay homage to Madame Pommery’s genius, we scoured the House’s archives and historical atlases in search of the emblematic villages of Champagne Pommery & Greno.”

“Our first steps took us inside the estate itself, in the heart of Reims, to the majestic Clos Pompadour,” he continued. “An exceptional terroir with a unique microclimate conducive to remarkable ripeness, the Chardonnays from the Clos bring singularity, complexity and texture to the blend. The next natural step takes us to the north of the Montagne de Reims. Along with Verzy, Verzenay adds a distinctive, racy note to this exceptional cuvée, where structure and tension are the watchwords. It is the backbone of this blend.”

“Nestling on the south-east slope, Trépail contributes significantly to the freshness and minerality of the cuvée. As a perfect complement to its neighbour, Villers-Marmery adds its finesse to the whole. Moving up the Grande Vallée de la Marne, we stop at the heart of the historic Coteaux, at Dizy, which offers us a terroir of multiple expressions, blending elegance and smoothness with remarkable balance. Crossing the Marne and joining the cuesta of the Côte des Blancs, we first travel through the Chouilly terroir, which brings its incomparable vivacity to the whole. Next come the villages of Cramant and Avize, indissociable ‘Hors Classes’ Grands Crus, with their bewitching aromatic character, graceful citrus notes, toasty nuances and exceptional consistency. We finish with the Chardonnay d’Oger, a proud and singular terroir with chiselled minerality, which gives the blend the distinction it deserves.”

“In this way, each village, with its unique terroir, harmoniously sculpts the complex personality of this cuvée with its subtle, delicate nuances,” Pierlot concluded.

The wine then spent six years on the lees before disgorgement.

Julien Lonneux, UK CEO of Vranken Pommery, commented: “Madame Pommery really changed the world of Champagne 150 years ago with the invention of the brut Champagne. Champagne grew in popularity with the British with its dryer taste and exporting Champagne to the UK grew exponentially.”

Retailing for £145, just 10,000 bottles of this particular cuvée will be made available. Tasting notes include kaffir lime and candied ginger.