Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 1985

Champagne Perrier-Jouët is a Champagne house based in Épernay, founded in 1811. The wines are typically floral and elegant.

The house places emphasis on Chardonnay in relation to this house style. However the core Grand Brut bottling comprises 40 percent Pinot Noir, the same of Pinot Meunier and 20 percent Chardonnay. Dosage is 8 to 10 grams per liter of sugar. The Blanc de Blancs is 100 percent Chardonnay and 8g/l dosage.

The Blason (coat of arms) range is completed by the Blason Rosé. This features 50 percent Pinot Noir and 25 percent each of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, with dosage as for the Grand Brut. 10 to 15 percent of the Pinot Noir is still red wine. All three of these wines feature up to 15 percent reserve wines (i.e. older than the current vintage).

The famous Belle Époque champagne is a deluxe vintage cuvée. It is produced only in the best years, with around 30 wines being made to date.

A 45 percent component of Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims is carefully selected for subtlety to complement the Chardonnay (50 percent) from the Grand Crus of Cramant and Avize. Pinot Meunier contributes just 5 percent.

The Belle Époque Rosé reverses the proportions of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. 11 percent of the Pinot Noir is still red wine.

Belle Époque Blanc de Blancs is the rarest bottling in terms of production volumes (40,000 bottles or less). It is sourced from two of the best parcels of Chardonnay. These three wines are all aged for at least six years before release with a dosage at 8 g/l.

The vineyards of Perrier-Jouët encompass 65 hectares (161 acres), with each plot being picked and vinified separately before being blended into its eventual cuvée. The blend is chosen by Séverine Frerson, the eighth cellar master in two centuries.

Perrier-Jouët history

The house was born through the marriage of Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Adele Jouët in 1811. Originally, Perrier had been a cork manufacturer in Epernay. However, after the acquisition of vines throughout the Champagne region, the couple began making their Chardonnay-dominant wines and exporting to England in 1815, and eventually America in the late 1930s.

Perrier-Jouët was a pioneer in Champagne: it was among the first houses to label bottles with the year of vintage, and it was one of the first to make Champagne in the brut style. The latter was introduced in 1856, because of the English palate of the time; previously Champagnes had been made with high levels of dosage.

After seeing the success of Perrier-Jouët’s brut Champagne, other houses began to release their own brut wines. The style is now, of course, the default.

The brand is closely linked to the Art Nouveau movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. The emblematic anemone motif was created for the house by Emile Gallé in 1902. It features most strongly on the bottles of Belle Époque, whose name references this golden era for many Champagne houses. The historic 18th century mansion in Épernay which was the founding family’s home for many decades was restored in 2017 to its former Art Nouveau style.

Today, Perrier-Jouët is the Champagne of choice for the royal family of Monaco, traditionally being served to Princess Grace at the Rose Ball; the Belle Époque 2002 was also served at the wedding and official dinner of the Prince and Princess of Monaco in 2011.