Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 1976 1500ml

Made during a period when Rousseau had a bacterial infection in his cellars, it is difficult to gauge whether this wine was negatively affected by that, or if it is merely disappointing. The light ruby/orange color is followed by a nearly sterile nose that, with coaxing, offers scents of old oak, stale mushrooms, and earth. The tannins and alcohol are the most noticeable features in the mouth, but there are hints of glycerin and fruit in the finish. This is a wine that is becoming more attenuated and nasty as it ages.

Perrier-Jouet's proud history covers nearly 200 remarkable years. This celebrated Champagne, with its signature flowers by Galle, was first made in Epernay in the earliest years of the 19th century. Pierre Nicolas Marie Perrier and his wife Adele Jouet placed their names on a Champagne label that found immediate favor. In 1969 Perrier-Jouet's glamorous "Cuvee Belle Epoque" made its debut in Paris at Maxim's and Fauchon, and from there went on to captivate the world. As is the case with all of the world's great wines, Champagne Perrier-Jouet's finesse and elegance spring from its vineyards. At the heart of the most prestigious sites in the entire Champagne region, Perrier-Jouet owns more than 247 acres. Perrier-Jouet is the first Champagne House to have created a dry champagne, which led to the birth of the famous Brut in 1856. A direct descendant of this tradition, the most widely-drunk wine in the world, Grand Brut exemplifies the House style: floral, elegant and chiselled.

Seafood, Shellfish, Crab and Lobster