We're taking the car to Épernay, once again we are met by a roundabout; we turn right onto the main street, Avenue de Champagne. Here, the champagne houses stand side-by-side. We pass Moët & Chandon before parking at Perrier-Jouët. The entrance features ornate organic shapes in classic Art Nouveau style – incomparably stylish. The courtyard is empty, and on the doorbell is a sign asking us not to ring – visitors are not welcome. Fortunately, we have an appointment and are let in to meet Thomas Lignier, Brand Ambassador at Pernod Ricard. The house is even more beautiful on the inside, with art being a recurring theme in everything the house does, from bottle to context.
We'll take the stairs down to the cellar, and here are the incredibly stylish Belle Époque bottles, both stacked and arranged in ”riddling tables”. The white anemones contribute to the magic. Special editions of the bottles are often made, with different artists creating new designs on an overarching romantic theme. We continue further in and reach the magnificent artwork ”Lost Time” created by Glithero, this work premiered at Design Miami 2012 but has now found its resting place in the basement.
The most valuable part of the basement is called “The Garden of Eden”, Here are kept the house's oldest champagnes, with two bottles from 1825 being among the treasures. Another exclusive corner of the cellar is dedicated to personal cuvées created in collaboration between the house's Chef de Cave, Hervé Deschamps, and the client on the By & for cuvée project. A personal interpretation of Belle Epoque where the client customises the wine with the winemaker – it doesn’t get any more exclusive than that.
Well above ground, it's time to try the champagne. Surrounded by special edition releases of the champagne, the environment is perfect. As it's time to try the Blanc de Blanc version of Belle Epoque, Thomas Lignier chooses to serve it from the ”The Enchanting Tree”, a work of art that functions as a glass display.
– When you're going to have a glass of champagne with your friends out on the terrace, this is how you should serve it, he says and laughs.
The story of the house
The house's history begins with a marriage between cork maker Pierre Nicholas Marie Perrier and Rose Adèle Jouët, daughter of a Calvados producer. Together, they started in 1811 The Perrier-Jouët house, she focused on the wine, he on exports, and business was good. The Champagne house was taken over by the Gallice family, and it was at this point that the now world-famous bottle designed by Emile Gallé It was created. The motif was Japanese anemones, but the decoration was too expensive, so it was only launched in 1969 and then solely for the house's prestige cuvée. Today, the house is owned by Pernod Ricard, who treasures the company dearly.
Address: 28 Avenue de Champagne, Épernay
About the wine
In 1846, Perrier Jouët created the first Brut champagne, simply by not adding sugar. Through fine estates with old vines in the Côte de Blanc, the house has its own grapes that shape the wine. Annual production is around 3,000,000 bottles.
Champagne tips
- Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, no. 82654
Lively mousse with fine fruit and good minerality. An entry point into the land of romance. - Belle Epoque Blanc de Blanc 2004, ref 96063
Complex and fresh on the nose with notes of honey and exotic fruit. Silky in the mouth with tropical fruit, chalky minerality. Irresistible.
