Veuve Clicquot - Yellow Label ^NV

Wine tasting notes

Yellow Label looks beautiful: golden yellow, with a foaming necklace of tiny bubbles. Next it is so pleasing to the nose: initially reminiscent of white fruits and raisins, then of vanilla and later of brioche. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty aromas following the ageing in the bottle. The first sip delivers all the freshness and forcefulness so typical of Yellow Label with a symphony of fruit tastes following on. The lingering aromas echo and re-echo,with each fruit or spice note distinct.

Food matching

There is nothing like Champagne for setting a celebratory mood. A glass as an aperitif is always a treat, but it is also a surprisingly versatile food partner. It can take on a range of foods, including all kinds of fish and seafood in most preparations, including smoked and even raw, as in oysters, sushi or sashimi. It can even take the heat when matched with Chinese, Indian and Thai food, though make sure that the chilli doesn't overpower the other spices. Michel Roux suggests the following matches: cheese, poppy or almond straws; salt cod and crab fritters; mini fish balls and salad Monte-Cristo (lobster, egg and potato). And with a Kir Royale - Champagne with a touch of Crème de Cassis - try chilli coconut-fried tiger prawns.

Expert reviews

Dec 13. By Josh Raynolds. Light gold. Musky orchard fruits and dried fig on the mineral-accented nose. Fleshy and broad on the palate, offering smoky pear and nectarine flavors and a hint of honey. Finishes on a gently spicy note, with very good cling and a touch of bitter lemon pith. Things have definitely begun to turn around for this bottling, which had been lagging behind the winery's vintage offerings for some time. -- Josh Raynolds

Tasted Sept '15 - Tasted blind. Came 11th out of 12 in the tasting. Pale straw gold. Light, complex nose. Good savour. Some smokiness. Really neat and tight. Lots of potential. Some appley acidity and really clean on the end. Very complex on the end. Full of vitality. One of the most youthful wines in this dozen. Delicate bead.

Dec 2015 - Lively acidity creates a lip-smacking frame for the flavors of Anjou pear, smoke, preserved lemon and white raspberry in this minerally Champagne. Drink now through 2018. –AN

The best-selling Champagne in the U.S. follows the Veuve Clicquot house style of softness and ripeness. It's fruity, with an attractive almond and toast edge that suggests this bottle has seen some age. It's immediately drinkable and fresh with balanced acidity at the end.