Pernod Ricard is seeking to capitalise on strong consumer demand for vintage Champagne with an early limited-edition release from the Perrier-Jouet 2007 vintage.
The first bottles of Perrier-Jouet’s Belle Epoque Edition Premiere 2007 are set to arrive in the UK from next month, carrying a recommended retail price of £205-a-bottle.
It’s relatively early for a Champagne house to be releasing 2007, and Premiere Edition has only spent five years in bottle. One has to go back to the 1995 vintage to find the last time Perrier-Jouet released a vintage so quickly.
‘I think with this kind of wine, it’s enough,’ Perrier-Jouet cellar master Herve Deschamps told Decanter.com in London.
He said the wine, which is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir with a pale pink hue to its appearance, is focused on freshness with a floral nose and a ‘slightly salty’ acidity.
Only 20,000 bottles have been produced. ‘It’s not all on the market [yet],’ said Deschamps.
Strong consumer demand for prestige cuvees and vintage Champagne ensured that Perrier-Jouet was one of Pernod Ricard’s best performing brands in the drinks firm’s most recent fiscal half-year, with value sales up 9%.
Several vintage Champagne releases have seen initial allocations sell out quickly over the past two years, including Dom Perignon 2004 and Krug 2003.
‘I think it shows more people understand that Champagne is also a wine, and that you can pair it with food,’ said Deschamps. ‘It’s not just for celebrations or nightclubs, but also restaurants.’
Written by Chris Mercer
