Seven years ago, Séverine Frerson moved from Piper-Heidsieck to Perrier-Jouët. There she worked alongside head cellar master Hervé Deschamps for two years before becoming his successor in 2020. She is only the eighth in a long line of chefs de cave since 1811. And the first woman to hold this position at Perrier-Jouët.
An evening in Berlin
In many maisons today, the cellar master is also the ambassador of the house. This is not only because we live in an age that likes to connect products with people, but also because younger chefs de cave often do not present their own cuvées, but those of their predecessors. And when Séverine Frerson, who now has seven years of service under her belt, presents the Belle Epoque, she was only responsible for its dosage. But of course, she represents the style of the house, as embodied by Hervé Deschamps before her. That’s why there won’t be any revolution in two years’ time when Perrier-Jouët presents the 2018 vintage of Belle Epoque. After all, Frerson was able to present not only the Belle Epoque 2016 at Berlin’s KaDeWe, but also the current editions of the Grand Brut and the Blason Rosé. And these are now entirely her responsibility, from harvest to bottling.
Unlike the somewhat professorial Deschamps, who had to be coaxed out of his shell, Frerson was communicative and curious in Berlin. She was clearly keen to talk to guests about their love of champagne and their views on the new cuvée. In fact, visitors already had every reason to be in a good mood with the Grand Brut (20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Meunier). The house’s entry-level cuvée is currently in very good form. Citrus, apples, a hint of apricot and, as Frerson describes it, a texture reminiscent of suede. It is precisely made and lively (90–91p.). The cuvée reflects something of the spirit of innovation at Perrier-Jouët. After all, a new wooden barrel cellar was inaugurated in autumn 2024, which is intended for the production of a new generation of Chardonnay wines. In addition, the house is increasingly focusing on regenerative agriculture in its vineyards.
The new 2016 vintage from Belle-Époque
The Belle Epoque 2016 (50Ch|45PN|5PM) comes from a year with a cool, rainy spring followed by a hot summer. The latter connects it to its predecessor, which comes from an exceptionally hot vintage. Perrier-Jouët coped remarkably well with this (more here). The house is cautious in its comments on the base wines of the 2016 vintage. Séverine Frerson has pointed out that she specifically selected Pinot Noir from two Grand Cru communes: Verzy and Mailly-Champagne. ‘The Pinot Noir grapes from Mailly-Champagne in particular are characterised by an elegance and finesse that harmonises perfectly with our characteristic Chardonnay from the Grand Cru terroirs of the Côte des Blancs,’ she says. ‘They therefore emphasise the delicate floral structure of the wine rather than masking it.’ Usually, Chardonnays from Avize and Cramant form the backbone of the white grapes. In some years, neighbouring Grands Crus from the Côte des Blancs supplement them . The Pinot Meunier usually comes from Dizy. 2016 is now the sixth consecutive vintage of the cuvée with the famous Art Deco anemone (more on its history here).
Compared to the 2015 vintage, the current Belle Epoque is certainly less hedonistic and lavish. The cuvée makes up for this with more structure, a refreshing inner coolness and greater precision (94-95p.). When tasting the Grand Brut and Belle Epoque 2016 side by side, as we did in Berlin, their stylistic similarity is striking. Of course, the Prestige Cuvée is more floral thanks to its high Chardonnay content and has more brioche notes due to its significantly longer yeast ageing. But there is an identical signature that connects both cuvées. However, when you return to the Grand Brut after the Prestige Cuvée, the difference in class becomes apparent. The cheerful immediacy of the Grand Brut seems almost a little cheeky in comparison to the elegance and silky texture of the Belle Epoque. But the better is always the enemy of the good.
Perrier-Jouët and the love of Chardonnay
Not only the Belle Epoque cuvée, but the Perrier-Jouët house as a whole is one of the maisons whose style is defined by Chardonnay. This is also reflected in the fact that 56 per cent of its own vineyards are planted with Chardonnay – the average in Champagne is only 30 per cent. In fact, Pinot Noir-dominated champagnes tend to be full-bodied and powerful, while Chardonnay-based wines are usually floral, focused and delicate. Perrier-Jouët was relatively late to produce single-varietal Blanc de Blancs. Hervé Deschamps made the first step in 1993 in his first year as chef de cave at Perrier-Jouët. With an eye on the year 2000, he created the first vintage of Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs in just 12,000 bottles. The grapes came from Cramant, the Grand Cru of the Côte des Blancs, which is considered the backbone of all Belle Epoque cuvées. More precisely: from the Bourons Leroy and Bourons du Midi parcels, famous for their Chardonnay quality.
Due to its rarity (and price), this cuvée was (and still is) virtually invisible on the market. It was not until 2017 that Perrier-Jouët launched a classic non-vintage Blanc de Blancs Brut. Here, the Chardonnay comes not only from Cramant, but from a good 20 communes in the Côtes de Blancs, the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne. Sur-la-pointe has written extensively about both cuvées in FINE – Das Weinmagazin, most recently in 2017 on the occasion of the first presentation of the Blanc de Blancs in Tokyo. That’s why I was eager to see the current comparison.
Indeed, the Blanc de Blancs presents itself as denser and with a more beautiful texture than at its premiere. With aromas of lemon cake, ripe pears and panettone, it is already very harmonious in the bouquet. On the palate, the impression of gentle smoothness continues, with soft acidity and noticeable fruit sweetness (91p.) In contrast, the Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 2014 Brut presents itself as a completely different wine. With its pure, mineral and at the same time slender yet gripping character, it represents, so to speak, the winemaker’s side of Perrier-Jouët. With white flowers, citrus fruits, aniseed and roasted almonds, it displays wonderful freshness as well as complex autolytic aromas. This is certainly a champagne for connoisseurs. But overall, it is highly elegant, not least because of its wonderfully fine perlage (95p.).
Rosés à la Haute Gamme
Perrier-Jouët also goes its own way when it comes to rosé. The first two cuvées start off quite traditionally. The non-vintage Blason Rosé Brut is a classic assemblage rosé, which means that a little red still wine comes to the white base wines before bottle fermentation. Here, too, the house does not provide any details, but reliable sources speak of 25% Chardonnay and Meunier each, as well as 50% Pinot Noir, with 15% red wines. The prestige edition Belle Epoque Rosé Brut shares similarities with the Blanc de Blancs. Given the popularity of the classic blend, hardly anyone knows that it even exists. Its composition is based on the classic Belle Epoque, with 11 per cent red wines added before tirage. Perrier-Jouët has also used this range to introduce a few very limited special cuvées. It started with the two seasonal cuvées Belle Epoque Edition Première 2007 and Edition Automne 2005. These were not “mere” artist editions, but genuine variants.
This year, the house introduced the Belle Epoque Florescence 2015 Brut. With its composition of 50% Chardonnay (not from Cramant, by the way!) and 50% Pinot Noir, as well as 11% red wine from Les Riceys, it deviates quite significantly from the classic Belle Epoque formula. It is the first vintage in a series and is intended to be the house’s third rosé champagne in the long term. However, it is only available exclusively to members of ‘Le Cercle by Pernod’.
But how do the three rosés taste when tasted side by side? Blason Rosé Brut, in the so-called Blason bottle (named after the house’s first prestige cuvée, Blason de France), shows off its fruity side to great effect. Salmon pink in the glass, with a bouquet of red berries, peach, grated almonds and meringue. The raspberry continues on the palate, accompanied by a hint of spice. It is very well made, perhaps a little superficial, but pleasant to drink (90p.). Significantly lighter in the glass, with golden reflections in delicate pink, is the Belle Epoque Rosé Brut 2014. Here, too, there are strawberries and raspberries on the nose, but fresher and combined with flowers, subtle lactic notes and brioche. On the palate, it is lively and fresh, complex and with a long finish (94-95p.). The copper-coloured Belle Epoque Florescence 2015 Brut, on the other hand, is visually similar to the Blason Rosé. The nose tends towards sour cherry, while the palate is powerful, rich and dense, almost creamy. A rather hedonistic interpretation of rosé (94p.).
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