Questions Uncorked

Dear Sheri, I have a bottle of 1989 La Grande Dame Champagne – a product of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin – that I acquired in 1996. Awaiting an appropriate occasion to drink it, I am planning to open it within the next week. The bottle has been stored on its side in the original box at room temperature. What should I expect of its condition? Will it even be drinkable? Thank you for your advice [Julia, Chapel Hill, NC]!

Nov 4, 2008

Hi Julia!
Thanks for your question – it is a very interesting one. You could have a beautiful bottle of Champagne there. The 1989 vintage, along with the 1988 and the 1990 vintages, produced wines of outstanding quality and finesse. I say could because there is a possibility that storing this wine at room temperature for such a long period of time can cause some problems. Ideally, if you are going to hold onto a vintage Champagne, it would be better to store it at a constant temperature of between 50-60 degrees.

But, that being said, there is still a good chance that the wine will be very interesting and delicious. You have a fascinating situation that very few people find themselves in, that of being able to drink vintage Champagne that has been aged. Vintage Champagnes are only made in great years in Champagne and these wines are aged on the lees following the secondary fermentation for at least three years, if not more. Once the wine is disgorged (removed from the lees), it can start to age and change – the lees help to keep the wine fresh and youthful. Your bottle will not taste like most Champagnes that you have had in the past because it has aged for so long off the lees. Now that doesn’t mean that it will be bad – it just means that it will be different as it is an aged Vintage Champagne. So you can go ahead and open it, just don’t be surprised if the wine is very nutty with slight sherry or oxidative notes and hints of caramel. It will be rounder and have more pronounced toasty and almond-y notes than a non-vintage Champagne or a younger vintage Champagne would. For a wine like this I would definitely look to serve it with some appetizers – it is a full bodied Champagne with great acidity and flavor, so serving something savory will help to enhance that.

You have a very good chance that the wine will still be very tasty and so I would definitely recommend that you go ahead and find something to celebrate and open it up. Not everyone loves the character of aged Champagne, but you’ll never know until you try it. And give me a call when you do…I can be over at your house in the blink of an eye!

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One Response to “Dear Sheri, I have a bottle of 1989 La Grande Dame Champagne – a product of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin – that I acquired in 1996. Awaiting an appropriate occasion to drink it, I am planning to open it within the next week. The bottle has been stored on its side in the original box at room temperature. What should I expect of its condition? Will it even be drinkable? Thank you for your advice [Julia, Chapel Hill, NC]!”

  1. Michael Says:
    December 12th, 2008 at 9:08 pm

    Hi Sheri,

    I was reading your response on what to expect upon opening a bottle of 89 Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame Champagne. I also have a bottle that has been stored on it’s side, in a slightly damp 55 degree space with no sunlight for the past 8 years. My question is, how long will it last? Should I drink it now or can it continue to store?

    Any insight would be deeply appreciated.

    Best Regards,
    Michael
    Grand Rapids, MI

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