Unleashing Creativity and Tradition: Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame 2015 Vintage and Paola Paronetto’s Artistic Alchemy!

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Champagne 2015 Vintage

Veuve Clicquot, the esteemed champagne house with a history spanning over 250 years, has recently unveiled the 2015 vintage of La Grande Dame. This announcement is marked by a vibrant collaboration with Italian artist Paola Paronetto, who has brought her unique mastery of colour to this endeavour.

Founded on the pillars of boldness, creativity, and innovation, Veuve Clicquot's legacy is closely linked to the life of Madame Clicquot, an exceptional woman who revolutionized the champagne industry. Dubbed “la grande dame de la Champagne,” she introduced the first vintage champagne in 1810, devised the riddling process still in use today in 1816, and created the first blended rosé champagne in 1818. In her honour, Veuve Clicquot created its prestigious cuvée, La Grande Dame.

Today, La Grande Dame is not only the embodiment of Veuve Clicquot's winemaking excellence but also a carrier of hope and optimism, values that were dear to Madame Clicquot. Each new cuvée of La Grande Dame offers a fresh opportunity to manifest these values while adding a creative twist to the house's rich heritage.

In 2020, for the 2012 vintage of La Grande Dame, the house collaborated with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her vibrant pointillist style. This year, for the 2015 vintage, Veuve Clicquot has chosen to work with the Italian designer Paola Paronetto. Known for her mastery of colour, Paronetto has designed a limited edition of six gift boxes for Maison Veuve Clicquot in hues from her personal palette of over 86 shades.

Paola Paronetto – Creates for the Maison Veuve Clicquot

Paola Paronetto is an internationally recognized artist who draws her inspiration from nature. Her innovative stylistic fusion of ancient art traditions and pottery has made her a sought-after name in the world of art. She has perfected the technique of Paper Clay, combining clay, cellulose fibre, and water to create unique pieces that mimic the texture of corrugated cardboard.

Paronetto's pieces are entirely handmade and fired by the artist herself, which gives them an individual character. Her distinctive palette of 86 tones has found its way into her creations for Maison Veuve Clicquot. From leading furniture showrooms in Italy to prestigious galleries and museums globally, her work has gained widespread acclaim.

“We're delighted to continue the story of La Grande Dame, our exceptional wine, which embodies the House's excellence as well as our love of Pinot Noir. For this new vintage, we are honoured to collaborate with the Italian artist Paola Paronetto. Her work once again instils a profound message of optimism,” shared Jean-Marc Gallot, President and CEO of Veuve Clicquot.

In addition to the gift boxes, Paronetto has created a limited sculptural work titled “Giganti”, composed of three coloured sculptures in the form of standing bottles. They symbolize the interplay of nature and materials in a tangible, poetic form. The silhouettes of the Giganti bottles, despite their seeming fragility, echo the precision and verticality of La Grande Dame cuvées, much like the careful balance maintained in winemaking.

Sustainability at Its Best

Veuve Clicquot's collaboration with Paronetto also extends to an eco-responsible gift box, reflecting the artist's commitment to material recycling and conscious resource usage. The box, composed of 60% hemp, 20% cotton, and 20% other plants, is a step towards more responsible packaging, reducing the CO2 impact by three compared to the previous La Grande Dame gift box.

La Grande Dame 2015, true to its heritage, maintains the precision and elegance of a great vintage. Madame Clicquot's fondness for Pinot Noir is reflected in the blend, with Pinot Noir constituting over 90% of the cuvée. The grape's versatility is demonstrated in its terroir-specific expressions and its complexity.

The 2015 vintage of La Grande Dame stays true to Madame Clicquot's vision, with Pinot Noir being the dominant grape in the blend, amplified by a touch of Chardonnay. This cuvée is a testament to the mastery of winemaking, with immense ageing potential of over 15 years. The result is an elegant, precise wine that reflects the exceptional terroir of Champagne.

“La Grande Dame 2015 reveals the spirit of verticality and precision that the Pinot Noirs from our historic Crus embody,” shared Didier Mariotti, Veuve Clicquot Cellar Master. The 2015 vintage displays a golden hue, exuding freshness and minerality with light floral notes that evolve towards fruity notes of pear and clementine. The wine's texture is subtle and silky, a perfect balance of tension and elegance.

This collaboration between Veuve Clicquot and Paola Paronetto brings together the champagne house's tradition of excellence and the artist's innovative approach to colour and form. The result is an exquisite homage to a Grande Dame.