Wait, one of the oldest and most respected houses in Champagne was created by a Swiss national?! Sacre bleu… what a scandal! The Venoge family has their origins in Switzerland since the 15th century, named for the Venoge river that flows into Lake Geneva. It was in 1825 that Henri-Marc de Venoge left his homeland for the vineyards of Champagne, founding his own house in 1837. Just a year later, he made waves by slapping on the first ever illustrated label in the history of Champagne on his product. 

Today, the house rests in a grand maison at the heart of Epernay, the polished and shined aura of nobility unmistakeable wherever you happen to look. The focus for the house is on their oddly shaped “Princes” and “Louis XV” bottlings… but really it is this rare vintage Brut from their “Cordon Bleu” tier that caught our attention. Made only in exceptional vintages, and aged for several years on the lees, this is an expressive and classy Champagne of spectacular quality – one that punches far above its weight, in my opinion.

Because they make this so infrequently, you can’t even find it on their website, and what little information exists elsewhere is often contradictory. I found no less than 10 different combinations claiming to be the right blend here… with further confusion with regards to vineyard sources, exact time on the lees, and all that kind of stuff. Other than this simply being an epically delicious bubbly from 2012 – here’s what we can confirm: It is mostly pinot noir, we believe 70%, with some 30% chardonnay, and (maybe, but not likely) a small percentage of pinot meunier. The vineyards are exclusively Premier and Grand Cru villages, and the wine was disgorged almost 5 years ago – in November of 2018 – giving it about 75 months aging on the lees! Impressive stuff (to me at least), yet nowhere near as impressive as the wine itself!

The wine pours out beautifully golden, with a delicate, soft mousse. The initial aromas are very orchard fruit driven – Red Delicious apples and Bartlett pears – then showcasing rose petals, baked clay, and buttery brioche. The palate is bright and round in perfect harmony, with more orchard fruit notes, and preserved lemons, followed by baking spice notes of clove and cinnamon, and a salty, nutty finish. Deep and delectable throughout, and delivering an excellent companion for any number of foods… though I’m quite settled on lobster bisque, personally.

We got as much as we could of this, and you won’t find it anywhere else in the USA – but sadly, it’s still not enough! Get a couple while they last, and we’ll see what we can do about finding some more!