Madame Clicquot is considered to be one of the first female entrepreneurs – someone who left a lasting mark on the wine industry and who bequeathed to the world one of its most-loved champagnes. Widowed at 27, Barbe Clicquot, née Ponsardin, persuaded her father-in-law, the founder of the maison, to let her take over the small winemaking business her husband had been managing. Her steely determination to succeed ultimately led to changes in the way champagne is made, including riddling – the method by which sediment is removed from champagne.

This champagne, from Veuve Clicquot’s special Cave Privée collection, is among the best of the best. Cave Privée champagnes are all rare vintages that have been kept in perfect conditions, undisgorged and undisturbed in the maison’s cellar until their release. This 1989, like all other champagnes in the range, was meticulously selected and preserved for more than 30 years by successive cellar masters and released only when it reached its ideal expression.

After early budding, a cold spell and severe frosts in late April caused damage to many vines in Vallée de la Marne and Montagne de Reims, though Veuve Clicquot’s vineyards were largely spared. While warmer weather returned, and grapes resumed their ripening cycle, a few cold days during flowering caused concern. These worries were allayed thanks to the onset of hot, sunny days from mid-June right to the harvest. The first grapes, at peak ripeness, were picked in the Côte des Blancs grands crus; the pinot noir and the meunier were left to ripen for a few more days.