Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne 2012

96 points James Halliday (Wine Companion): "A blend of 51/34/15% pinot noir/chardonnay/pinot meunier, with 11% reserves aged in large foudres. It's beautifully sculpted and balanced, white peach and cashew glide across the palate. The lingering finish and aftertaste are as fresh as a daisy. One of the most consistent houses. Special. Closure: Cork. (11/10/20)"

94 points James Suckling: "There’s a serious structure behind the considerable richness of this bold champagne. A wide range of dried-fruit aromas, but also some mint and sage freshness. Complex texture at the long, chalky finish. 12% of the cuvée is fermented in barrel. 60% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay and 10% pinot meunier, all from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards. Drink or hold. (1/5/22)"

94 points Wine & Spirits: "[$75 list] This focuses on red fruit (51 percent pinot noir, 15 percent meunier), with chardonnay providing the balance, all of it from premier or grand cru sites. A portion of the blend (11 percent) was aged in foudres, adding power to the wine’s structure without diminishing its scent of spring flowers, a sunny, floral note that contrasts the wine’s chalk cloud of minerality and its rich depths of flavor. A great vintage from Clicquot, this is fresh, grand and giving. (Disgorged 8/18) (Dec 2019)"

93 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(34% chardonnay, 51% pinot noir, 15% meunier; 11% vinified in oak foudres; 8g/L dosage). Dominique Demarville admires the 2012 season for bringing the full-bodied style that he is looking for in his vintage cuvée, with greater complexity than 2008. He vinified 11 percent in foudres to bring structure to the signature crispness and brightness of the harvest. Veuve Clicquot’s vintage cuvées sing to the melodies of their seasons, and its 66th release plays a much deeper tune than the 2008 before it, while confidently hitting pitch-perfect high notes. It’s layered with a panoply of citrus, stone fruits and red berries, to a rich backing track of lees-derived toasted brioche and spice. A subtle note of bitter grip and firm texture in its newly disgorged guise are well massaged by the fine, supple texture of more foudre-fermented components than ever. Long-lingering acidity and fine chalk minerality mark out a finish of excellent line and persistence. This is a vintage to drink while the euphoric soprano of 2008 contemplates its eternal endurance backstage. (2020-2021)"

93 points Tom Hewson (TimAtkin.com): "50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay from Grand and Premier Cru villages, with 15% Pinot Meunier. Veuve's vintage and prestige offerings have been on the rise lately, and this shows plenty of sunny complexity. First, though, are all the patisserie notes the house is so good at working in - butterscotch, frangipane and vanilla, leading into friendly apricot tart cut with bright pineapple and lemon syrup Chardonnay. Quite structured and long, just showing a lick of bay leaf spice as 2012's low yield intensity adds to a sense of extract and length. This certainly has legs for the next decade. (2022)"

93 points Jasper Morris, MW (Inside Burgundy): "0% of the base wine was fermented in oak, adding aromatic complexity and some creamy, textural finesse. In 2020 this possessed a zesty, slightly honeyed tropical bouquet. The wine entered a boring phase from 2022 and is only just beginning to emerge from its tunnel with some toasty development. Hold for a year or so and enjoy for a few after that. Alcohol 12.50%. Drink from 2024-2039. Tasted Nov 2023."

92-93 points Essi Avellan, MW: "(51% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier). 66th Veuve Clicquot Vintage. Evolving lemon colour gaining golden tones. Rich, subtly toasty nose with leesy and waxy undertones to the red fruit profile. Fresh and energetic to the creamy caressing palate. Really fine bubbles and long, structured taste that finshes with refreshing bitterness. Age-worthy. (May 2023)"

92 points Wine Spectator: "Sleek acidity frames this harmonious Champagne, with flavors of lemon curd and crushed blackberry, accented by pistachio, anise and fleur de sel notes. Creamy and well-meshed, showing zesty drive on the finish. Disgorged August 2018. Drink now through 2027. (12/15/19)"

92 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is a vintage very much in the producer's style. It is soft, with a dosage that gives baked-apple flavors as well as acidity. Both need to come together in this young wine. Its dosage will allow it to age well into a toasty old age. Alcohol 12%. (Dec 2019)"

92 points Decanter: "Attractive nuances of citrus blossom, lemongrass, flint and late-season apple. Firm on the palate, zesty with a spicy finish. Drink 2021-2025. (Jan 2022)"