“Widow Clicquot” is based on the true story of the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777-1866) who — at the age of 20 — became Madame Clicquot after marrying the scion of a winemaking family.
Though their marriage was arranged, a timeless love blossomed between Barbe-Nicole (Haley Bennett) and her poetic, unconventional, and erratic husband, François (Tom Sturridge).
In the weeds after her spouse’s untimely death, and now a mother to Clémentine, Barbe-Nicole is still enamored and enthralled with François’ avant-garde experiments. Named Veuve (the French word for widow) at age 27, she is determined to protect her family’s legacy and boldly challenge the men — as well as the state — set on stripping her of her vineyards.
Determined to advance her husband's theories about soil chemistry, the configuring of vines, and revolutionary techniques in bottling, Barbe-Nicole wagers on the next harvest and her own blend of sparkling wine. Challenged by the capriciousness of the seasons, the aggressive competitor Monsieur Moët, and the Napoleonic Code of 1804 barring women from running businesses, the elegant and luminous widow must succeed or lose everything.
“Haley Bennett is a wonder as the ‘Grande Dame of Champagne’ herself.” — Collider