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| a selection of champagnes |
from left to right:
Launois Grand Cru, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, NV. I understand this wine to be highly coveted in France, I say, we're very lucky to have it stateside--buy it if you can find it. This blanc de blancs Champagne has all the crisp character of a fine chardonnay, is mineral-y and nutty somehow and a bargain at around $40.00 a bottle. Take a case.
Lamiable, Millesime, Brut Grand Cru, Tours-sur-Marne, 2004. This vintage blanc de noirs is quite unique--I love its yeasty headiness; the bubbles are on the larger size, it's intoxicating in all the right ways. About $60.00 a bottle. Take two, at least.
Pol Roger, Extra Cuvee de Reserve, Brut, Epernay, NV. This blended wine was a staple while working in NYC where the price was ridiculously around $30.00 a bottle--almost as cheap as water. I've found it again but now for about $45.00 a bottle, still affordable for keeping in the fridge ready to go. Its fine bubbles, light and dizzying, carry a floral and fruity palette to the finish. So glad to be re-acquainted. If you can't find the house's Winston Churchill, start with this selection instead.
Bollinger Special Cuvee, NV. If it's good enough for HM Queen Elizabeth II, then it's good enough for you and me. This was the first bottle of champagne I opened at my own parties this year, then moving on to another selection. I hope you arrived early. This beautiful blended champagne rewards with layers of almond, toasted bread and anise. It's a coupe, or two, of magic. In magnum bottles this sells for around $100.00.
Marguet Pere & Fils, Reserve Grand Cru and Rose Grand Cru, Ambonnay, NV. These champagnes come from the grower-producer Benoit Marguet and use the pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes predominantly. The body of each wine is fuller and rounded than those produced with the chardonnay grape (in general) and each is a reward to be discovered. They are difficult to find but worth seeking out. These wines are about $40.00 and $65.00 respectively.
Dom Perignon, Brut, Epernay, 1999. Confession up front: I drank this wine too soon. It was a gift from a client and I sat on it for two years but the temptation grew too great this past year. I recall that it was refined and graceful but it did not measure up to the 1988 I had about five years ago. Or was it more like 7? I needed to wait on this one. And you should snatch one up now if you can still find it and wait on it too.
Charles Heidsieck, Rose Reserve, Brut, Reims, NV. A rose champagne full of pear and currant tastes, with a bit of orange and cherry thrown in for sweetness. I loved this selection. It said 'old fashioned' is the best of ways. At $75.00 a bottle it's a nice special occasion champagne without breaking the bank.
Some other notable tastes from the past year:
Tattinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs--elegant, old fashioned, a dream. $200.00
Pommery Cuvee Louise, 1995--a stunning selection, a favorite splurge. $175.00
Pierre Gimmonet et Fils, Brut, 2005--I love this grower-producer and each wine they produce. A bargain at $50.00.
Gaston Chiquet, Brut, NV--now heralded by the NYTimes, so you won't be able to find it, but I've been serving this for two years now and it's great, especially at around $40.00 a bottle.
Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris sends this photo:
These single servings are VINTAGE 2004--that's classy. But give me a full bottle.
Best to you all, and Happy New Year!
6 comments:
That's a lot of champagne, Joseph!
Thanks for making me realize that I really should pay more attention to the name of the champagne that I'm drinking.
It seems that the big thing in Paris this year are little personal bottles of champagne. We saw some by Pommery at Galeries Lafayette called "Pop". It was fun hearing the French pronounc that word.
As far as storing champagne, when I was working for a finance company in Zurich, our Christmas gift included a case of Dom Perignon. After drinking most of it, we decided to keep a bottle and lugged it around the world with us. By the time that we opened it, it was worth a lot of money according to eBay but tasted awful. I guess that you can't store champagne in the tropics. ;)
Mary Kay, yes, you can store champagne in the tropics, as long as you refrigerate it. But it was probably the move from one place to another that most corrupted the wine--going from hot to cold to hot to cold while in travel would do great damage to the wine.
Those small bottles--I say, what's the point? It hardly whets your whistle.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Joseph. Thanks for the recommendations, some of which I have tasted and enjoyed. If we are lucky enough the Euro will continue to go down and we will once again be able to enjoy some of these for a song!
Oooh, I forgot to drink champers over Christmas. That won't be the case for New Year's!
Thanks for including the photo of the personal champagne bottles and the link in your post, Joseph. I agree that those small bottles hardly seem worth it.
Champagne kisses to you too! With some of these good bottles, lively conversation, soulful tunes and a comfy bed to end the evening, what more could one ask for.
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