Originally Posted by
travellingwineO
The truth of the matter is that there are countless excellent Champagnes in the same price range as the undrinkable mass marketed swill that is Veuve yellow label. Most of them are small producers.
Here are a few off the top of my head in the $35-$50 range:
Aubry Brut
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Ste. Anne
Vilmart Cuvée Reservée
Pierre Peters Blanc des Blancs
Agrapart Terroirs
H. Billiot Brut
Marie Noelle-Ledru
Marc Hebrart Cuvée de Reserve
Bereche Brut Reserve
Nice list. I'd like to add Egly Ouriet to it.
Originally Posted by
stimpy
One tends to find wine from the
best small producers of Champagne in Champagne.
Usually for around €6 or €7 per bottle.
I don't believe that you'll find any Grand Cru RMs, which would be the best, at that price point.
Originally Posted by
stimpy
In neighboring regions such as Alsace and Burgundy you can also find a hundred+ unique Champagne choices and even in Paris. And also in other EU countries where there isn't an extra tax you can buy good Champagne at a decent price. But when it gets put on a boat and sent to the US the price goes up a lot. And in many cases where they don't take the best care in shipping the quality goes down.
Alsace doesn't produce Champagne. It's sparkling wine is Crémant d'Alsace. Also, not my experience that the US prices are significantly higher for either the Grand Cru NM or RM Champagnes. At least, not at the wine shop that I frequent.