Consolidated "Champagne - Questions/Suggestions/Recommendations" thread
Mar 24, 2009 | 12:15 pm
#271
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Bumping this to see if there are any fresh recommendations.
It will be for a *very* special occasion, for drinking in the late evening (10pm-ish).
Budget is around $250. I am thinking of something a bit sweet, but not cloying. Dom was "too nutty" for her. Cristal has high marks but seems a bit cliche.
It will be for a *very* special occasion, for drinking in the late evening (10pm-ish).
Budget is around $250. I am thinking of something a bit sweet, but not cloying. Dom was "too nutty" for her. Cristal has high marks but seems a bit cliche.
In a rose that's not too price-heavy, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Piper Heidsieck Rose Sauvage.
Another one that's always on my list is Henriot's 1998 Milleseme, though the non-vintage white is almost as nice. They also make a lovely rose. I picked up a few the last time I was in Champagne.
For sparkling wines not from Champagne, you can't beat Chandon's Blanc de Noirs for inexpensive, tasty bubbles. I usually keep a few bottles in the cellar for opening whenever the mood strikes me.
Mar 24, 2009 | 1:46 pm
#272
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 250
OK so I will get a bottle of basic PJ and Pol Roger to taste-test and see which house fits our tastes.
That Henriot Milleseme looks delicious and will fit nicely for the "parental-approval" dinner.
Has anyone tasted Veuve Cliquot's La Grande Dame Vintage Rose? The 1998 has incredibly high marks (and a high price to match)
So far the top candidates are
Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Rose
Krug 1996 Vintage Brut
Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill
Salon Blanc de Blancs 1996
Dom Ruinart 1996 Blanc de Blancs or Brut Rose Grand Cru
That Henriot Milleseme looks delicious and will fit nicely for the "parental-approval" dinner.
Has anyone tasted Veuve Cliquot's La Grande Dame Vintage Rose? The 1998 has incredibly high marks (and a high price to match)
So far the top candidates are
Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Rose
Krug 1996 Vintage Brut
Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill
Salon Blanc de Blancs 1996
Dom Ruinart 1996 Blanc de Blancs or Brut Rose Grand Cru
Jun 25, 2009 | 10:23 am
#273
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Aging ordinary Champagne
I would not have thought it would make sense to age an ordinary Champagne, like Moet & Chandon Dry Imperial. But I just opened a bottle that is over 10 years old and I was VERY pleasantly surprised. It is nothing like the stuff you drink right from the supermarket.
Anyone done this before?
Anyone done this before?
Jun 25, 2009 | 1:29 pm
#275
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Location: Easton, CT, USA
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It is a total gamble. When it works out good, it can work out great. When it works out bad, you can usually salvage it on a salad or in making champagne chicken.
But of course, bad champagne will never get better with age.
But of course, bad champagne will never get better with age.
Jun 25, 2009 | 2:08 pm
#276
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,784
Champagne has never lasted long enough in my house for me to even consider this. The cheap stuff is used for cooking or regifted, and the good stuff is enjoyed for no particular reason other than Krug and sunsets were made for one another...
Jun 25, 2009 | 2:39 pm
#277
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Most Champagne is non-vintage and is typically put together from a range of recent vintages, and blended to be drunk as bottled. Vintage Champagne certainly exists, and better stores will have a selection. This is more likely to benefit from aging. I wouldn't bother with the nv stuff. In any case, it doesn't last long enough in my house either.
Jun 25, 2009 | 3:22 pm
#278
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Pasadena,Ca.,US.
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It is a crapshoot.
We have some VERY old vintage champagne(from the 60's and 70's)in the cellar(Comte Rose,Grand Anee)that we open once in a great while.
Very different than the stuff off the shelf.
Most bottles are still drinkable-but many have gone flat or are corked.
We have not had such good luck at aging Dom
We have some VERY old vintage champagne(from the 60's and 70's)in the cellar(Comte Rose,Grand Anee)that we open once in a great while.
Very different than the stuff off the shelf.
Most bottles are still drinkable-but many have gone flat or are corked.
We have not had such good luck at aging Dom
Jun 26, 2009 | 1:05 pm
#280
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Jun 26, 2009 | 6:44 pm
#281
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 250
It depends on the champagne, and depends on the demand at time of bottling. While law dictates that champagne must be aged at least 18 months on its lees, when demand (or perceived demand) skyrockets, producers usually "rush" the aging a bit and send it to stores earlier than they would have previously.
I know that some wine reviewers swear that aging a bottle of Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve or Veuve Clicquot NV a few years before drinking will take it from delicious to a revelation. Personally, I'm like brendog and can never keep myself (or my SigO) from drinking them far before then. I probably wouldn't age anything lower quality than those two examples above.
I know that some wine reviewers swear that aging a bottle of Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve or Veuve Clicquot NV a few years before drinking will take it from delicious to a revelation. Personally, I'm like brendog and can never keep myself (or my SigO) from drinking them far before then. I probably wouldn't age anything lower quality than those two examples above.
Jun 26, 2009 | 10:04 pm
#282
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Agree that aging a nv can be a gamble. I think it's worth a shot, especially if you are buying by the case and can set aside a few bottles. But personally, I usually age only the vintage bottles.
Jun 27, 2009 | 4:30 am
#283
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Ordinary wine does not deserve to be drunk.... so the cellaring discussion is in my view irrelevant. Having said this... ordinary does not mean non-vintage... but that has been covered by the posts above.
Regular bottlings of the large producers (Moet, Veuve, Pommery) are in my experience rather variable with production.... some smaller houses have a better track record, some that I would throw out for consideration are...
Laurent Perrier
Delamotte
Gosset
Billecart Salmon
Regular bottlings of the large producers (Moet, Veuve, Pommery) are in my experience rather variable with production.... some smaller houses have a better track record, some that I would throw out for consideration are...
Laurent Perrier
Delamotte
Gosset
Billecart Salmon
Jun 27, 2009 | 6:29 am
#284
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
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Posts: 1,292
This is an excellent article about maderized champagne. The point of the article is how to mix a Petite Liqueur Cocktail which I always thought a veritable nectar but alas, isn't made anymore. Damn you Moet!
Jim
Jim
Jun 27, 2009 | 1:21 pm
#285
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IAD
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Posts: 1,959
Was my bottle of champagne corked?
I decided to try a bottle of Bollinger, and after I poured a glass, I noticed it had a bit of an unpleasant smell. Kind of like a musty floral scent. When I tasted it, I found it to be rather bland.
Did I end up with a corked bottle? I've never encountered one before, so I'm not quite sure what to expect.
Did I end up with a corked bottle? I've never encountered one before, so I'm not quite sure what to expect.