THE CHAMPAGNE THREAD

2008 L. Aubry Fils Champagne Premier Cru Aubry de Humbert
Light straw yellow, medium mousse, a rich yellow fruit with honey, refreshing and clean. Drinks well above it's price point of $55 to $60. This should age well.
Pairing with sushi and sashimi was excellent. The bluefin otoro was very fresh.

 

Oh this was yummy for the gfs birthday. She loved it saying it was the best champagne she has had (compared to mumm and moet).

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Thanks adc and Tamas. I will try to find those bottles...always eager to taste something new. working through the Pol Roger case Saturday evening

 

Hard to beat Costco.
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Opened a Piper Heidsieck Red Label Saturday night. This is a big house, OK level of Champagne. Amber color, medium size bubbles, an little toast / bread on the palate but not excessively yeasty. Slightly tart. Predictable.

 

For a couple years in the early 1980's I was working in SoCal along with some other relocated Nor'Easters. At holidays we would get together and the, ahem, champagne of choice was Jacques Bonet, which we imbibed to excess. I remember well that it was $1.99 a bottle back then.

Before I posted this, I googled it and see that now it is $2.99 a bottle. Too rich for my blood!

 

I guess Andres Cold Duck at $5 a bottle is out for you Mr. Big Spender! [emoji2]

T

 

Andres Cold Duck??? I wouldn't drink that rot gut. I'd rather have Two Buck Chuck!

 

We are continuing to try new, small producers. Last night was Castelnau Reserve (Reims). This is a mostly chardonnay blend that reports to age more than 6 years on the lees. Pale amber color, a big smack of lemon right up front, then pear. A little bit of yeast adds to the body. Medium small bubbles. A nice, refreshing, not complex wine easy to enjoy with the warmer weather. My local purveyor recommend this as a new line he is carrying, and at just $ 42 per bottle here, a good value.

 

Last night. Regular NV Pommery. A very fresh bottle for a change. Small bubbles, pale color, very dry, almost peppery. Clean nose and finish. A lighter style from one of the big houses. Usually a good value. Tasty.

 

Not champagne but good
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This is always tasty


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Just got a case of this in. Haven’t had it yet, but I hear it’s good for the price point.


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Thanks everyone for posting. We have been working through the cases of the "everyday" sparklers. Nothing special, although I am starting to like that Drappier yellow label.

 

2 year anniversary tonight so I grabbed a mini Moet as we are quite busy this week.

We both immediately said the same..."the last one was so much better."
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My Costco had Dom a few months ago. I wish I had grabbed a few then since I can't find it anywhere locally for our anniversary this week and that's kinda our tradition. Trying a Veuve 2012 Vintage instead.
If I were smart I would have loaded up on cases of our wedding vintage when they became available but I wasn't thinking ahead then, either.

 

Drinking through everyday bottles in the past week or so. Also had a couple of bottles while in Sarasota. Pommery Brut Apenage, Drappier, Pol Roger. We had a 1.5 of Bollinger NV that was tasty. Saved about 6 oz. for the taste the next morning.

 

First time for this bottle will be popped this weekend!

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Tamas...please post a tasting note on the Mignon. Thanks

 

I paired with a cigar so not ideal but worth it. Tastes light with some peach. Sweeter than I would prefer. Tasty but not one I would buy again. Better bottles for my palette around.

 

what is grape in this bottle? pinot? Chardonnay? blend?

 

one of the old reliables last night Perrier - Jouet NV. $ 42 and very pleasant.

 

I love champagne! I have told my friends that it is my mission in life to de-stigmatize champagne: it is not only for celebrations and should be drank whenever one feels like it

Veuve NV has always been my go to since I can normally get it on sale for $40. I enjoy their vintage champagne as well but don’t have that too often.

Jordan Winery in Alexander Valley has a partnership with a house in France to produce a champagne. You can only buy it at the winery and I thought it was pretty tasty. Definitely going to stop back and buy more next time I’m in Napa/Sonoma.

for everyday I go with an American sparkling: Gruet Brut. Not champagne but it cheaply fulfills my bubbles craving.

Dom Perignon is my go to for special occasions. My favorite meal of all time was with my dad in Montreal after the F1 race. We found a random restaurant downtown and I talked him into getting a bottle of Dom since we were there to celebrate my college graduation. We ended up splitting a pizza so the food was forgettable but drinking my first bottle of Dom was quite the memory. They let us keep the bottle and I have it sitting in my office. Funny enough I was at my parents house cleaning out old stuff today and found the receipt from the meal. It’s always funny seeing a single pizza and bottle of Dom on a receipt.

For me wine and champagne aren’t always about the taste or the food but why you’re drinking it and who you’re drinking it with! But of course it is always more fun to drink the good stuff since life is too short to drink bad wine!

 

I'm on the wagon due to surgery, but during our trip out west we enjoyed several bottles of L-P Rose, a Ruinart blanc de blanc, and the tete du cuvee Bolly

 

The first time I had Dom Perignon was when I graduated from Culinary School. I bought a bottle of Dom Perignon at Facuhon in Paris in 1985, and kept it till October of 1988. I had huge expectations, thinking of all the hype .. .and while its good, I was really shocked at how light it is/ was. I realize that holding the bottle for so long also does not help but never the less that was my first prime wine experience. Then about 6 months later I did window on the world wine course ... and we tased 32 champagnes... including all the premium ones... that is where I learned my favorite was Krug, with Deutz and Bollinger as the top 3 blind-tasted .... that I rated my favorites. I like the yeasty "toasty" champagnes. I was also surprised that I rated Dom P- 3 least favorites with Crystal my least favorite.
Bellicart 2nd least. Moet was about my middle-ranked number 17 on my tasting ranking.