THE CHAMPAGNE THREAD

Jim K. Naperville...now that takes me back. For NY Eve, we are drinking a Krug and something else...have not decided. Might do a change of pace and open a British sparkler.

 

Hi Jim. Here's the line-up for our dinner for two at home NY EVE. First time trying this British sparkler. I have drunk a couple of other U.K. sparkling wines in the past year but do not remember names. I do remember they were recommended by my local wine guy who knows my tastes, they were about $ 75 with my discount, and I wasn't impressed. I'll post a note on this Chapel Down Rose. HNY Image Unavailable, Please Login keith

 

The 60 second, lemony finish of the Krug is unmistakable. Happy New Year

 

We had a Sea Smoke Sparkling wine last night a gift from friends. This winery is known for its Pinots (subscription purchase only it seems) and the sparkler was made with 100% PN. Very tiny bubbles and a very well made wine, just not my style. Too big a yeasty, full bodied.

 

We had the Chapel Hill Rose last evening. This is the U.K. wine I pictured above. It was very tasty. Well made, medium pink, small bubbles with lots of strawberry and raspberry flavor, not overwhelming. I found it pleasingly dry although others' tasting notes characterize it as medium dry. This wine was a gift but I think the bottle retails for about $70. The U.K. sparklers are not inexpensive. I will drink this again.

 

Please don't throw stones at me for this post. Last week I bought a bottle of the Kirkland brand Champagne Brut at Costco. I think it was $ 22. It was an enjoyable bottle. Not complex, won't make your make your socks roll up and down, but tasty and a hell of a bargain for the real thing.

 

Delamotte Saturday. Bone dry. Tasty

 

An interesting bottle last night, a gift from friends: Voirin-Jumel a Brut Zero wine from Epernay. These painfully dry wines are not for everyone, but if you enjoy the non-dosage wines, give this one a try. Medium bodied, medium bubbles, short but lemony finish. A little bit of burnt toast maybe. I wouldn't want to drink this everyday, but an interesting bottle in a style becoming more popular especially among smaller grower/bottlers.

 

Robert, do you have a preferred style? Big, yeasty? Some citrus? Very dry and austere? I think many would say the Bollinger is one of the reliably best NV Champagnes and it is widely availably. I can also recommend Dom Ruinart. In D.C. you should be able to get just about anything at a fair price. One piece of advice: buy from a store that has high turnover (of wine) or a small shop where the wine person can ask you questions and suggest a bottle. I make this point because freshness of the bottle is critical. There are lots of bottles that cook away in a distributor or importer's warehouse for months. For something in the $ 60 buck range, you might like Pol Roger. My favorites in the 50-60 buck range for daily drinkers are Taittinger and Roederer. And some people find Rose champagne festive...I recommend the Laurent-Perrier Rose. Cheers! Let us know what you drank and how you liked it.

 

Robert. please see my post 84 in this thread for a small producer with a citrusy flavor profile. If you like seeter wines, stay away from "non-dosage" Champagnes. "Extra Dry" Champagnes have a little more residual sugars than Brut.