# And the champagne...



## medwards (Feb 6, 2005)

with which you would most like to toast the beginning of the New Year would be....????


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## lovemeparis (May 20, 2006)

*humm... champagne*

and caviar... and fois gras...???

...from paris


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## jcusey (Apr 19, 2003)

medwards said:


> with which you would most like to toast the beginning of the New Year would be....????


This is a recurring problem for me. I am unwilling to spend the big bucks required for the vintage Champagne from the big boys, and I don't know enough about the smaller producers to tell whom I should take a $40 chance on. So I usually buy a bottle of and consume a portion of that (with a glass of Scotch at midnight). I know, I know, it's not Champagne, just sparkling wine from New Mexico, but it is pretty good, especially at the price.

And you, medwards? What can you recommend?


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## digger jr. (Nov 29, 2006)

Veuve Cliquot Rose. For me.


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## queueball (Jun 16, 2005)

Billecart-Salmon


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

*The drink!*

medwards ,

Over the years I have become a fan of Dom. Is it worth the 150 plus.
Yes, it is a fine drink.
I rather buy a nice malt or a cognac.

Enjoy
Happy New Year


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

My wife (then girlfriend) and I spent a week in Paris in March of 2001. While there, we drank a good bit of Nicolas Feuillatte NV Rose. It is not the priciest, nor the most storied champagne available, but it brings back many wonderful memories for us.


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## Zubberah (Sep 29, 2003)

1996 Taittinger Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blancs and MV Krug Grande Cuvee.


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## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

probably Veuve or White Star at midnight just because I'm not hosting the party...but the next day a good friend of mine and I are going to have a _Sex and the City_ marathon to which I'll probably bring Cristal or Armand (if I can find Armand [I've been dying to try it])...It took me a while to get into the 99 vintage of Cristal, I know this doesnt make any sense, but it doesnt taste as "elegant" as the 95...but truth be told, that "kiss" of citrus of whatever on the finish really does grow on you...


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## Clovis (Jan 11, 2005)

*Champagne Reviews*

Sometimes a bit generous but lots of useful info and pics

https://www.libation-unlimited.com/


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

DukeGrad said:


> medwards ,
> 
> Over the years I have become a fan of Dom. Is it worth the 150 plus.
> Yes, it is a fine drink.
> ...


From an L A Times article on champagne:

_The surprise is that one of our favorite wines in this priciest category is also arguably the best-known wine in the world, Moët & Chandon's cuvée Dom Pérignon. Made with grapes primarily from grand cru vineyards, Dom Pérignon is the tête de cuvée (most prestigious bottling) for the largest producer in the Champagne region. We included this Champagne in the tasting when we found that, although it is available in fine wine stores *for $150* a bottle, *it also sells for $115 at Costco, Cost Plus and Beverages & More.*_

DukeGrad, Think of all you can buy with the savings!!


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

Here are some "inexpensive" recommendations from an LA Times article:

Sparkling wines: $20 and less

*Caves de Bailly Brut de Charvis, N.V.* This Crémant de Bourgogne is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 20% Aligoté and 20% Chardonnay. Well-balanced and very drinkable, with tiny bubbles and aromas of cherry, rose and a little toast. $11.

*Bele Casel Prosecco**, N.V. *A fun and frothy wine with rose geranium and orange blossom aromas, lemon and apple flavors and a flowery finish. $13.

*Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut. *A delicate, fruity California _méthode champenoise _sparkler with ripe apple and pear flavors. $17.

Champagnes: $21 to $30

*Duval-Leroy Brut, N.V. *An elegant and clean Pinot Noir-dominated blend from the Côte des Blancs region, with light lemony aromas and a slight sweetness to the toasty finish. $25.

*Drappier Carte d'Or Brut, N.V*. This blend of 80% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier wines has appealing floral and fruit aromas with earthy flavors and a creamy texture. $30.

Champagnes: $31 to $40

*Jacques Picard Brut, N.V*. From a small grower-producer in the Montagne de Reims district, this open, accessible wine delivers a richness you'd expect with a vintage Champagne that has a few years of bottle age, with a whiff of fresh biscuits and ripe pear and green apple flavors. $35.

*Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve, N.V. *A well-balanced Champagne from a _grande marque _house in Mareuil-sur-Ay. With fruity aromas, the wine has an appealing earthiness and a creamy texture. $36.

*Camille Savès, Premier Cru, Brut, N.V.* A delicate Pinot Noir-dominated blend from Bouzy, with earthy, mushroomy aromas, a bit of depth and complexity and a long finish. $40.


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## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

Andy said:


> From an L A Times article on champagne:
> 
> _We included this Champagne in the tasting when we found that, although it is available in fine wine stores *for $150* a bottle, *it also sells for $115 at Costco, Cost Plus and Beverages & More.*_
> 
> DukeGrad, Think of all you can buy with the savings!!


I have seen dom for as cheap as (IIRC) $75 a bottle before at TJs...

I've never really gone for it myself...well at least not the brut...the Rose is pretty good (but I'd rather have Krug for the price or spend a little more and drink Cris' rose)...but the only time I was ever at a hooters restaurant, I ordered a really novel menu item; chicken wings and dom...I must say...that was pretty fun...
What do you fellas think of Grande Dame? I've found Veuve to be quite inconsistent, with the exception fo Grande Dame which is probably the best value in champagne (around $100 a bottle, but deffinately comparable to Cristal or the like)...


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

*Gentlemen*

Gentlemen,

Thanks Andy, for the other choices. I see you do some serious bubbly drinking as well, it has to be the California in you!

Nice day gentlemen


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## qwerty (Jun 24, 2005)

Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs.


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## Concordia (Sep 30, 2004)

This is getting to be a weird question for me because I find that the older I get, the less I like Champagne. The acidity knocks my palate flat, and it's hard to get interested in a meal after that sort of assault.

My wife (and coming up in the ranks, my 10-year-old daughter) feel differently, though, so we tried a splash of Egly-Ourier this year. That's on the rich, full-bodied end of the spectrum. Not at all bad, although I still prefer Bollinger RD or Krug for that sort of errand.

Actually, Plan A was a nice Prosecco, which would have been better on the island vacation we had planned to take. But that is another story.


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## jklu (May 22, 2005)

I had some Bollinger NV, Taittinger NV, Krug NV, Jacquesson 1995, and Dom Rose 1995.

Normally I stick with smaller growers/producers like Diebolt-Vallois, Egly-Ouriet, and Guy Larmandier. They are usually excellent values for the money and provide distinct characters from the aperitif to the full-bodied styles. However, they are not the easiest to come by, especially where I was spending NYE.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

I am a Blanc-de-noirs fan.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

White Star


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