Do You Buy Champagne In Half Bottles?

I have bought them, sometimes in large quantities. But my experience with them aging has been unpredictable. I like the idea of opening a half bottle of Champagne and a half bottler of red wine, when it’s only two drinking. I am reluctant to buy the expensive ones for anything but relatively short term consumption. Do you buy them? Would you buy older ones? Are you comfortable hanging on to them?

No. Usually I find they are not a great value in my area of MN. Often more than times 2 of the 750.

I buy/bought Ledru in halves, because 750s are allocated but, for whatever reasons, 375s aren’t at the store I buy from in Beaune.

She finishes them under DIAM, unlike her 750s, which seems to compensate somewhat for the smaller volume.

I like 375’s when it’s just me or with my wife mid-week. Locally, Tattinger NV is readily available for $20/btl reg pricing.

I’ve been meaning for awhile to start a thread about what good Champagne is available out there in 375. It feels like hardly any of the grower stuff is. Laherte Freres Ultratradition is just about the only of those I know.

As far as big houses, I know the regular Bollinger is, and Krug Grande Cuvee. And a lot of supermarket big house NV labels.

What else is out there and somewhat available? I mean of things that are more than just generically passable to drink.

never. ever, ever. i’m still surprised Krug hasn’t retired this given how the wine shows in this format.

I buy them occasionally. I like Roederer Estate as cheap bubbles for mid-week if it’s only me drinking. I’ve had great luck with halves of Veuve Fourny Grande Reserve. Also have a few Krugs to open for celebration dinners before a 750 of red.

Krug aside, I’m more comfortable buying 375s at the lower end of the spectrum and drinking them relatively soon after purchase, as everything I’ve read suggests champagne ages better in larger bottles.

Blasphemy.

No. I used to, but they never showed all that well. And when we opened a 375 before dinner, for instance, thinking we just wanted a sip, we almost always ended up opening another.

But I buy a lot of champagne in magnum!

I buy them occasionally. I like Roederer Estate as cheap bubbles for mid-week if it’s only me drinking.

Had a place in MN selling these half bottles and it was almost as much as the 750. I find these good on day 2 and drinkable on day 3.

Yes, there’s always some Krug 375s in my fridge. Very rarely open 750s unless we are entertaining.

Never. Even drinking alone, I am more than happy to put a full-size bottle’s remnants in the fridge and polish it off as the week goes on.

Yes I have a many cases of 164 and 168 in 375 and a little bit of 169

What do you have in mind as a time frame for consumption? Also, they don’t put the eme on half bottles so you must have worked from the serial number, correct?

Yes from the Krug code. Probably 5-10 years as I wait for the 750s and mags to be ready.

I opened 164 from mag this summer which was a huge mistake. It was a wall of acid and structure.

You funny!!

Yes I do Chirs. Happy New Year.

Full btl is sometimes too much but half is almost never enough

Need them in 500ml btls.

I have/ have had Krug, Krug Rose, Ruinart BdB (for some reason PA FWGS has uber competitive pricing on these sometimes), Roederer Estate, and Bollinger.

None for cellaring all for reasonably soon consumption. I’d love to get some LF Ultradition, haven’t seen that before.