Big Champagne House recs

WINE TALK
21

I can say that I have had bad experiences with '02 GA and VVF, lots of bruised red apple on the palate and the wine would drop off after half the bottle was gone. No issue with '04 GA, though not very exciting for me. I had '08 once and thought it was great, clean, mineral, great acid, green apple. I really enjoy '04/'12 GA Rose.

22

If you could only pick up 3 of the 2006 or 3 of the 2007, which would you go with?

23

I’d personally go with the 2006. It’s a more forward vintage. If you can find a reasonably priced 2002, jump on that too.

Cheers,
Warren

24

Thanks - the 2002 was our wedding wine so I’ve gotten away with buying a couple bottles, but something about the $200 price point makes my wife especially unhappy.

25

FYI, Sommpicks is selling 2002 Cuvee Nicolas for $169/ea, or $160.55/ea for 3 or more bottles

26

I am surprised none has mentioned Philipponnat.

Clos de Goisses is at that price point and it is one of the finest examples of prestige cuvée.

May I also add their L.V. Series, (their late disgorgement scheme) both on Grand blanc 2000 and Reserve Milessime 2000 are some of the finest wines the region can produce. Mind you the production is extremely limited, ~300 bottles each release.

27

Billecart rose is as good as it gets for big house champagne below the prestige cuvee level IMO.

28

That’s another one I should have mentioned. Clos de Goisses is one of my favorite wines from Champagne, but I actually think I like the idea of CdG even more than the wine (and I like the wine a lot!). We had a phenomenal visit to Philipponnat a few years ago, and the Clos de Goisses is one of the world’s coolest vineyards. Hiking it was one of my more memorable wine experiences. And I love that CdG is more of a grower bottling–single vineyard with domaine grapes–from a big house. Kind of like Clos du Mesnil if I could afford it.

All of that said, CdG is now typically more than $150 and I’ve had some mixed results with how it ages.

29

I love Taittinger CdC but I recently had another wine from Taittinger that also was quite nice at a lesser price point. It is called the Prelude Grand crus cuvee (50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay). Prélude Grands Crus | Champagne Taittinger Apparently, it costs about $70-80. Not the CdC, but much better than their La Francaise IMHO.

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30

That’s the problem with limiting oneself to the big houses. Camille Saves Rose at about two thirds of the price of the Billecart is superior.

31

Taittinger CdC was the champagne that made me rethink “I don’t really like Champagne”, so that forever. hard to go wrong with Dom Perignon or Krug. Ruinart BdB and Rose are both spectacular.

32

If by “good” you mean so carefully without flaws that it completely lacks all character, then sure, we can go with that.

33

Never heard anyone complain this wine lacks character and it definitely isn’t lacking to me. Of course the kind of character you are looking for at the NV rose level is different from the kind of character you’d be looking for in, say, Dom Perignon or Taittinger Comtes. Without flaws is no demerit either!

34

Who’s limiting themselves? The thread topic was asking about the big houses.

35

Big fan of this bottling from Taittinger.

36

[welldone.gif]

37

I was referring to the premises of the OP.

38

Just because you haven’t heard it doesn’t mean people don’t think it. And we never specified NV, that I see, but I’ll stick to my assessment. Everyone in my circle finds it generic and boring. Even my 12 year old stepson, who usually adores champagne, was lukewarm on the Billecart.

39

For some very odd reason I seem to LOVE the Diebolt VALLOIS Fleur de Passion, even though they misspell on their labels. champagne.gif [wow.gif] [snort.gif]

40

What’s odd about that? Diebolt Fleur de Passion is superb champagne.

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