I think this is a really interesting topic and have enjoyed the discussion about various producers. A few observations. There are many producers with excellent quality up and down their line, but often make really different wines at each price point. Billecart Salmon, for instance, makes a Clos St. Hilaire that is excellent, but it is a single vineyard 100% pinot noir. For 1/3 the price you can snag a Cuvee Nicolas Francois or Elisabeth Salmon, chard/pinot blends and the latter a rose. They are not close to apples to apples. Even so, the Named Cuvees are often, in my opinion, as good or better than the considerably more expensive but far rarer single vineyard Clos St. Hilaire. On the subject of BS…the champagnes…BS has invested money and effort in bumping the quality of their line, and their EB vintage is a lovely wine worth trying. While their lower levels may be a but lush and soft, their vintage wines are very good.
Veuve comes to mind as a good topic piece. Grande Dame, Extra Brut Extra Old, and Vintage all have much in common, though dosage and blend may wiggle a bit. I think the best buy is typically the EBEO, with its lower dosage and more time on lees. I think the vintage wines, including or maybe especially the 2008, often under-deliver.
Roederer is, to me, the stallion of this discussion, providing a vast line of wines at what I consider excellent QPR. Cristal Rose, Cristal are both exceptional. Vintage Roederer may be among the best QPR champagnes out there that aren’t trendy. It gets very quiet love, but consistently delivers. I know we all eschew ratings and all that jazz, but the last bunch of vintages got 94, 93, 94, 95, 95 from Reinhardt and Kelley. Then there is their BdB, which is also an unsung hero and is routinely excellent (and has received a bump in quality). Then there is the “Collection” wine, which is excellent. It may not be special like Cristal, but certainly as good or better than Bereche Brut Reserve, and that’s a big compliment at the price point. Then there is premiere, a good champagne. What a lineup. It’s really a set of astoundingly high quality wines at very good price points. I would note that the Anderson Valley is not akin to good champagne. In its absolute best vintages, it might sniff Brut Premiere. L’Ermitage might compare to Collection 242 in good vintages, though made in a very rich and yeasty style. That’s no insult, but you’re getting what you pay for with Roederer Estate, and that’s what I appreciate about Roederer.
Philipponnat is also excellent up and down the line. Royale Reserve wines are good, not great, but good. Vintage wines, especially the 1522s are great, and Clos de Goisses can be a home run.
Taittinger is getting slapped around a bit here because most folks see two wines from Taittinger: Comtes and Brut NV. I can buy a case of Brut NV at under $35 per, but Comtes is closing in on $200 a pop. Obviously there is a massive gap there and one should not expect any kind of reasonable comparison between the two. But Taittinger Prelude, a blend of 50-50 chard and pinot from grand cru vineyards, is a really nice champagne at a reasonable price point. Tatty Vintage is also good, though not great, and does not compete in quality with Comtes. While harder to find, I think Blake Brown would vouch that Taittinger’s NV Folies de la Marquetterie is an exceptional champagne, blended 55-45 pinot and chard. You just don’t see Prelude and Folies very often. If you do, I implore you to snag one and give it a shot. Might change your mind a little bit about the Taittinger lineup.
Laherte is there too, but the lineup is such an apples to oranges comparison that it doesn’t fit all that well in this discussion.
