The ten best Champagnes?

WINE TALK
41

Pretty much where I come out Russell. My brain, limited as it is, doesn’t permit me to do this sort of taxonomy. I can say that I have never been blown away by Krug (my personal choice for most overrated sparkling wine in the history of mankind), that any list of favorites would rank both growers and grand marques in about equal measure, and that my recollections of the best bottles of champagne I have ever had are almost inseparable from the occasions on which I have consumed them.

If you gave me $150 to buy a single bottle of champagne though, after a lot of hemming and hawing and lots of clicks, I would probably end up with a bottle of Taittinger Comtes.

42

I can fix that

43

Bingo, Neal. What a beating. It’s right up there with saying, “I disagree with the OP, and so this thread is boring.” Arguing that a list negates intellectual discussion is folly. The list was presented for discussion, and sets forth loose parameters for debate about the merits of various wines’ inclusion on a list of premier champagnes. If you’re intellect is so stunted that you cannot engage in the debate, perhaps your intellectual life is, indeed, dead on arrival. I’d expect you to also feel that the only thing less interesting than a list is a comment asserting that a list is dumb. Perhaps the list is so tragic and intellectually stunted that it has drawn you offsides. Did you truly feel the need to disparage the original poster by commenting about the depressing nature of his post? I’d much prefer to discuss a list of top champagnes than to spend five minutes with such a tragic “Debbie Downer.” Yeesh.

How about a contribution on the merits of the list?

44

No very recent experience of comparing vintage 2005 vs 2006. I have tried them when I visited Francis Boulard and every time, it’s like a small shy baby that you know will become amazing once it has spent enough time in the cellar. This cuvee starts from vintage 2001 which was fabulous (and yes, 2001 is a general disaster in Champagne). But I will always remember a Raymond (now Francis) Boulard “La Comete” 1986 which is mostly based on wines from Les Rachais that I drunk a few years ago and it blew my mind. Top 3 Champagne I have ever drunk. And I know that those Rachais babies sleeping in my cellar will once be there :slight_smile:

Now, I have to try the '05 and '06 side by side, of course :slight_smile:

45

Yeah, accusing the OP of being a shill or telling him his thread is not “interesting” strikes me as a quite different than just engaging a different opinion. In actuality I could be accused of shilling as my wife sells some of the Grand Marques, but they’re a a tidbit and we drink plenty of grower stuff too. People just like different wines than others, which is neither nefarious or uninteresting.

46

I don’t know…I look at the OP about writing about the ten best Champagnes, and I wonder how many more words we need to see about how great the mass produced Dom Perignon is.

47

Yeah, how dare they like it.

48

1982 DP the finest Champagne I have tried…but I am no expert like others here. So mass produced or not- some very great stuff. Oh- and the 1990 that is in my avatar didn’t suck either.

49

Sorry if my post was taken as rude, not my intent. I was attempting to say that the original qualifications for the thread basically eliminate everything except the big house tete de cuvee. Again, sorry if I stepped on anyone’s toes.

50

IMO, liking or not liking DP is subjective and as a Dom lover, I am in awe that Moet can produce 2 million bottles plus of Dom while maintaining the top and consistent quality. The 73 Dom Oeno mag, 61 Dom and 85 Dom Rose mag makes my top ten Champagne list along with the 71 and 73 Collection, 90 Krug CDM, 96 Salon and Krug and etc. Some loves Jacques Selosse substance but it is not my cup of tea.

51

Your reverse wine snob credentials are in jeopardy.

52

I also enjoy Run Rig, Grange, SQN and Saxum. Did I say that Kendall Jackson VR Chardonnay is a very good wine? [cheers.gif]

53

thanks for the thoughtful response. I might pick some up on your recc.

54

No problem at all with people liking it. Just don’t see anything interesting in yet another ode to Dom. All the juicy/interesting stuff about how they really manage to do what they do is pretty closely held.

55

Fine David. I see nothing interesting in the vast majority of the burg threads so I don’t post in them. I try hard not to call people names for posting them or assign them sinister motives for claiming to like them.

56

Thank you Neal for being the politeness police. Do you do this for the whole internet? [wink.gif]

57

Nah, I get enough low hanging fruit following you around to satisfy my inner scold

58

[rofl.gif] [rofl.gif] After some of the personal attacks I have gotten from Neal this is really funny.

59

This surprises and disappoints me Howard. I don’t recall ever attacking you personally or otherwise, but if I have you have my most sincere apologies

60

Count me as a Dom lover also, I’d rather drink it over Krug any day, and although I do rate Krug as being very good (and sometimes very great), I prefer other styles more.

Dom Rose is probably my all time favorite Champagne, right up there with Salon…