Gemeaux @champersgemeaux
Don’t leave that bottle of Champagne in the cupboard waiting for a special occasion It’s not like brandy it will not get better with age.
Aside from the fact that brandy will NOT improve in bottle, what British fizz fan doesn’t think Champagne is better with age? You can buy NV cuvées with various "landed’ dates on them there, paying a premium for the older ones.
What say you?
Gemeaux @champersgemeaux
@WineExpo If no stored properly the effervesence can escape as the cork dries out.
Gemeaux @champersgemeaux
@WineExpo A couple of years, Yes! 10 years No! Have a great weekend.
Well if it’s in the cupboard he’s right!
Yes, that was my thought.
But if properly stored he’s talking through his hat.
He was quite serious about it in replying to my objections, then disappeared. His bit about two years , not ten was in response to me saying:
If not stored properly a chocolate bar will melt and milk will spoil. We are talking about serious merchants / clients here
Hello - British fizz fan here. I lurk here sometimes but I’m usually on wine-pages. I havn’t heard of this company and I can’t think of anyone that would agree with them! Just a load of marketing tripe.
Thank you Mr. Pope!
Another response from them:
Gemeaux @champersgemeaux
@WineExpo I think you misunderstood my comment. If you have a 2006 Blanc de Blancs now it will be perfect, but in 10 years time?
I’ve had 73s and 85s recently that were glorious, who else has notes on older fizz?
04 Dom is dangerously close to the end of its life.
Different strokes for different folks. Try drinking a Selosse within the first 10 years of its life is usually a foolish venture. Well stored, well made Champagnes tend to trip along quite famously for several years. I tend to enjoy them more before they get into the secondary stages of their lives but it does not mean that they have passed on at all from being enjoyable or even better for other folks’ palates. Think your chap might be a bit Barmy.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion even if it is incorrect.
I’ll gladly drink the aged bottled this bozo doesn’t want.
Swooning over old Champagne is a newish fad, so I can see where the guy was coming from.
Back in the 80’s, older Champagne was virtually ignored - cheap cheap cheap at auction. Did I mention cheap?
Like “coffee” colored diamonds that used to be cheap flawed stones have now become expensive and “fancy,” Champagne has charted an interesting course the past 2-3 decades.
I happen to like old Champagne, so I have been following prices since then. “Old” is the new black!
The guy is in the UK where they have always loved older Champagne and he is a MERCHANT so he should have a vested interest if folks putting stuff down. His whole line just strikes me as very odd.
As I mentioned above, you can buy NV Bolly or Pol Roget with “landed dates” ranging from yesterday to ten years ago there. Serena Suttcliffe has a wonderful illustration in her book on Champagne showing corks from 1- maybe 15 years of age.
Who gives a crap? Shooting fish in a barrel gets boring, doesn’t it?
It does seem odd. And his comment about a 2006 Blanc de Blanc… From who? You know, producer matters. You may want to drink that 2006 Cremant de Trader Jacques right now, but I’ve had many NV and 2000+ lately that seemed to need more time.
Silly comment by the merchant. I can’t think of a single 06 I have tasted that wouldn’t improve for 10 years. I’m currently enjoying 98-00 vintages at home. And have enough experience with 70s and 80s, as well as scattered much older wines, to say that I disagree.
Good one.
![[rofl.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7452fcd8e675af869f8da01174474a545b03944.gif "rofl"){kind=small}
Bad grammar? Maybe he’s trying to say that unlike brandy, it’s not safe to store in a cupboard, and that improperly storing it in a cupboard it won’t age well, so if that’s how you store your wine, you should be drinking it in the near-term.
No, he went on at length in various responses and he seems to think that Champagnes go downhill quite rapidly due to cork degradation. I referred him to that fabulous graphic in Serena’s book on Champagne showing the evolution (NOT degradation) of a cork over a couple of decades to no avail.
PS: from my e-mail this morning re a 24 year old bottle…
Cheers to a stellar pick from you guys - 1990 Gaston Chiquet Brut
Celebrating a big bday here. Loving your grower champagnes, we bought this one to drink at the turn of the millenium…but didn’t. At last - an occasion worthy of one of your magnificent recommendations!