I’m partial to Burgundies, especially Gevrey-Chambertin, but I haven’t had one in a few years. My current favorite affordable Burgundy is Edouard Delaunay “Septembre”, at about $35.
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Thanks. I find Burgundy daunting but love it.
I remember the wife of a noted California vintner quoted as saying that she always kept a bottle of their sparkling wine in the fridge. Because “you never know when your day will call for a celebration…or when it will need cheering up”.
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Napoleon supposedly said something about Champagne along the lines of
“In victory we deserve it. In defeat we need it”
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Putting this here even though we are well past the New Year:
$13
Brut and a little creamy
Medium small bubbles
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Finally got to open the bottle from Eataly on the occasion of our Spring Onion turning 21. She has simpled tastes ;-). The champagne was recommended as the driest of their (Eataly Boston) offerings, but it was a tad sweet to our tastes. Still went nicely with the caviar, though.
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Any opinions on Laurent Perrier NV Rosé? I was given a bottle on my 50th birthday (too many) years ago, but can’t remember it.
Never had it, but it is a fine pedigree. I bet it was excellent.
I think it’s lovely, a bit on the fruitier side like many rose champagnes.
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Had it last night (with beef shabu shabu) - delicious wine. It has a lot of red berry fruit but also bright acidity. I think of it as a super delicate version of Pinot Noir (which it is) sans tannins. It can probably pair with any food from sushi to steak.
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Thanks all for the feedback. I wish they made it in a half-bottle format as I’m not a big drinker, and neither is my wife, so it seems like a waste to open a bottle, especially at the price of Champagne.
I used to have one like that, made for Pol Roger, but lost it. I bought another, different, one, and it works well, but I have to wrestle with it.
There’s one other consideration: if I don’t like the Champagne, I’m stuck with something very expensive.
And there are plenty of Champagnes and sparklers out there that are definitely not easy to like. There is an acidic and metallic note I have encountered too many times. But trying a lot of Champagnes need not be any pricier than trying gins or whiskies. I figured out ages ago that I really like Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Sampling with those grapes in there has not let me down, yet. Chardonnay can be much more dicey. California Chardonnay and white Burgundy are pretty darned different. A great blancs de blanc and a lower end big house Chard based Champagne are going to be radically different. Not pricy, but a Blanc de Noir from California will show a lot of commonality with a fine Pinot Noir Champagne. Please understand that although these are phrased as pronouncements, they are only my own impressions.
Try a half bottle of a nice cremant rose instead. M
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I determined a long time ago that I don’t like Chardonnay, no matter where it’s from, apart from Champagne.
Pinot Noir is my favorite grape too.
The only non-Champagne sparkler that would full me into thinking it was Champagne is the one from Domaine Carneros in California. I haven’t had it in ages, though, as it’s rarer than hen’s teeth in these parts.
Note: I’m far from a wine expert. I do know what I like, though.
Half bottles are rare here, but I’ve tried lots of full bottles, and none of them have moved me.
If you ever want a Chardonnay that might change your mind, try a bottle of Stoller. It is relatively inexpensive but a typical Oregon style, nothing like the California style.
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It will have to wait. U.S. wines were supposed to be pulled from the shelf in Ontario.
There are non oaked or lightly oaked California chardonnays that I like, but they aren’t the norm.
Roederer in Anderson Valley makes great pinot noir brut rose “champagne” that is reasonably priced.
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