Wine Tasting: Tete de Cuveé Champagne

Wow, that was a lot of fantastic champagne! Over $1500 worth, actually. And they were all excellent, interesting, complex, wonderful wines, proving that spending top dollar on champagne does get you a different experience than the $30 options (which is also good!). I've put my very favorite bottles in bold, but unlike many tastings, there was nothing on this list that I wouldn't be thrilled to drink.

Oysters were excellent, too (from Hog Island), as were the parmesean crisps that Dru kindly contributed. Thanks to everyone who chipped in for this one!

1. '95/'96 De Meric Catherine de Medicis Brut ($130 1.5L): 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all grown in Grand Cru of Ay, excellent value, a good helping of what makes real champagne special, but not the depth, yeast, complexity of the heavy hitters.


2. 2000 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut (was $245, now $179): radically different than when we had it in 2007 (and didn't like it), started with a funky nose and much heavier than expected, but ultimately cleared up into an amazing bubbly, balanced between crisp and complex, great length. But hard to justify the price in light of Krug and Grande Dame.


3. 1998 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill ($185): great example of the heavier, Pinor Noir-driven style, and was my favorite until the Grande Dames.


4. 1997 Salon Blanc de Blancs (Was $375, now $249): 100% Chardonnay, a crowd splitter, this was the crispest, lightest, most steely of the night, great wine, a little austere for my taste, but the favorite for several others.


5. 1990 Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame” ($154): 64% Pinot Noir/36% Chardonnay, great demonstration of age on a bottle, deeper, richer flavors than the 1998, with a slightly tart finish, drinking great right now.


6. 1998 Veuve Clicquot “La Grande Dame” ($109): continues to demonstrate why Grande Dame is my favorite of the big house vintage tete de cuveé offerings -- great poise between complexity and crispness, approachable, will get better with time. Bargain, relatively speaking.


7. NV Taittinger Les Folies de la Marguetterie Brut (40 euros, ~$60): only available at the winery, none exported, sourced from a single vineyard right next to the chateau, the best value of the night (thanks Jose Luis and Simone for bringing this!).


8. NV Krug "Grande Cuvée" Brut ($125): again, demonstrating why this is my perennial favorite of all the expensive champagne, combines the complexity of age with a solid beam of acid and structure (thanks to the fact that it's a blend of 20 years of reserves wines at Krug), gorgeous, consistent, exactly what I want from an expensive bottle of bubbly.


9. 2000 Moet & Chandon Dom Pérignon Brut ($120): great nose, but started tight and forgettable, only to open up in the glass, a lighter, Chardonnay-driven style, but more forgiving than the Salon. Beautiful wine, I think many are wrongly dismissive based on huge production.


10. 1996 Henriot Brut ($80): very nice vintage champagne, great on the palate, but without the lengthy finish that the more expensive bottles offer.


11. NV Champagne Brut Reserve, Henri Billiot ($57): all Grand Cru fruit, mostly Pinor Noir, from a tiny producer in Ambonnay in the Montagne de Reims, blend of 03, 04, and 05, excellent value, sweeter than the others, distinct personality.


12. NV Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut ($35): my standard in $30 champagne, not embarrassed in this company, but clearly not in the same league, either.