Tete de Cuvee Champagne

Thanks to everyone for coming and making this possible (especially David, who picked up and doubled my original oyster order, thank god)!

So, as in previous years (2007, 2009), the main takeaway is that all of these "prestige cuvee" champagnes are great. As they should be at these prices! The real eye-opener was tasting my favorite $40 champagne (Perrier Jouët) in the line-up -- it was a bumbling, ungainly, party-hat-wearing, embarrassment in this company (still great for $40 tho).

The crowd split along those who preferred the Dom Perignon approach and those who preferred the darker Feuillatte-Bollinger-Jouet style. But it was hard to say anything bad about any of these remarkable wines. My only regret is not getting a few bottles of the 1998 Grande Dame when I had a chance. I was surprised by how much I liked these Tattinger and Bollinger vintages, too.

My favorites in bold (but they were all great). The longer pre-tasting notes that I printed out are here. I bought all of them from K&L Wines, where many are still in stock. Prices for these bottles vary widely across retailers (though I find K&L to reliably be among the lowest).

1. 2002 Moet & Chandon "Dom Pérignon" Brut Champagne ($430 1.5L): a critically acclaimed vintage (and hence hard to find), lots of power, what I think of as "masculine" champagne, with a hint of hop-like bitterness at the close. A clear favorite for a minority who like this style. Amazing that they can make millions of bottles at this level of quality.
2. 2003 Moet & Chandon "Dom Pérignon" Brut Champagne ($150): supposedly a very different vintage from 2003, but not obvious to me. Drew very mixed reviews.
3. 1999 Nicolas Feuillatte "Palmes d'Or" Brut Champagne ($100): in the distinctive "hand grenade" bottle, a stark contrast to the Doms, showing the dark, toasty character of aged champagne. A crowd-pleaser, but going back to it, I thought it was outclassed by the Bollinger at almost the same price. Very good, though, and will be something I look for in the future.
4. NV Krug "Grande Cuvée" Brut Champagne ($140): ah, my perennial favorite, a blend of around 120 wines from ten or more different vintages, some of which may reach 15 years of age, that spends six years on lees prior to disgorgement. So, even though it's "non-vintage," in reality, it's like a perfectly aged champagne that's ready to drink when you buy it. A great balance of toasty notes, but with a bright finish. While eclipsed by some others we tasted, this has the benefit of being consistently great.
5. 2004 Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" Brut Champagne ($125): always a blend dominated by Pinot Noir (this vintage is 69% Pinot Noir and 31% Chardonnay from eight grands crus: Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil sur Oger), I thought this was still too young, not yet knit together.
6. 1998 Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" Brut Champagne ($125): awesome, my favorite of the night, just keeps getting better (we also tasted this same vintage in 2007 and 2009, and it was a favorite of mine each time). 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Chardonnay. Lots of dark, toasty flavors, lots of complexity. Awesome.
7. 1998 Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" Brut Rosé Champagne ($270): wow, our only rosé of the evening, and this was very different from all the others. Unlike the regular 1998 Grande Dame, which showed lots of age, this rosé from the same vintage still tasted fresh, young, and full of mineral character. Fantastic wine (but e-gads, the price!).
8. 2000 Taittinger Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne ($120): the only 100% chardonnay ("blanc de blancs") bottle of the evening, and really fantastic. A favorite of those who also loved the Doms.
9. 2005 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne ($190): unlike in previous tastings, this did not taste young at all. While it will certainly get better with more time, it's drinking great right now, despite being the youngest bottle of the evening. Fantastic balance of the dark and light aspects of champagne. Hard to justify the price, though.
10. 2004 Perrier Jouët "Belle Epoque" Brut Champagne ($100): I really love the Jouet style, emphasizing toasty dark Pinot Noir character (even though this vintage is only 45% Pinot Noir!). Good value at $100, but outclassed by the Bollinger, Krug, and 1998 Grande Dame.
11. 2002 Bollinger "Grande Année" Brut Champagne ($115): a real surprise, as previous vintages didn't blow me away. This, in contrast, was a demonstration of how to do the darker, toastier style with finesse and balance. Handily bested the Feuillate and Jouet in a similar style.
12. NV Laurent-Perrier "Grand Siècle" Champagne ($110): This Champagne is a blend of three great harvests: 20% 1999, 20% 1997, and 60% 1996. Another beautiful example of balance, though lacked the distinctive character and complexity of the Cristal, which is what the style reminded me of. Because it's a nonvintage bottle that isn't as famous as the others, you can sometimes find it on sale for <$100, which would make it a winner.
13. Perrier Jouët "Grand Brut" Champagne ($40): my favorite "inexpensive" champagne, but just totally outclassed by everything else we had. Demonstrates that you really do get much, much more finesse and complexity in $100+ champagnes.
14. 1999 Pommery "Cuvée Louise" Brut Champagne ($100): one of only two entirely estate-grown prestige bottles (Cristal is the other), this top bottle from Pommery is likely the last vintage that will be made, now that Pommery has been bought by LVMH. Frankly, by this point, I was in no shape to make tasting notes...