Wine Tasting: Tête de Cuvée

 

Almost four years after the last one, we were finally able to gather again for what normally is the biennial celebration of the top bottles from the biggest producers in Champagne. 

We've been doing this tete de cuvee tasting since 2007 (notes for every one here), and we've learned a lot about many vintages of these wines over those 15 years. They are always fantastic, and their styles are pretty consistent (relative to each other) from year-to-year. That said, this time we had four bottles from the critically-acclaimed 2008 vintage, and they were great (special kudos to the 2008 Cristal, which is now nearly impossible to find and over $400 if you can find it). 

The biggest change since last time, however, were the prices. These bottles have gone way up, far outpacing inflation. Bottles that 5 years ago were $100 on release are now over $200 on release. Bottles that were $220 are now $350, $300 bottles are now over $500. It's crazy. I'm not sure I will be able to keep doing this tasting at this rate.

Here's what we had. I hesitate to even guess at the total price that these bottles would have fetched on the market today. But I can say, they were delicious, every one (but my favorites in bold, nevertheless). 

1. Laurent Perrier "Grand Siècle" Iteration #20 Champagne Magnum 1.5L ($300 -- current release is $500+): The oldest of the wines we had, this one had all of the darker, toasty, yeasty character that I associate with well-aged Champagne. Laurent-Perrier's top bottle is always a multi-vintage blend of older library wines. Only 25 iterations have been produced in 66 years. This iteration is a cellar selection blend with 100% Grand Cru wines from 11 of Laurent Perrier's vineyards, done in stainless steel tanks. This wine combines vintages from 1999 (60%), 1997 (20%), and 1996 (20%). It is composed of 54% Chardonnay and 46% Pinot Noir with 16 years (!) of lees aging. Dosage of 8 grams per liter. Got a 100 point rating from Suckling.
2. 2008 Dom Pérignon Brut Champagne Lenny Kravitz edition ($180 -- current price $350+): Ah, that steely, crisp, Dom style, but this time with a hint of yeastiness when compared to the Taittinger blanc de blanc. Moet & Chandon makes this no more than 6 times a decade, with a total of 43 vintages in the past 100 years. Pay no attention to the blingy Lenny Kravitz-designed label on this one, it’s still the legendary 2008 Dom, the one that critics are calling the best of the new century so far. Precisely 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, aged almost 9 years on the lees, and held longer than most vintages before release (released out of sequence after the 2009). Moet doesn’t say, but estimates are that 2-4 million bottles are made! Dosage 5g/l. 
3. 2008 Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" Brut Champagne ($190): In previous tastings, the Grande Dame has always held down the darker, yeastier end of the spectrum (opposite from Dom Perignon). Still true here, perhaps more so given the unusually high Pinot Noir percentage (92%). I always love this wine and think it's a relative bargain (Costco routinely carries the current vintage). Made in select vintages (traditionally three times a decade), in 2008, it was 92% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay, all from estate fruit.. Dosage 6g/l.
4. 2008 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne ($280 -- current price $430+): I wish I didn't love this always-expensive wine so much. In fact, back in 2007, we didn't like the 2000 vintage, only to come around to loving it 10 years later. This is a fantastic bottle, living up to the 100 point scores, and still very young. So well balanced in flavors, but with a beam of acid that is less like a laser, and more like the Bifrost. Amazing. Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) from 36 plots in Grand Cru terroirs, with a dosage of 7.5 g/l. For the first time ever, the winemaking team at Roederer decided to do 20% malolactic fermentation due to the massive concentration and acidity of the wine. 500,000 bottles made. 100 points (James Suckling, Jeb Dunnuck).
5. 2008 Bollinger "Grande Année" Brut Champagne ($160): Always heavy on the Pinot Noir and made in the darker, toastier style (like the Grande Dame and Grand Siecle), I thought the 2008 showed well, promising to become more like the Grand Siecle with time. A relative bargain. Bollinger is one of the few big Champagne houses that is still family owned and only makes the Grande Année in select years. The 2008 is made entirely from estate-grown fruit and composed of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay. It is 100% barrel fermented in used barrels. In 2008, Bollinger used 18 of their best crus in the wine, 84% Grand Cru and 16% Premier Cru. Dosage 8g/l.
6. 2002 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart"' Brut Champagne ($180): Another great bottle in the heavier style, showing the benefits of age as compared to the 2008s. Much softer on the palate than the 08s, this one begged to pair with cheese. The top bottle from Billecart-Salmon, which is best known for its non-vintage rosé. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, done partially in oak (20%). Dosage is 4 grams per liter. 
7. 2007 Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne ($116): Got lucky and found this on sale at Costco in 2021 -- retail price was $230. The Comtes has been included in every tasting we've done, and has always been a bargain to search out. The only blanc de blanc (100% Chardonnay) in the line-up, this again delivered the goods for the steely, crisp, bright style. So good. I wish I'd bought a case. 100% Chardonnay from grand cru sites in the Côte des Blancs, with 5% aged in oak barrels, the blend then aged ten years on the lees. Dosage 9 g/l.
8. NV Krug "Grande Cuvée" 168 ème Édition Brut Champagne ($190 -- current vintage $225): For the first time ever, I thought the NV Krug was obviously outclassed by the vintage wines (I guess that 2008 really is as special as the critics say). This is still, as always, the top shelf Champagne to buy if you're going to drink it soon. The nonvintage Krug is a blend of many, many wines from many, many vintages, all combined to hit that Krug flavor profile. It's based on the 2012 harvest, complemented by fully 42% reserve wines—a blend of 198 wines from 11 different vintages dating back to 1996. A blend of 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier.