qotd: havent bought alot of champagne, no great reason either. champagne is pretty expensive for one. had a decent amount of sparklings. so my best champagne would have to be a vintage one. A gentleman I was serving a 1996 veuve cliquot-ponsardin la grand dame to, surprised me by giving me a glass, that was really nice. Scratch that, it was whatever champagne i was given when i found out i was 1st in my class at the 1st court of master sommelier classes i had. i have no idea what it was, whole thing was a blur. i didnt know what to expect from the classes [since i'd never been to any before], was worried i hadnt prepared enough and may not get through. They waited last to tell me my results. so i was freakin out. i was happy to pass and to do that well was a total surprise, and boy did that champagne taste fantastic after that.
love that your readin/answering comments. i'd love to see a vin jaune episode, and a tasting on the different charbono's out there.

Champagne ranks in my top three favorite wines (Chardonnay and Merlot being the other two). I drink it every chance I get, which isn't that often unfortunately. I think part of my love of champagne is that it was the first wine that I really was educated about. When I was 16 I went on a tour of Champagne (the region now, not the wine) with my father. Every day during that trip we went to 2 or 3 different houses for degustations. Fantastic experience, let me tell you. This brings me to my favorite champagne--Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial. I love dry whites, so this preference fits in that sense. I think though that my love of this champagne above all others has to do with the setting in which I first tasted it--in the inner courtyard of the headquarters in Epernay.

I'm a champagne novice- as a CKC, I can't quite drop as much moola on real champagne. In the US, I go more for cava and prosecco. However, in France, I loved Carrefour's brand of champagne...the best part? A 750ml bottle cost 0,76 euros. You have to love 76 cent champagne!

Good Episode - one I will watch again as I grow with Champagne this year. Also very cool to watch all of the questions answered! Only on laid back Fridays now. I wonder if Genev is still around?

I am a complete champagne novice.....
QOTD - my favorite bottle...probably some non-vintage Pol Roger that we had at our wedding. It was great!

First comment after watching prob.50+ episodes in a couple of days. Greatest champagne ever tasted?
I have to say that the -85 Salon i had a sip of some 3-4 years ago was amazing. Really developed and super well structured. The -96 was pretty nice to but really shut and far too young.
I also had some wonderful Selosse over the years (Im 24 so not that many years).

Keep it up Chuk

Love the Champers baby! Best bottle ever, PJ in Paris France with my wife hanging on our belcony with a spectacular view of the Eifle tower eating strawberries. One of the best moments in my life. Cheers!

Love the Champagne! If you want a great champange at a reasonable price try the Duval Leroy 96. Best of all time is the 75 Dom or the 96 Verve La Grande Dame.
Also the Salon 90 and 96
Always keen to hear of any smaller producers who are making great champagne.
Thanks, keep up the good work!

Argyle has a line of bubbles... reasonable pricing... fantastic taste and feel... Knudsen blanc de blanc - toasty, bright with some butter, Brut Rose 100% Pinot Noir - crisp red apple with hints of peach and apricot, Knudsen 1998, Extended Tirage 1996 - higher end hard to get 580-some odd cases made - complex yeasty, and Black Brut (deep red bubbley) strange but nice feel, silky rich tannins like you would expect from a great reserve pinot noir with the crisp bite of bubbles,, really a cult taste and not a common release... outstanding Oregon bubbles check them out!

Gary

St Clair Vineyard says,

"Bellisimo $11.00 a bottle

A delightful twist on bubbly. We make this dessert sparkling wine with our Muscat grapes, to create a sparkling wine with great character, aroma, and body. Very sweet.

2006 Chairman's Award- Unanimous Gold Medal Riverside International Wine Competition

2006 Silver Medal Winner Los Angeles Wines of the World"

I completly missed this episode and I suck!

I always associated Champagne with drunk girls in college...the sloppy, get out of my face kind of drunk, so I have carried around that stigma for a while. I am coming out of it, but can't wait for the growers episode. Looking for that value Champagne that Gary says is worth it.

B

I'm way behind on these posts, but in response to your question, Rich S., non vintage Champagne is meant to be enjoyed right off the shelf, but like a good vintage Champagne it can sometimes benefit from some proper cellaring. Typically, a vintage should be consumed not much longer than 10 to 15 years after the date on the bottle, assuming it has been handled correctly. Immaculate cellaring will extend the life of the wine to a possible 20 years, as I had an '85 Veuve Cliquot Reserve Rose the other night that gained a tremendous amount of complexity from the wait, but I could tell that it wouldn't have lasted much longer. In my opinion, you should open the bottle now and see, because it's likely that it is past it's prime (and certainly isn't going to benefit from any more time in the bottle). With a wine that old it tends to be difficult to justify simply opening it, but I would go for it.

As for favorites, I'm only 22 and have been experimenting for a relatively short amount of time, but my girlfriend and I consider ourselves junkies, and drink the bubbly stuff every chance we get. We drink VCP Yellow or Gold Label most often, but Krug is my favorite. The '88 is very nice, and seems to be popular among the posts, but the '90 Clos du Mesnil is the greatest Champagne I've ever tasted. (Salon makes a great wine from Le Mesnil as well, what a vineyard!) As for Dom Perignon, the '90 and '95 I feel are superior to the '96 and '98, but I generally tend not to drink the Dom.

As for relatively inexpensive options, there are some decent non vintages out there, like the VCP Yellow or Gaston Chiquet or Gosset. Any cheaper than that, I would recommend exploring alternatives to Champagne.

Hi Gary,
I love the way you educate people about wines! To the point, what do you think of Astis? I am getting married in a couple of months and I was considering serving that kind of sparkling (howevere I haven't been able t find my favorite: Riccadonna. Another question do you think it will look awful if I serve the cheap wine/champagne to my guests and the expensive ones to my family?
Thanks for your response.
Christian

I'm with you, Gary; champagne is my favorite wine. In our house, we don't save champagne for special occasions. Just opening a bottle makes the evening special. To date, my most memorable champagnes have been '96 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame (and thankfully I still have three more bottles!) and '95 Pommery Cuvee Louise (which I was fortunate to have for the first time at the Pommery cellars in Rheims). Both are just extraordinary. Lots of runners up, including the '96 Bollinger Grand Annee. An '89 Veuve Clicquot is memorable to me because it was given to me by friends some years ago and was the first bottle of really good champagne that I'd ever had. It made me realize what a difference there is out there among wines. (I was most disappointed by a bottle of '96 Dom Perignon. So many folks have raved about this that I wonder about bottle variation. I found it interesting that you weren't wowed by the '98.)

I look forward to more shows on sparklers. Thanks for WLTV. (And congrats again on the WSJ!)

Big champagne fan here. I try to have champagne at least once a month. My absolute favorite is Krug but I can't afford to drink that. Nicholas Feuillait is my usual splurge. My most memorable bottles were Krug Rose 1972 vintage. Bought 4 bottles in 1976 when we got married and had one to celebrate each child being born. Wish I still had some today. Can taste it still. Great show. More champagne episodes.

Your the man!

I have a question: while trying to absorb all the things you talk about and the things I read, in this day and age, is there a computer program I can use to write down the things I want to remember about particular wines, regions, and grapes?

I too am not a huge fan of champagne but I do have a few bottles (that were gifts) that I am excited about in my collection. Among them are a 98 Dom and a 95 Nicolas Feuillatte Premiere Cru.

For a reasonable champagne though I tend to like Piper Heidseick. Speaking of which, I have a question for Gary. I have a 1975 Piper Heidseick and am curious to know how long a vintage champagne will age and still be good. I mean, I am sure this bottle is ready by now but I want to know if it is perhaps past its prime.

Good show today and congrats on the Journal Cover. You should do an episode on some home grown sparkling wines, gruet and ironhorse come to mind, also i think the domain chandon blanc de noirs is not bad. it would be interesting to see you taste some american sparklers and give some of your insight

Cheers

Gary - great episode and Congrats on the WSJ front cover. I LOVED your sign-off - it had me laughing!

I actually liked Moet White Star and V-C - as I compared them to the likes of US Mumm and Chandon. I didn't knwo it got better until I had BilleCart Salmon at a wine pairing dinner at Ryland Inn. Now Billecart NV and Rose are my house wines. Perhaps the 1990 Sir Winston Churchhill was my all time fav champaign.

Gary - what under $35 NV champaigns should we seek out that is substantially better than White Star?

DID I NOT TELL YOU THAT WLTV IS A REVOLUTION AND THAT YOU'D BE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF A MNAJOR PUBLICATION!!!!!! Way to go Gary... but don't let it get to your head.

BTW- this weekend I'm going up to Spring Lake and will be dropping by your store to pick up a couple of cases I had on order. Will you be in?

Gary,
Bubbles off the Richter! This one gets about a solid 96, because it was fun, festive, complete, entertaining and informative from start to finish, and I know I will come back to it. Aside from grower Champagne future episode you mentioned, it would be nice to see an EP on CA sparkling wines as a cost-attractive alternative. Also for something quite different, consider an episode exploring the unique pairings of Champagnes of different dryness and different foods, which could prompt more people to try who do not feel Champagne is for them. It’s worth mentioning one of the other reasons we do Champagne is because it does not have to be for a celebration or special occasion every time. QOTD: In 1994 we had a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a single bottle from a small lot that had been privately cellared. It was the Royal Celebration Cuvee, a 1975 Veuve Clicquot Brut selected for the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana (foil label shows their date as Wednesday 29th July 1981). We cellared another six years, and drank it in 2000 when I completed my Doctorate, which itself was an eleven year ordeal. Those who have had a well-aged premium Champagne will understand when I say the experience was sublime, worth the wait and every penny. The bouquet was one of the most complex I have ever smelled, including bread/yeast, flowers, butter, nuts and others over background lemons and pears. Most remarkably it was still fresh and not flabby, and great bubbles lightening the full body along with an unbelievably long finish. The 1990 Dom we drank for my wife’s Doctorate is worth mentioning as well --- excellent to classic just as others here have noted. Congratulations to you Gary and the WL for the WSJ cover!
Cheers, CK

Gary,
Another great job, QOD I like to bath in light bodied Piper-Heidsieck ot Taittinger but Louis Roederer is my every day drinking Champ
AFO - Fluffy

Gary,

What other specific liquors do you enjoy besides wine/champagne? I know this is a wine vlog but, you can not drink wine all the time.

Gary, great show as always. I know you are a Jets fan. I was once when I lived in NY (born and raised in Queens), but I have lived in New England these past 20+ years and I so in defense of my adopted team the Patriots...bye, bye Jets.

Jonathan

My favorite Champage - I would go with the 90 DP - Had it when I was 21 at Christmas - Never forget that one.

My next favorite would have to be the Bollinger Special - 2 Bottles in cellar that I received for my wedding. Haven't drank either - but from scores they should be good, and for memories and the occasion that I will drink them, they should provide a "Knock out" experience.

IN my opinion I would have to agree with POST #39 - Up and Commer for the $10 - Gruet Brut from New Mexico.

Gary - I am supprised that you didn't mention the difference between "Champagne" coming from Champagne, France and the knock-off "Sparkling wine" of U.S. Not that I am turned off to Sparklers, just that they are different and that may be in contribution to comments that seem to keep popping up that I see people continue to bring up as "LABELS ARE CONFUSING"? Not that I think you need to know exactly what you are drinking to enjoy it, but I think that it heightens the "experience" and satisfies peoples curriosities.
Thanks!!!

favorite bottle of Champagne-1995 Dom Perignon. Given to me by a patient before he died. My wife and I drank it on a recent 25th wedding anniversary. In regards to aering the wine before your show, I debate how successful that will be if no wine is poured out, as the surface area at the neck is so small.

EP rating 88.

Gary,
Contgrats on the WSJ. Can't wait fot the grower episode. My two favorite bottles of sparkling wine have been 88 Krug & 96 Schramberg J Schram. I had both bottles with my wife. Keep up the good work.

Great episode. Never been a big fan of DP though one of my faves of all times was a mag of 1976. Time and place had much to do with it but the wine was wonderful. 1988 Krug also a great wine. Jacquesson late disgorged 1982 (I think it was) was also a spectacular wine. Agree entirely on the small producers. Pierre Peters, Gimmonet, Gaston Chiquet, Larmandier, Diebolt-Vallois are just few that come to mind. All make regular NVs and luxury bottlings that are out of this world. Have not had the Gratien Cuvee Paradis but will certainly give it a shot. Gary, not that I eat much caviar, especially these days when you are contributing the the extinction of one of the oldest know vertabrates, but the Champagne/Caviar combo is a bit of a travesty. One thing goes with Caviar, and one thing only, and that is iced Vodka. It is essentially the only time I drink hard liquor except the occasional 'gnac after a pentagruelian meal. Champs makes caviar taste metallic. Other than that, tell the heathen that while Napa may make a fine sparkling wine, as do a few others, there is only one Champagne, and that is from France;) Otherwise we might as well go back to hearty burgundy--a contradiction in terms eh.

The cover of the Wall Street Journal...Booyah!!!!!
Well deserved (as long as it was complimentary and they didn't reem you a new a$$hole!!:}) Keep up the fine work, Gary. You are educating the masses like no one else can!

Gary,
Winelibrary TV is just awesome. Entertaining and enlightening. Please keep it going for as long as you can. I'm sure it takes time and thought but we really appreciate and enjoy it.

Question please.

You might tell me that I'm off base, but I have an impression that many California Cabernets/Blends have been struggling since their heyday in the late 80s to 1997.

How come wines like BV Georges de LaTour, Merryvale Profile, Justin Isosceles, Mondavi Reserve Cab, Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, Viader (there are many more examples) etc. can't seem to get back to the quality of their "hey day". I realize the mid-90s to 1997 provided some great growing seasons, but I find that these wines are just not what they used to be...and......they cost a lot more than they did then!!!! Why can't the wine makers make better wines better wines? I would like to think they could continue to produce at high levels (or even exceed the previous quality- what a concept!) but to me it doesn't seem so. You can even see this reflected in the wine scores. Cinq Cepages and Viader had 96-97 WS scores in the late 90s. Now they are lucky to hit 92.

Thanks,
SAFSAM

Gary,

Wine Library TV is good for my English skills (I am French living in Paris). Thks a lot!!

As a big Champagne drinker and even though I am a Bollinger fan, I believe there is no unique Champagne taste.

I don't know if you guys in the US can find those following Champagne but trust me, you will taste the best sample of Champagne excellence should you find them :

Bollinger Grande Année 1992, 1990, 1982 (keep 1996 in your cellar, best Champagne ever tasted) and RD 1990

Salon 1988 (keep 1990 and 1995)

Selosse "Substance" cuvee

Krug 1988

Comte de Chapagne Taittinger 1990

Cazals 1997

For "every day life" please consider :
Bollinger Spécial cuvée, Billecart Salmon Brut Collection, Da Sousa, Moncuit, Franck Pascal, Alexandre L, Drappier...

Gary, if your tastings and travel bring you to Paris, please stop by. There are couples of amazing tasting places here...

Rgds
Guillaume

Hey Gary,
Great show again. I love Champagne as well, especially with sushi.
My favorite champagne bottle I own is worth about $5.00, but has the most sentimental value by far. It is a bottle a comic gave my wife and I on our honeymoon last summer. It is a N.V. Pol Clément Vin Mousseux Blanc de Blancs Brut.
On a separate note, I have a question for you. I know you rate wine with the price taken into account. Do you think this is fair? Is a $10.00 90-point wine the same as a $100.00 90-point wine in terms of quality? Shouldn't wine be evaluated independently of its cost?
Adam

"OMG, Gary! I just watched the video (I was having plugin problems)! That tie!! (sound of hilarious laughing)"

Real Men Wear Purple.

Gary I too want to thank you, you have taught me a lot about wine, if it wernt for you I would not have developed a passion for wine.

If you are too busy in the 4th qtr to do this show I would rather have the show go one with one of your emplyees than have no show at all.

Gary,

Great episode (would love to see the "value" oriented champagne episode though). Loved WSJ piece. I have to say that Vanessa was pretty hot too :)

Keep it up!

Mwf,
LOL! I meant the first of her birthdays that I've celebrated with her. :)

good job...and congrats for getting on the cover of WSJ. QOTD: 96 dom p on valentines day last year with my girl, whom had never tasted anything other than korbel! i opened her eyes to the wonderful world of good champagne...the brice rose was good as well.

Gary:

I never really drank Champagne because the bubbles give me gas. Only Kidding! Learned alot from the show, maybe I'll give it a try. Can you move the picture behind you either to the right or left it would be easier to see.

BobM,

You are so right... I forgot how great Nicolas Feuillate are even the N.V. Blue Label. An other steal is L.Vitteaut-Alberti, Blanc de Blancs, Love it!!

Gary, great episode and thanks for the answer! The WSJ interview was also interesting. How do you make money selling at cost?

Best champagne: VC Grande Dame. Beautiful notes of honey on fresh baked bread.

Best Champagne experience was a few months ago. Here in NM, tailgate parties at the Santa Fe Opera are a tradition. I am a so-so opera fan, so I had not tried it until now. The experience is something special.

Imagine a parking lot on the top of a rocky mountain foothill with a gorgeous view of a mountain sunset. Behind almost every car is a card table covered by a table cloth. On top of every table is one or more bottles of wine--usually Champagne and food. Hundreds of folks in a line raising a glass and enjoying a picnic together as the hills turn from red to purple to black.

On your WLTV recommendation I bought a batch of the Brice Premier Cru a while back, and drank the last of it on that hill with good friends and a wonderful dinner. I received so many compliments on the wine, that I think they would have been bowled over to find they were drinking bubbles which cost less than some of our local NM sparklers. Great recommendation and a terrific evening! (Oh, and after a nice Champagne and a sunset, opera is fun)