My favorite bubbly is probably the N.V. Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut.
Drank for New Years 2009.

bread-y, apple-y, but the thing I remember most was the honey flavors. Absolutely delicious.

Charles Heidsieck 1989 Brut Millésime at my wedding reception in Hong Kong(2003). Awesome was the only word to describe it, blew me away; and not just because of the occasion. The BEST bottle of aged champagne i have ever had.

G. Tribaut in Hautvillers, France. We were stationed in Stuttgart in 1999,and on the way home from a visit to Normandy on a Sunday morning. I had a Champagne visitors guide and started calling producers to see if we could come by for a taste on a Sunday. The first one that spoke some English was G. Tribaut and they invited us to stop by after lunch. We arrived early so explored Hautvillers for a while. The cemetery was pretty cool. The graves were outlined with bricks and filled in with broken champagne bottles. So we stopped in to the vineyard and between our little French, their little English and both of our little German, we had a great time and tasted some awesome Champagne and I brought three cases back to Stuttgart.

QOTD: Not a terribly exciting story. I was given a bottle of Cuvee Louise, don’t remember the vintage. Pommery makes this. It was fantastic. Made it a 2-day tasting. Better on day 2 than on day one. I wanted more. Couldn’t afford it. I love Krug, which I also cannot afford. Enjoyed the ’02 Cristal at the super-tasting.

Head to head battles amuse me quite a bit. QOTD: I remember with enjoyment a certain bottle of Franciacorta that we shared and enjoyed on the Thundercruise!

1996 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame. Bready, Nutty, Acid Fantasticness.

Loved the label comment on the Pehu. When the show started I told my wife it looked like a 5.99 Cava.

Finished Crush It. Great job thanks for sharing.

P.S. Where’s the Sniffy Sniff Schwag. My 5 year old says it, so you know it’s sticky.

WWAC

QOTD: Although it was BY FAR nowhere near the best bottle of sparkling wine that I’ve ever had, mu best sparkling wine experience was a bottle of sparkling wine from Mexico (the name of which I cannot remember) that I popped when wrapping gifts with my mom at 1AM on Christmas Day a few years ago. I didn’t know anything about that wine, but the fact that my mom (who doesn’t drink often) and I were enjoying it together while wrapping gifts in the basement of my parents’ home after everyone else was asleep, created a memory that I will never forget. There are only great bottles of wine…

Look like a terrible glass to taste from Gary. Hate these flutes. Half of the aroma gets lost before you could even have sniffed your nose. I use Spiegelau Sommeliers to taste bubbles and I am not afraid to pour them in normal stemware when having a glass for fun … .
QOTD: well, bubbles, never as good as a You’re So Happy from Nana Vins et Cie. Half Sauvignon Bl., half Chenin Bl. from the Loire: zippy, razor sharp, extremely sappy, could drink this every day!

QOTD – I had some realy good bubbles when I took a couple of champagne tours in Reims in May. Drinking Martel champagne in their tasting room while discussing them with other wine lovers was fun.

I am NOT a baller by any means, but the ONE time I was on a private jet–only time–I was served DP rose and damn–that was an experience I will not forget!

QOTD: Don’t really think I can say what the best would be. I need to have some more bubbles.

Q – that’s can be a toughie for wine industry types. So many memories… Right now, off the top of my head, as I’m waking up, I think Salon ’88, Krug ’95… But then, I did keep the beautifully screen-printed empty magnum of Taittinger 2000 Grand Cru…and I was blown away several times by the Bollinger Recently Disgorged, of which we had several vintages. It just goes on and on… and will never forget the Brewer-Clifton 1993’s (3 diff cuvees), X-T for 2000 releasefrom lavishly attended to low-yield fruit.

QOTD: When I got into my top Grad School program. I was working my second job at a dog bakery and salon. Yes, that’s right (Don’t even ask the name!). I went to the corner store, picked up a bottle of Cava and we drank it out of plastic cups for the rest of the shift. Amazing.

QOTD: Best bubbles?

The first time I had DOM, it was the year 2000 new years, I was 15, my dad gave me a glass and said this will change your life. Well, he was right, Dom, crackers cream cheese and caviar for the millennium, the best champagne experience of my life.

QOTD: I have to say that some of the Cava in Barcelona Spain was the best sparkling wine I have ever had. My favorite memory was ordering a “copa de cava” from the Pinoxto bar in La Boqueria (right off La Rambla). I was with my wife and we were just having a great time eating fresh fruit, meat, and cheese from the open market while drinking my Cava.

QOTD: Best bubbles were at my friends wedding recently, Pol Roger NV, but it was a perfect summers day in a beautiful statley home in the English countryside, nuff said!

Gary: not sure how many shows you tape a day but for pete’s sake – CHANGE THE SHIRT! It’s been the same black sweatshirt for two weeks now.

Just wanted to give some love for Shonn Greene!

We have some stuff from Mumm that is pretty good.

Easy answer: my wedding day, poured out two magnums of Pannier Brut Selection. I must say it’s not the tastiest champagne that I’ve tasted by any means but it sure is far and away the best.

QOTD: Champagne + orange juice + Saturday morning = college football tailgates

QOTD: This one’s easy. Barcelona in April, was advised that El Xampanyet was a bar that *could not* be missed. It’s a tiny local bar specializing in locally made Cava.

The place was packed, and the atmosphere was amazing. They clearly didn’t have time to waste playing language games with some Americans who were in over their head and didn’t speak the language. Nonetheless, the staff was gracious and patient, the food was spectacular, and the Cava was phenomenal — probably one of the 10 best dining experiences of my life, because it was completely genuine and real. Had the bill been twice what it was, it would have been a deal.

Bonus when we went shopping the next day and found good Cava sold for 3 – 5 euro a bottle, starting a how much can we cram in a suitcase game.

QOTD: was offered a magnum of Krug Collection 1981 for my engagement in NYC. Very exciting to share with Family and Friends.. actually wish more friends could’ve had some with us but they live in France.

JETS WIN !!! JETS WIN !!! JETS WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN !!!!!!!!
POOOOOOOOPPP DAAAAAAAAAA BUUUUUUUUBBLLLLLYYYYYY !!!!!!!!
WAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

So right now we’re at 8 episodes in 1 day. I appreciate that you’re out pushing the book right now, and don’t have time for the show, but whip out the flipcam or something – this is starting to mess with the authenticity.

That being said…I have to say I have enjoyed all 8…

# 99