As Champagne Fizzles, Makers Squash Supply

[JonB]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125192460913580955.html

This is a "luxury good" approach.....contrived scarcity to keep prices and profits high. It makes me want to drink a California bubbly......but I have none in the cellar!

[Houndsong]

Wait, they're also considering pricing in a basket of currencies.

[Tom In DC]

The Champenoise have always exploited a "luxury goods" approach...have you ever encountered a wine seller who couldn't get a bottle of Dom for you by tomorrow?

The only losers in the yield reduction agreement are the small growers who make their wine from grapes from their own vineyards. They have typically limited yields to make a better product, and I think they're also subject to the "harvest some percentage less than usual" edict. They lose money, while the Grand Marque's prop up the price of their million++ bottle reserves...

[Claret]

My everyday sparker is Chandon from California. I see little need to spend the big bucks on luxury cuvees. The Blanc de Noir is quite tasty and is usually on sale somewhere in town for $13.99, and it is very food friendly.

[Tom In DC]

Great call, Glen. We have a big mob that goes camping every Labor Day weekend and most Memorial Day weekends, and we've sucked down gallons of the Domaine Chandon over the years.

The other Cali-pagne producer to check out is Roederer Estate which is usually sufficiently better than the various Chandon cuvees to justify a few bucks more...

[PappaDoc]

My Fav is Domaine Carneros, Tattingers Cali sparkler. They use the Dijon Clone of Chardonnay. Most Cali sparklers are made with the prolific(over productive)Macon Clone that give a bubble gum note in the nose and mouth. The Dijon clone has finesse and is naturally given to lesser yields.

Last year at Zachys Fall Wine Extravaganza, Clovis Tattinger was pouring 6 wines. The Domaine Carneros, his Brut NV, Noctern, Prelude, his Comtes and a couple of Rose. I tasted all the wines and came back to taste two more times during the evening. I could not get over how similar the Cali sparkler was to their French Cousins. The Domaine Carneros is a vintage bottleling and the current release scored 92 points, its' sale price is about $20.00.

Moets production on Dom Perignon is now about one million btls per vintage. Give me J Dhondt 2004 "Blanc de Blanc Mes Vieilles Vignes".

About six months ago we were pouring the Dom P and the J Dhondt at a Sat tasting in Zachys. About 100 peoplewere tasting these two and other wines. I heard over and over that day these same words. " Why is the Dom P three times the price as the J Dhondt when the J Dhondt clearly tastes better?" The Distributer for the Dom P was at a loss for words, the J Dhondt Distibuter answered, "Well Dom P is a million btl production, J Dhondt is less than 500 cases and only 55 cases are sent to the U.S. the rest is gobbled up in France and Europe."

Personally I'll take three btls of the J Dhondt over one btl of the Dom P for the same price! It's become a favorite of Jacques and Jill as well.

[JCNorthway]

PD,

Can you tell me about J Dhondt? I have Juhlin's book called "4000 Champagnes," which is considered to be the definitive book on Champagne producers. And I do not find that producer in the book??

Jon

[PappaDoc]

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JC. The 2002 was even better, like a baby Krug.

DHONDT,J 04 BDB VV
Our Price: $69.98
JOSE DHONDT 04 BLANC DE BLANCS VELLE VIGNE 750ML
92 Points." -International Wine Cellar
"…Taut, sharply focused lemon and lime flavors slowly give way to fleshier tangerine and poached pear. Brisk on the finish, which strongly repeat the lime note and leave a suave trial behing. My style of Champagne