Poll: Please comment on these champagnes.

[JimHow]

Please vote and give me your impressions of any of these wines.

[jal]

One vote for Bollinger Grande Annee. I like the brightness, the vibrancy the fine bubbles, the acidity and the focus. It's structured enough so that it will go great with food, and elegant enough to be drunk on its own.

[Nicklasss]

Only tried the Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut and liked it, but as I did not try (of don't remember ever trying) the others, I can't say which I prefer.

But
I really liked the 2002 Perrier Jouet Belle Époque, a Champagne full of elegance and spritz!

Nic

[DavidG]

I voted for Salon, but some don't like its nutty oxidized notes. Bollinger Grand Année is not far behind. Cristal is a fee lengths behind in 3d place but I haven't had it often enough to really be sure.

[DavidG]

Nic, I liked the 2002 PJ Belle Époque too.

[Rieslingfan]

Curious as to why you listed those Jim.

As for impressions, I picked the Bollinger Grande Annee, and did so because not only is it delicious, but it is the best value of the top tier wines in your list. (I don't know the Duval-Leroy Femme well enough to assess it.)

The Bollinger Special Cuvee is a fine NV, but it is more expensive than most excellent grower NVs, so I opt for the grower. Give me a choice between the Bolly NV and Pierre Peters NV, and I will pick the Peters 9 times out of 10.

I have tasted the Armand de Brignac multiple times, and frankly I think the Bolly NV is a better wine! The Ace of Spades is a marketing concoction, and as such is very successful, but it's not worth it's price by any stretch of the imagination.

The Perrier Jouet Fleur Rosé is a delicious wine, but at a price point in excess of $200 I put my money elsewhere. I can get 3-4 bottles of Billiot Rosé for the price of one PJ Fleur, and while it is not the same experience, it is 98% of the pleasure.

Cristal is delicious, but always needs serious age IMO, and the pricing is totally out of whack.

Salon is delicious, but the pricing is totally out of whack.

Veuve Grande Dame is a wine I have not looked at in years, as I do not generally care for the Veuve house style.

[jmccready]

Grand dame and Salon are neck and neck. I picked the Dame as it is perfection in great vintages but the delicate chalky
nature of the Salon may be the most hedonistic. JM

[JimHow]

These wines are in stock at the New Hampshire liquor store David, as well as others, including the Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque.

[DavidG]

If price is a consideration, Bollinger Grand Année would be my pick.

[jal]

Agree with DavidB, if you want the best NV champagne possible, the Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs is by far my favorite and has been our house champagne for about five years now.

Another good NV choice is the Jose Dhondt Brut Blanc de Blancs.

You should find these at a 40-50% of the price of the Bollinger Grande Annee (which in 2002 and 2004 is absolutely fantastic.)

[JimHow]

What's the word in the 2004 vintage? We really liked the 2004 Dom Perignon the other night.

[stefan]

Bollinger Grande Annee is my pick. Jacques & Jill served a couple of bottles of the 2002 at their place in August; it was fantastic. Even in lesser vintages GA is generally excellent.

[JimHow]

Ok this is all helpful advice!

[Jay Winton]

no Taittinger Comtes de Champagne? Always excellent, IMO.

[JimHow]

Yes they do have that in stock as well, Mr. Vino, I couldn't fit it into the poll.
So you recommend that then?

[DavidG]

Taittinger Comtes is outstanding stuff. Depends on your mood - Bolly and Taittinger are different animals. I like them both but prefer Bolly.

Also love Jacques' recommendation for Pierre Peters NV.

[JonB]

I'm no champagne expert, but I really enjoy those "nutty, oxidative" notes that David mentions. A few of the Special Club vintage champagnes, such as growers Marc Chauvet, and Henri Goutorbe, are delicious.

[Michael Malinoski]

I picked Salon, as it's just so distinctive and you don't come across it very often. However, don't overlook the Femme from Duval-Leroy. The 1996 in particular was tremendous (and their 1996 Blanc de Chardonnay Brut ain't no slouch, either!).

And I definitely agree you should seek out the Special Club offerings you come across. Indeed, please let me know if you see any up in NH. I'm pulling together a tasting of Special Club bottlings (probably from 2002 or 2004) and would love to find a wider selection that what we currently have hereabouts.

Finally, I'm in the process of reading Tyson Stelzer's The Champagne Guide 2014-2015, which is quite helpful in describing current-release vintage and NV Champagnes and has lots of helpful information about blends, dosage, elevage, etc. that I personally find quite useful. I recommend a look.

-Michael

[Rieslingfan]

Answering a question above, 2004 is a lovely vintage, but it is no 2002.

[JimHow]

I rally appreciate the responses in this thread, they are very informative.
Only in recent years, mostly through BWE, have I started to gain even a novice appreciation for fine champagne.

[Rieslingfan]

I know I am a bit of a shill for his portfolio, but the Terry Theise Champagne catalog is well worth reading.

[Tom In DC]

Is there some significance to the "Special Club" designation? I can only recall trying a couple and wasn't aware that it could be any more than "Special Reserve"-type marketing verbiage.

I voted for the Bolly Grande Annee, thinking about where I would put my money for something we can afford to consume. Cristal and Salon are both better wines to my taste but too much of a burden on the wallet for anything but special occasions. I have to admit I'm a fan of the Bollinger house style - it just seems to taste more like "real wine" to me.

Vieux Cliquot seems to be the least consistent of the grand marques, with series of years when they're great interrupted by series of years when they're not up to their pricing. These waves seem to be across the entire line, from Brut NV to La Grand Dame Rose. I've given up on them because I never know where they are in the cycle.

On a side note, we get together for dinner with some family and friends and always start with a few bottles of high-end Champers. One couple who brought a bottle of "Tzarina", a NV luxury cuvee that the wine shop guy had said was a great value at $120, something that would hold up against Krug and the like. It was quite disappointing compared to 2003 and 2004 Dom at that price and a Gonet Mesnil NV at about half that. I looked up the Tzarina on Wine-searcher and it's available in probably 100 stores nationwide.. but all of them are called "Total Wine & More"! What a crock - shilling the house exclusive. I think they pulled the same stunt on the couple the year before, too.

[JimHow]

How do you like the 2004 Dom, Tom? It seemed to show very well the other night up against the Krug NV.

[Tom In DC]

I liked both the 2003 and 2004 DP's, Jim, but they're different styles. The 2003 is one of the richest DP's I've tried but I think it still has plenty of backbone to be cellared and turn into an aged beauty. The 2004 has more structure and may prove better in the long run.

[JimHow]

I went with the 2002 Bollinger La Grande Annee....