2008 Drappier Champagne Grande Sendrée, France, Wine Review

This is delicious. From an excellent vintage and drinking youthfully. A blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. Light golden in color. The nose shows green apples, some chalk and marzapan. Very nice but tight. More open on the palate. Very lively acidity. Green apples and minerals. It starts out tight and broadens over the palate. Long finish. This will work with almost any food. It is still young although drinking nicely but is likely to improve over the next tne years and be good for at least that long after that.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2008

Current Price:

$100.00USD

Burgundy’s Domaine de la Romanée-Conti – The Pinnacle of Pinot Noir

France's Burgundy Wine Region: A Primer on the History, Wines, Vineyards & Terroir contains an excellent introduction into the ethereal wine of one of the most famous wine producing regions. No winery is more famous, or produces such legendary wines in Burgundy than Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Often abbreviated as DRC, the winery makes some of the most exclusive and expensive wines in the world. They are, for those lucky enough to have tried them, the pinnacle of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

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2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$130.00USD

A stellar vintage for this luxury cuvee from one of the older Champagne houses. In a market that has exploded in pricing, this is one of the better values in luxury cuvee's. This vintage is 92% Pinot Noir and 8% Chardonnay. Silvery gold in color, clear and bright with a nice mousse of lots of tiny bubbles. There is some fruit on the nose (pears) but its mostly about minerality/chalk with a bit of smoke. Full bodied but yet lean and racy acidity. The minerality and chalk carry thru to the palate. Some light cherry notes compliment it well. This is exciting to drink and one of the bet

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$130.00USD

This is the top "Luxury Cuvee" from this Champagne house. They nailed it in 2008 and while it might not be quite at the levels of some of the top Champagnes, it isn't priced like they are either. Another great showing for this wine. Silvery gold in color, clear and bright with a nice mousse of lots of tiny bubbles. The nose has smoke, minerals and light chalk. Full bodied with excellent acidity. The minerality and chalk carry thru to the palate.

Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

Bottle Shock On May 24, 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant hoping to stoke sales at his French-wine-only shop, held a wine competition in Paris. In this competition French judges were invited to blind-taste top chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from France and California. In an event that would later be dubbed the Judgment of Paris , the California wines –included merely to serve as the “sacrificial lambs” to the supposedly superior French wines- won the competition in a shocking upset. This singular event revolutionized the wine industry and put California on the map as a major world producer of fine wine. This story comes to life on the silver screen for the first time with the film Bottle Shock , starring Bill Pullman, Alan Richman, and Dennis Farina among other notables. I recently chatted with Bottle Shock Co-Writer and Producer Jody Savin about the film. Why this film now? To answer this question in a socio-political sense, I would venture to say that we live in challenging times.

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NV Drappier Champagne Brut Nature Dosage Zero, France - Wine Review

Score:

Grade:

A-

100% Pinot Noir (Blanc de Noirs) Champagne that got no dosage. It might be a bit austere for some, but I really enjoyed it. Light gold in color. The nose is all about minerality though there is some tart cherry notes. On the palate, this is lean and intense. Minerals with a slight tart cranberry note. Good depth. Nice finish. Would work well with foods.

2008 Drappier Champagne Grande Sendrée, France, Wine Review

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Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

NV Drappier Champagne Brut Nature Dosage Zero, France - Wine Review