Champagne blend

Always a great wine and great "value" in the world of expensive Champagne, it seems as the 2012 is one of the best vintages yet, perhaps surpassing 2008 and going back to 1996 for that level of quality, at least for my tastes.  Light golden in color with slight green hues, clear and bright.  The mousse is consistent with lots of tiny bubbles.  The nose has a hint of toast upfront, followed by pears with a slight  floral quality.  Some citrus on the back end.  Full bodied.

This is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Salmon pink in color, clear and bright.  Minimal mousse but very tiny bubbles.  The nose is lighter but opens with air.  Cherries, oranges and lemons with some minerality.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is refreshing and delicious.  Cherries and lemon rind with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  Great acidity.  This took some time to open in the glass suggesting it might yet have some upside.  It should drinking well over the next ten to fifteen years.  It drinks well on its own but will be incredibly versatile with food.  It shoul

First time trying this vintage and it is awesome if still young.  I hate to call it elegant as that is not correct, but it is the kind of wine that fans of the "less is more" philosophy of wine will love.  Light silvery/gold in color, clear and bright with a lot of tiny bubbles.  The nose is great with green apples, minerality, slight lanolin and chalk.  But it is not big, just intense.  The palate is similar.  At first taste, it seemed to be missing something, but it has an energy and persistence that keeps building.  Intensity without volume.  The green apple and minerality carry thru to

From the excellent 2008 vintage.  This is 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and,10% Pinot Munier.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  A fair amount of tiny bubbles.  The nose has apples, slight cider notes, and a touch of chalk.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  The fruit is ripe which comes off a bit sweet but that calms down with air.  Nice apple fruit.  Solid finish.  This is drinking quite well now and should continue to do so for the next decade.  It went well with a varied menu from Shishido peppers and garlic to sharp Cheddar.  

This is a sparkling wine made from 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay from Argentina.  The grapes used are grown organically at an altitude of 4,000 feet.  It has a pretty salmon pink/orange color with a nice mousse of many smaller bubbles.  The nose is very nice with strawberries and cranberries and a slight ginger note.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet (12 gr/l residual sugar) but still refreshing.  it drinks quite easily with nice strawberry and cherry fruit.  The best thing about this wine is the price.  It retails for $13 a bottle which makes this perfect for anytime quaffing (and

Golden in color with a persistent stream of tiny bubble.  Frothy.  The nose is tight at first but opens to show ginger, peach, toast, slight nuttiness and minerality.  On the palate, this is dry and very crisp.  Mostly about minerals, but some peach comes thru.  With air, a slight strawberry note. An incredibly long finish.  Just a delicious and complex Champagne.  Drinking quite youthfully now, it should continue to drink well for the hext couple of decades.  This will work with any food.  

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.

This is one of the better vintages of Dom Perignon.  It is truly amazing to make a wine of this quality at the amount of quantity they make.  Drink alongside some other 2008 heavyweights, and this more than held its own.  Light golden in color with a touch of green, clear and bright.  Lovely mousse with lots of small bubbles.  The nose has brioche, lemons and smoke.  Very big and powerful.  On the palate, tart lemons over a nice minerality.  Great mouthfeel.  So smooth and easy to drink.  Yet, deep and complex.  Starting to get past the baby stage and flexing some muscles at this point.  Gr

Wow.  An ethereal wine that is both intense and present yet also so light as it dances on the palate.  Silvery gold in color with a fine bead of tiny bubbles making up the mousse.  The nose has some smoke and light citrus but the minerality steals the show for m.  On the palate, the lime and tangerine come out a bit more over a nice mineral base.  More lemon on the very long finish.  It is also delicious.  This is young but drinks so easily.  Can it get better?  I would say no, it will just change.  Drink any time over the next couple of decades.  This would work with just about any food an

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