Champagne Poodleon
About Me
Hi, I'm Ted, and drink much of the Champagne and write most of the articles here. Fascinated by great drink and food - including Champagne!
Most Popular Articles!
- Jacques Selosse
- Cedric Bouchard
- Champagne Houses in Reims
- Good Cheap Wine
- Jacques Lassaigne Champagne
The Top 10 Champagnes, Part II
You got big balls boy, making this list! Or let's just say a lot of Gaul . . .
4) Salon – Salon makes just one wine, a massive Blanc de blancs that needs serious time to drink superbly. It demands at least 15+ years of aging. I’m not even considering opening my 1996s yet. It is a very complex wine, with nuts, coffee, vanilla, toast and more. When young there is lots of lemon, lime, and other citrus flavors - sometimes way too much. Like I said, it “demands” at least 15+ years of aging.
5) Dom Perignon
– It is amazing how Moet and Chandon produces a near ocean of Dom, yet
the quality stays extremely high! It is also most popular prestige cuvee
worldwide, although that has zero to do with its inclusion on this list.
It is very dry and has elegance, creaminess and superb balance. Although
maybe they shouldn’t have made the 1992 and 1993 as they are not up to
their standards in my opinion, every vintage is a damn good wine. In great
years like 1962, 1964 1966, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1990, and 1996 it will age and improve for decades,
depending of course on your preferences. Oh yes, the Dom Perignon Rose
absolutely rocks as well.
6) Clos des Goisses – Philipponnat’s Clos des Goisses is a single vineyard Champagne from a 5.5 hectare walled vineyard on an very steep south facing slope in Mareuil. The grapes ripen extremely well, and this Pinot Noir dominant wine is powerful yet graceful and exceptionally well balanced. Like most wines on this list, it needs age to show phenomenally well. As of now, 2013, the 1990 is amazing for example.
7) La Grande Annee –
Bollinger’s Grand Annee is actually one of the less expensive wines on
this list. It is about 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay, very big and dry
in flavor, lasts a long time, and James Bond drinks it in his later
movies.
8) Grand Siecle – A Multi Vintage wine from Laurent-Perrier, this is blend of 3 great vintages (unfortunately not specified on the label) that greatly rewards aging. A creamy and complex Champagne.
9) Winston Churchill - Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is a powerful and complex wine, much like Churchill himself, who loved Pol Roger Champagne. Pinot Noir dominant.
10) Comtes de Champagne – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is a 100% Grand Cru Blanc de blancs and consistently superb. Although most Tattingers are light bodied, this is a big wine. It requires at least ten years of aging to show superbly, sometimes more. It’s also one of James Bonds’ favorites.
Any serious top ten list is bound to be contentious. Your top ten are bound to be different. Also, any list must have constraints as I listed at the top of the article. If this was just “The Top Ten” with no constraints, I probably would have included Sponge Bob, Sex, The Three Stooges, Coffee, and Shellfish. The most common comment I get has to do with the very few Grower-Champagnes (except for Selosse). Few have a have term track record, although a list of 10 awesome Grower Champagnes that aren’t too difficult to find would be awesome! Now who wants to write it?