Champagne

[iiyama]

I did ask this question last year and can't find the post, so sorry for having to ask again!

Whats good, whats to avoid? Would also like to sample before buying as one mans meat etc etc. Is there anywhere that offers sampling? (I'm based on the South Coast between Southampton and Portsmouth)

Have thought about taking a run over to Reims or Epernay for a weekend, worth the trouble? Or is there not much difference in pricing?

Looking to buy a case.

[ClaphamGT3]

It's a very broad topic......

I would always aim for genuine champagne or, if you must go out of region, make sure that it is genuinely produced in the methode champagnois. I wouldn't get to jittery about particular vintages but go for well established houses that will be able to blend across a number of vintages.

Tasting is always a good idea. Majestic are very good on this and their branch staff are invariably both knowledgeable and down-to-earth

A trip to Epernay is always lovely but usually only financially of benefit if you are buying many cases. I can fill our Mercedes estate or Range Rover boot and, by the time we've had a week-end over there, still be only just 'up' financially. If you are going, have two or three vineyards in mind and book in advance to meet them. I am very lucky that a good friend of ours is a champagne merchant so normally recommends some good places to go

[z4RRSchris99]

all depends on budget.

a case of 12 unless your buying a seriously good vintage plonk you won't save the petrol to Calais

[Hoover.]

all the cases of champagne I've bought are only 6 bottle........ just checked my cupboard..... 3 cases of Billecart Salmon, 2 cases of Bollinger, 3 cases of Mumm.... and a few random bottles of Veuve Clicquot Rose and Louis Roederer

Well that's this years xmas/new year booze..... do I like champagne


Billecart Salmon was £120/case (£20/bottle)
Bollinger was £156/case (£26/bottle)... not as good as last year when I got at £21/bottle
Mumm was £111/case (18.50/bottle)

all bought in the UK in the last month combining online discounts and redemption codes together........ someone on another thread said there were no good deals to be had, sort of proves them wrong

[jogon]

If your on a budget then Lidl's £11 stuff is very nice.

[rdjohn]

I live near Saumur in the Loire valley where you can buy excellent Method Traditional wines from €5:50 upwards and Crement (hand picked, old vines pressed within the hour of picking) from €6:50.

Blended vintages are nearer €9, and the best ones are superior to the cheaper Champaigns sold in the UK.

If you can find Cuvée Flamme from Gratian & Meyer, http://www.gratienmeyer.com/index.php?Cle=en_GB

or, Saphyr from Bouvet Ladubay http://www.bouvet-ladubay.fr/accueil

You probably will not be disappointed.

As a warning beware that not all that glisters is actually gold. The name Champaigne adds a lot of value to the brand just like Coca-Cola

http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/530736/thre...

The grapes of Champaigne are pretty undrinkable without the added fizz.

Edited by rdjohn on Sunday 30th November 18:30

[Sharted]

Don't expect to have a good laugh in Epernay, what a sthole.

[mybrainhurts]

iiyama said:

Whats good, whats to avoid?

Avoid it all, it's bloody awful stuff.

[Hoover.]

I've heard of Cremont and think I will try a case of it over the festive period, as an experiment it could be interesting

[iiyama]

mybrainhurts said:

iiyama said:

Whats good, whats to avoid?

Avoid it all, it's bloody awful stuff.

You see Mr. MBH, I thought the same until I had a glass of Dom Perignon and then I changed my mind! Trouble is I didn't take any notice of the label, (like a t!t), so couldn't tell you what it was.

So, a trip to Majestic then in the short term and maybe a trip to Epernay as well. I like spending time in France....

[Pie with sauce]

Have a look at this thread:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...


(May save some time.)

[James P]

Sharted said:

Don't expect to have a good laugh in Epernay, what a sthole.

Takes all kinds - if that's your opinion at least you won't spoil my dinner while you complain.

[krallicious]

Billecart Salmon Rose is very nice but is now around £45 a bottle (it used to be around £30 about 5 years ago!).

DP 2003 Vintage is nice and can sometimes be found for a reasonable price online.

Krug is my favourite but I have not tried any for about 4 years as the price has risen exorbitantly. Krug Grande Cuvée used to be 'go to' special occasion champagne but it has doubled in price over the past 5 years! If you want to push the boat out then the Vintage is still sublime.

Cremant is very nice. There are a lot of good ones to be found in the Alsace. Domaine Joseph Freudenreich et Fils and Wolfberger do some very keenly priced cremants that taste a lot better than most cheaper champagnes.

[Impasse]

Jilly Goolden has recently done a brief article for the Daily Mail on this year's best buys for bubbly.

[Freddie328]

Hoover. said:

Billecart Salmon was £120/case (£20/bottle)

all bought in the UK in the last month combining online discounts and redemption codes together........ someone on another thread said there were no good deals to be had, sort of proves them wrong

Please please please tell me where you found this!

[Mobile Chicane]

I wouldn't dismiss English sparkling wine.

Many of these beat champagne in blind tastings, plus you'd be supporting a local enterprise rather than throwing money at the French.

Denbies Rosé Cuvée pink fizz is my favourite: it's like summer in a glass with notes of strawberries and rose petals. £21.99 a bottle, but the vineyard shop often has 25% off.

[rdjohn]

I am afraid, but I have to disagree. Yes they are excellent compared to the rubbish Champagnes, but that is hardly a recommendation. See the Jilly Goulden piece.

Cheap champagne is rubbish and can be bettered by fizzy wine from around the world, as most places ( terroir) have better conditions for growing quality grapes than the North East of France.

On the other hand the very best Champagne cannot be touched. My friend's SiL works for LVMH , each Christmas they give their senior staff a bottle of Champagne, which I was once luck enough to share a glass. The stuff was so good I asked my friend if he could get me a bottle. I was told it was not available to the general public, but if it was, I probably could not afford it.

Champagne has traditionally been very well marketed and it is that fact that allows some pretty miserable stuff to achieve prices much higher than their counterparts from other regions and countries.

A decent Champagne is a minimum requirement for celebrating the New Year etc, however for an enjoyable aperitif the choice is much much wider.

[iiyama]

Actually I should have said before as you've raised it in your last post. This isn;t for Festive Fizz. This is for immediate family and friends at my wedding reception! To this end I'm willing to push the boat a little, not too much you understand, just a little!

[5 wh]

Laurent Perrier Rose is my personal favourite.

[calibrax]

Cheapo white wine + soda stream. Job done