Champagnes for the Millennium — Part 1

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It was a tough assignment, but someone had to do it. I sampled over 40 champagnes at a recent French Embassy reception, to preview your December 31 options. There were nearly all of fine quality. And as a charter member of the pepcid and advil generation, I’m pleased to report the morning after all systems agreed! I have half a dozen non-vintage (NV) champagnes to recommend, running from $25 to $35 a bottle (Washington, D.C. prices). In a companion column, I’ll recommend a Baker’s Dozen of the more expensive vintage and special edition champagnes. Which one you choose depends upon your plans for the evening, your own taste, and your wallet. It makes a difference if you are planning a quiet evening at home, or a party. If the latter, you probably shouldn’t be considering a costly vintage champagne. By the time you get to it at midnight, your taste buds won’t do the wine justice. Choose instead a NV champagne that pleases you. So, it’s the Millennium. Should you buy a bottle that says “2000”? Taittinger, for example, has a Millennium NV Magnum (2 bottles) for $159. But their very fine NV Brut “La Francaise” costs $59. I wouldn’t pay $100 for the bottle. It’s the wine that counts, not the packaging. Champagnes come from that region of France, 90 miles northeast of Paris, centered in Reims, Epernay, Ay, and Troyes. They are usually a blend of three grape varieties: chardonnay (finesse and flavor), pinot noir (aroma and body), and pinot meunier (spicy and fragrant). Non-vintage champagnes are blends of several years, and are meant to be consumed within a year or two of their release (well chilled, but NEVER put in the freezer). A tip of the hat is due to the Monk and the Lady. The monk, Dom Perignon, mastered the blending of wines (assemblage) that underlies modern champagne. Equally important, he realized that the bottles used at the time were too fragile. They broke under the outer pressures of handling, and the inner effervescence of the wine. By mandating stronger bottles, he made the export of champagne possible. The lady, Veuve Clicquot, invented the current riddling process (remuage), whereby bottles are briskly turned, facing downward, so that their sediment or lees may be discharged (degorgement) before the final bottling. At that point, just before the final corking of the bottle, small amounts of champagne wine and cane sugar are added. The amounts of sugar added determine how sweet the champagne will be. Most American tastes prefer “brut,” which is dry. “Extra dry” is actually slightly sweet, and “demi-sec” is sweeter still. If you are not sure, stick with brut champagne. The style of champagne varies from light to full. This is a matter of taste, not of quality. Which style you prefer is up to you. When it is served might also be worth considering. You might for example prefer a lighter style before dinner. Here are my NV recommendations. They are all fine wines, which you will enjoy and can serve with pride. Light: Taittinger NV Brut “La Francaise” ($29). Light, fragrant, flavorful. The bubbles just keep coming! Light to Medium: Camille Saves Brut Carte D’Or ($34). This was a find. The wine spends years developing on the lees, like a more costly vintage champagne. The style was light, with a scent of violets. Excellent quality. Medium: G. H. Mumm, either the Mumm Extra Dry ($25), or the Mumm Cordon Rouge ($26). The somewhat sweeter Extra Dry is light and flavorful. It would be a fine festive wine to serve with dessert, for that “ooh and ah” effect. The Cordon Rouge is a fuller champagne, with more body. Louis Roederer Brut NV ($29). Toasty and bubbly – quite festive! Medium to Full: Pol Roger Brut NV ($28). Very, very good. Dependably high quality. Full: Bollinger Brut NV ($29). Very satisfying and full-bodied. Champagne being a sociable drink, I’ll share a story from that region. Christian Pol-Roger, CEO of Pol Roger, was kind enough to host my wife and me and pour a bottle of what he calls “our local tea” one afternoon. He told the story of the tourist who had heard that each bottle contained exactly 25,000 bubbles. The tourist wanted to know how they inserted the bubbles. No amount of explanation of the chemistry of wines would do. “Finally,” Christian Pol-Roger said, “We gave up. We said, ‘If you insist on knowing, and won’t tell anybody else, we use a bubble inserter on each bottle.’ ” “I knew it!” said the delighted tourist. “And if anybody else insists on knowing,” said our host, refilling our glasses, “that’s as good an explanation as any. Bottoms up!” Click here to go to Part 2! If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love our ongoing discussion of French Food and Wine! Bill Shepard learned to love the wines of France when he served as Consul General there. You can read more about his life as a consul in Can the U.S. Embassy Help in a Crisis? Copyright (c) 1999 Paris New Media, L.L.C.
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