Champagne for New Years Eve

Champagne is made from three different grapes: Chardonnay (white grape as found in Chablis), Pinot Noir (red grape as found in Burgundy) and Pinot Meunier. Different champagne houses mixes these grapes differently, but a Blanc de Blancs Champagne is just made from Chardonnay. Below follows a list of Champagne houses that normally provides good value for money:

From the Reims area:

Krug (luxury stuff and very smooth for those with lots of money)

Louis Roederer (Blanc de blancs & vintage especially)

Taittinger (especially the vintage ones)

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (always reliable and affordable)

Henriot (lovely Chardonnay driven Champagne and 1998 splendid and reasonable)

Ruinart (The Blancs de Blancs ideal crispy mineral driven aperitif)

Pommery (The Brut has much improved)

Alain Thienot (Smaller producer with high quality price ratio)

Egly-Ouriet (one of the finest Blanc de Noirs, red grape only)

From Ay and Vallee de la Marne

Bollinger (Special Cuvee is always fantastic)

Deutz (discreet house with focus on quality- Amour de Deutz for those with lots of cash)

Billecart Salmon (top quality with the Rose as the best and most pricy)

Around Epernay and Cote des Blancs

Moet Chandon (sells 25 millions bottles a year, including Dom Perignon!)

Boizel (Smaller reasonable house)

Erick de Sousa (top quality from Portuguese background)

Larmandier- Bernier (Chadonnay driven with single cru Terre de Vertus with no sugar added)

Comments

Vougeot 2007 by Domaine de la Vougeraie

Vougeot is most known for its Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot with over 80 producers, but there are some basic Vougeot as well. One of the best is Clos de Prieure where Domaine de la Vougeraie has all the rights. 2007 is quite a stylish year in Burgundy, not too hot, but with lots of ripe fruit due to an early warm spring. The wine is medium dark red, lovely smell of cherries, raspberry and vanilla oak. Slightly minerally also. The wine has a lovely silky firm taste that is quite long and balances perfectly all the way through. Lovely stuff with a price that is not to scary! This is "poor" man's Clos de Vougeot ! Vougeot 2006 "Clos du Prieure" Domaine de la Vougeraie, 40 -50€, solide stuff! http://www.en.domainedelavougeraie.com/index.php?site_id=6&p=456

Bordeaux- Le prelat du Ch. Pape Clement 2004

This is one of two second wines of the famous and expensive Ch. Pape Clement in Graves. Although young, 2004, this wine drinks really well already if you put it on carafe a couple of hours before consumption. Dark red colour, with a very attractive smell of blueberries and dark berries, its a full bodied wine with firm but nice tannins that goes best with some food. 2004 although not the best of vintages, keep surprising me with good drinkable wines at affordable prices, because from 2005 and onwards there is a big step up in prices.... Grapes; Cabernet Sauvignon 60% and Merlot 40% Price around 20€ P+

Ogier Chateauneuf du Pape 2010

This is a quite reasonable Chateauneuf du Pape (ca 200 NOK or 15€). The colour is medium ruby color which was a bit surprising. Nose of ripe black cherries and liquerice with a medium + body and finish with firm tannins. The wine can be drunk now but has definitely the potential for ageing (5-10 years). Chateauneuf du Pape 2010, Ogier Bring out the steak!

Life is too short to drink bad wine

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