81 replies to this topic

[suzilightning]

Had a change in New Year's plans and cracked open the bottle of Bisol Prosecco Crede di Valdobbiadene Brut.   I did not like this one, it had a harsh aftertaste.

Need something good to happen soon so I can open the Billecart (my husband saw the price tag and insists we save it for a special occasion.) 

hey, "open that bottle night" is feb 28 this year...

this is the thing dorothy gaither and husband john brecher espouse. get together with friends or just the two of you and open that bottle(s) you've been saving for that sepecial occasion - and may never get opened otherwise!

Yes! Gonna tell that old curmudgeon...errr I mean husband, of mine that we SHALL drink the Billecart on that night...and I will make it worth his while... Great idea, Suzi!

STILL trying to score tickets to see lewis black in morristown that night but if not we will open a bottle of 1988 sir winston churchill while in the jacuzzi and i'll do a duck breast in red wine to go with a 1978 la tour for the main course - if we get there.

just quaffed a nv pol roger in the tub this afternoon - really wonderful toasty tastes but, maybe since i hadn't eaten, gave me a headache

look for the critique of the blue tasting on new years eve we did...

gee, trish if the curmudgeon doesn't want to open the bottle come on down and visit - and bring the billicart - maybe i can pick up a dom

[TrishCT]

My saintly curmudgeon is letting me unleash the sparklers!

Last night we enjoyed the Pinon Vouvray Spark Petilla Sec, 1996. This one was recommended by Mike Gibson at Chelsea Wine Vault. It was playful and had a smooth finish. It also had some nice fruitiness which I enjoy.

A few days ago we opened up a bottle of Furst von Metternich Riesling Sekt, which we received from a german friend as a Christmas present. This was fairly dry and acidic and went well with a chicken dinner.

I have two of the orginial seven left:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose'
Schramsberg Cremant Demi Sec, Vintage 2000

I would love to open the Billecart at halftime during the Super Bowl on Feb 1st, fingers crossed for the Patriots...

[KatieLoeb]

I have two of the orginial seven left:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose'
Schramsberg Cremant Demi Sec, Vintage 2000

I would love to open the Billecart at halftime during the Super Bowl on Feb 1st, fingers crossed for the Patriots...

Save the Schramsberg Demi for dessert during the Superbowl. The Eagles victory will be quite sweet as well...

GO EAGLES!

From Philly,
Katie

[KathyP]

This is such a great thread. I couldn't find the Cerdon de Bugey locally, but I did find at Bertelli's in NJ. I ordered a few bottles, along with a 2001 Cuvee Clemente chardonnay blanc de blancs. And a presecco several people mentioned, although I haven't opened yet, so I can't comment.

Let me say that the Cerdon de Bugey was absolutely heaven for the money ($8.99, I think). Yum. A wonderful sparkler to share with friends and really is like drinking strawberries! The Cuvee Clemente....what can I say. I opened this afternoon. The bottle was close to my nose and what do I smell just as the cork gently pops....that wonderful yeasty smell that French bubblies have! Oh, and the taste: mello, smooth and of course without any hard aftertaste that many domestics have for the same price. I have found some keepers. Next purchase will be a case of each.

Thank you so much for all the information and the recommendations.

[TrishCT]

I have two of the orginial seven left:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose'
Schramsberg Cremant Demi Sec, Vintage 2000

I would love to open the Billecart at halftime during the Super Bowl on Feb 1st, fingers crossed for the Patriots...

Save the Schramsberg Demi for dessert during the Superbowl. The Eagles victory will be quite sweet as well...

GO EAGLES!

From Philly,
Katie

Sorry, Katie... Better luck next year....

As for the Pats, don't know how we'll do in warm weather... But looks like I get to open up some more sparklers in 2 weeks!

[KatieLoeb]

I have two of the orginial seven left:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose'
Schramsberg Cremant Demi Sec, Vintage 2000

I would love to open the Billecart at halftime during the Super Bowl on Feb 1st, fingers crossed for the Patriots...

Save the Schramsberg Demi for dessert during the Superbowl. The Eagles victory will be quite sweet as well...

GO EAGLES!

From Philly,
Katie

Sorry, Katie... Better luck next year....

As for the Pats, don't know how we'll do in warm weather... But looks like I get to open up some more sparklers in 2 weeks!

Trish:

Thanks for your sympathy. There's a funereal pall cast over the entire city. But what can you expect when you hand the game over. Like a true Philadelphia fan, I'm booing my own side with everyone else.

Good luck to the Pats. And definitely pop those bad boy sparklers long before half time

[suzilightning]

I have two of the orginial seven left:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose'
Schramsberg Cremant Demi Sec, Vintage 2000

I would love to open the Billecart at halftime during the Super Bowl on Feb 1st, fingers crossed for the Patriots...

Save the Schramsberg Demi for dessert during the Superbowl. The Eagles victory will be quite sweet as well...

GO EAGLES!

From Philly,
Katie

hey katie-

just what will the eagles be doing - serving as waitstaff

go pats

[KatieLoeb]

I have two of the orginial seven left:

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose'
Schramsberg Cremant Demi Sec, Vintage 2000

I would love to open the Billecart at halftime during the Super Bowl on Feb 1st, fingers crossed for the Patriots...

Save the Schramsberg Demi for dessert during the Superbowl. The Eagles victory will be quite sweet as well...

GO EAGLES!

From Philly,
Katie

hey katie-

just what will the eagles be doing - serving as waitstaff

go pats

They'll be home crying into their Gatorade...

[winebill]

Hey Trish ! Did you ever drink the Billecart ?

[TrishCT]

Hey Trish ! Did you ever drink the Billecart ?

It's painful for me to admit this...but at halftime during the Super Bowl I was the only one at our party who wanted to drink it.... so my husband said no and it remains in the fridge. I have plan B though... Valentine's Day.... and I am going to make some lovely appetizers to go with it... he HAS to say yes now....

[Craig Camp]

...but at halftime during the Super Bowl I was the only one at our party who wanted to drink it....

IMHO this is more than enough of a reason ot open it! Open first - ask questions later.

...also the perfect situation - more for you.

[TrishCT]

Cupid's arrow struck and lovable curmudgeon himself opened the Billecart on Valentine's Day.

We decided to have dinner at home and I made hubby's favorite meal--rack of lamb, baby green salad, potatoes roti, lemon pepper string beans, finishing with Chocolate Cloud Cake made from Nigella Lawson's book Nigella Bites.

We started the meal with a toast of the Billecart. The first thing that struck me was the very pretty color, gold with just a hint of blush. Next I noticed how very bubbly it was. It had a nice clean flavor and a flute went well with our dinner.

My dessert was too sweet for the wine, so we waited until after for a final flute. The bubbles held up nicely.

I liked this sparkler, but of the ones I have tried so far, I think my preference would be for the Cerdon de Bugey because it had more flavor. It would be nice to taste test these two together though.

Of the seven, I now just have the Schramsberg left. Over time I hope to enjoy many of the others suggested in this thread, particularly the Argyle. May have to make a shopping trip soon... get ready for me Winebill!!!

I most sincerely thank all of you for your excellent and knowledgeable suggestions.

[winebill]

I'm ready. We are armed and dangerous !
whole bunch of new "RM's"

* Champagne Chartogne-Taillet

* Champagne Pierre Peters

* Gaston Chiquet

* L. Aubry Fils

* Larmandier-Bernier

* Pierre Gimonnet & Fils

[KathyP]

Thanks to this thread 8 years ago I learned about Cerdon-deBugey. It been a favorite of mine ever since when I can get it. So I'd like to ask, what sparklings are you drinking this holiday season? Same criteria as before: good values that may be overlooked.

[LindaK]

I love champagne. My preference is for small grower/estate (RM) champagnes, I stocked up recently and here’s what I bought:

L. Aubry Fils
Paul Goerg “Tradition”
Camille Savès
Louis de Grenelle “Corail”

The first three are all blends (no blanc de blancs) and on the pricey side (around $35) but I like them better than many of their more expensive neighbors. The last is a sparkling rosé from the Loire, very nice and a bargain at $13.

Both Roederer and Schramsberg from California make very good domestic sparklers for around $20. For less expensive alternatives I like Westport (from Massachusetts) and Gruet (from New Mexico).

And you can’t go wrong with a good cava or proscecco.

[Alcuin]

Everybody thinks of Champagne when thinking of sparklers, and Champagne is the undisputed king. But the quality of sparklers from other regions can be outstanding. Cremant de Bordeaux and cremant de Bourgogne can be very good, and relatively very cheap. There's a cremant de Vouvray I really like, confusingly called Tete de Cuvee but it's really nice chenin blanc applely fruitiness produced with methode champenoise.

You won't get the pin point bubbles and the exciting feel of true champagne from these wines. They were initially called cremant because they had a creamier texture (bigger bubbles). They are closer to a champagne now, but still have a little of that creaminess. If you take them for what they are, they are great. And since they're cheaper, you can drink them more often and even pair them with food on a weekday!

That said, I'll be drinking L'Allier grand cru over the holidays...

[tanstaafl2]

For a largish party I was recommended the Veuve du Vernay Brut and Brut Rose. A pretty remarkable price at under $10 a bottle. Has anybody tried this French sparkling wine from the Loire region? It would be served on its own as requested as well as mixed in various champagne cocktails.

The online reviews have generally been pretty positive. Haven't tried it myself yet but hope to test drive a bottle over Christmas.

[Alcuin]

For a largish party I was recommended the Veuve du Vernay Brut and Brut Rose. A pretty remarkable price at under $10 a bottle. Has anybody tried this French sparkling wine from the Loire region? It would be served on its own as requested as well as mixed in various champagne cocktails.

The online reviews have generally been pretty positive. Haven't tried it myself yet but hope to test drive a bottle over Christmas.

I don't know anything about that Loire sparkler, but I assume it's all chenin blanc right? If so, for cocktails the richness of chenin blanc doesn't dry up a drink as much as a typical champagne might. So if you're making a drink recipe that depends on the sparkler to dry up the drink, you might have to tweak it. Try making something like a French 75 and see if you need to adjust it if the sparkler you have is fruitier. That will provide you a nice baseline to get a feel for how the wine will work in drinks and it will show you some things about the wine you might not notice otherwise. While the extra fruit might be less apparent when tasted neat, for instance, it can really throw off the balance of a drink.

[tanstaafl2]

For a largish party I was recommended the Veuve du Vernay Brut and Brut Rose. A pretty remarkable price at under $10 a bottle. Has anybody tried this French sparkling wine from the Loire region? It would be served on its own as requested as well as mixed in various champagne cocktails.

The online reviews have generally been pretty positive. Haven't tried it myself yet but hope to test drive a bottle over Christmas.

I don't know anything about that Loire sparkler, but I assume it's all chenin blanc right? If so, for cocktails the richness of chenin blanc doesn't dry up a drink as much as a typical champagne might. So if you're making a drink recipe that depends on the sparkler to dry up the drink, you might have to tweak it. Try making something like a French 75 and see if you need to adjust it if the sparkler you have is fruitier. That will provide you a nice baseline to get a feel for how the wine will work in drinks and it will show you some things about the wine you might not notice otherwise. While the extra fruit might be less apparent when tasted neat, for instance, it can really throw off the balance of a drink.

I think it is a mix of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and other white wines from the region since it is classified as a Blanc de blanc but I suspect you are right that it may not be as dry as most champagne despite being classified as a brut. The Rose definitely has a little more sweetness to it.

I will have to play with a bottle as you suggest and see. But at about $8 a pop that is easy enough to do!

One small correction. The website says: Colombard 40%, Sauvignon Blanc 40%, Chardonnay 20%

Edited by tanstaafl2, 23 December 2011 - 02:14 PM.

[Alcuin]

For a largish party I was recommended the Veuve du Vernay Brut and Brut Rose. A pretty remarkable price at under $10 a bottle. Has anybody tried this French sparkling wine from the Loire region? It would be served on its own as requested as well as mixed in various champagne cocktails.

The online reviews have generally been pretty positive. Haven't tried it myself yet but hope to test drive a bottle over Christmas.

I don't know anything about that Loire sparkler, but I assume it's all chenin blanc right? If so, for cocktails the richness of chenin blanc doesn't dry up a drink as much as a typical champagne might. So if you're making a drink recipe that depends on the sparkler to dry up the drink, you might have to tweak it. Try making something like a French 75 and see if you need to adjust it if the sparkler you have is fruitier. That will provide you a nice baseline to get a feel for how the wine will work in drinks and it will show you some things about the wine you might not notice otherwise. While the extra fruit might be less apparent when tasted neat, for instance, it can really throw off the balance of a drink.

I think it is a mix of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and other white wines from the region since it is classified as a Blanc de blanc but I suspect you are right that it may not be as dry as most champagne despite being classified as a brut. The Rose definitely has a little more sweetness to it.

I will have to play with a bottle as you suggest and see. But at about $8 a pop that is easy enough to do!

One small correction. The website says: Colombard 40%, Sauvignon Blanc 40%, Chardonnay 20%

Funny enough I stopped by the wine shop today and this wine was sitting on the counter ready to be shelved. I didn't taste it, but I've been told it's a bit drier than a typical Loire blend and with that bill of varietals that makes sense. Should be more acidic than anything 100% chenin with the Colombard and Sauvignon blanc. Sounds like a great deal that should work well with cocktails. Always good to do some tests, if only for the tester's satisfaction, but it does sounds like a winner on any account. Would have bought a bottle myself if there was a cold one around...

[tanstaafl2]

Gave the Veuve du Vernay brut a try last night and was rather impressed, especially considering the price tag. Seemed like it would work well in champagne cocktails and not bad on its own in my opinion.

[patrickamory]

I really like Laurent Perrier Rosé.