Champagne under $50

[awbrig]

mine is Tattinger Brut....I even like it better than Veuve...the rich amber color, the unique taste that hints at the soil from the grapes...mmmmm

Dont really like White Star at all anymore....

Pommery is not bad as is Nichols Feuillat

[Marlene]

Veuve Cliquot and Moet & Chandon. Over $50.00 Cristal

[awbrig]

Cristal is much removed from this category costing about $200 - $250 a bottle...

[Gavin Jones]

Though my view is that almost all champagne is total piss.

A totally inferior white wine which when carbonated is sold at hideously inflated prices - if it's nice drink it flat sweethearts.

I have drunk J. Selosse brut (made by dosage) and Vilmart 1990 in the last year or so for under $50 & they were delish.

Gimonnet (available through oddbins in uk) make good chardonnay weighted fizz at sensible prices.

[Marlene]

Yeah I know. I suppose I could have got up from the computer to look in the fridge, but I was figuring people would know what I meant. I know Cristal is really far removed rom this price range. It's my very special occassion champagne!

[awbrig]

just so you know, you're not really supposed to keep your champagne in the refrigerator...

[Jason Perlow]

as far as Negociant Manipulant, mass market champagnes go, Bollinger, non-vintage. Without question. If you are talking "Champagne", the real deal, and not a methode champanoise.

Now, when you get into blanc de blanc's, rose's and blanc de noir's , things get a bit more complicated, I prefer to go with grower (RM) type champagnes that specialize in this sort of thing, which can be a bit of a challenge to find unless you got a really good wine store. Virtually all of these are excellent and are under $50. If you can find any of the Egly-Ouriet champagnes, these blow away just about any of the big names and usually go for around $40 a bottle. In particular their Non-Dose and their Ambonnay and their Rose are quite exquisite. Their Non-Dose (Zero Dosage) is one of the few wines that will match with caviar because it is EXTREMELY bone dry and has not been dosed with sugar like most champagnes are.

Personally, I think that many Prosecco's, Cavas and sparkling Reislings offer much more bang for the buck and a more interesting flavor experience in general than champagnes do, since I prefer my wines on the sweeter side. I detest the way Champagnes are made for the american palate. If only there were more Demi-Sec and Sec's around I would be really happy.

[Marlene]

just so you know, you're not really supposed to keep your champagne in the refrigerator...

I only put it in there when I'm going to drink it, like right after my son goes to bed. Otherwise, they are lying on their sides, in my wine cellar.

[hollywood]

Personally, I think that many Prosecco's, Cavas and sparkling Reislings offer much more bang for the buck and a more interesting flavor experience in general than champagnes do, since I prefer my wines on the sweeter side. I detest the way Champagnes are made for the american palate. If only there were more Demi-Sec and Sec's around I would be really happy.

You can get respectable Zardetto Prosecco for @ $10 a bottle. So, for $50 you've got a party.

[Jason Perlow]

The Zardetto is not bad, I like the Nino Franco better. Even better is the Canevel if you can find it, but its a bit more expensive.

[Jason Perlow]

While not strictly a champagne I forgot to mention one that Fat Guy introduced me to, the Argyle sparkling wine from Oregon, Knudsen Vinyard Brut 1996 which is labelled at 60 percent Pinot Noir and 40 percent Chardonnay. At 40 bucks a bottle its damn expensive for an american methode, but its an amazing hand crafted wine if you can get it. Most wine stores only carry the $20 argyle which is a standard champagne mix so you might have to special order it fromt their web site if your wine store doesnt have it.

http://www.argylewinery.com/our_wines/our_...g_knud_brut.htm

All of Argyle's wines are awesome even if you cant find this one so you should give them a try.

[hollywood]

The Zardetto is not bad, I like the Nino Franco better. Even better is the Canevel if you can find it, but its a bit more expensive.

I'll drink to that!

[tommy]

just so you know, you're not really supposed to keep your champagne in the refrigerator...

why. what happens? how long does it take before it happens? how about white wine? is there a problem with leaving white wine in the fridge?

[mickblueeyes]

Mountain Dome (regular or vintage--10 or 20, respectively)

Roderer Anderson Valley

Pommery

Veuve Cliquot

Tattinger (95 vintage is cheap or nonvintage)

[mickblueeyes]

J.P. You are right about that Argyle! Forgot about that one. Very tasty indeed~!

[Jason Perlow]

Mountain Dome (regular or vintage--10 or 20, respectively)

Roderer Anderson Valley

Pommery

Veuve Cliquot

Tattinger (95 vintage is cheap or nonvintage)

mickblueyes you disappoint me. Veuve Cliquot?

You mean Agent Orange

Veuve Cliquot, even the grand dame is pretty nasty. Its so sulphric, that the only thing I will tolerate it in is a Mimosa.

[mickblueeyes]

LOL! I must admit that my specialty lies with spirits. I only have had Veuve a couple times (admittedly at the tail end of several other bottles at a tasting) and I seem to remember liking it--Perhaps not! LMAO!

Hopefully the other ones on the list are at least decent I do know I really like the Mountain Domes for 10 bucks! (7 bucks after discount )

[awbrig]

the grand dame is nasty? are you frickin crazy?!?

[Fat Guy]

Jason you need to order some of the Argyle Extended Tirage Brut when the next release comes out (1990 I assume). The 1989 is all gone but I have a bottle left I might share with you.

http://argylewinery.com/our_wines/our_wine...g_ex_tirage.htm

I think on the whole you do very well on the West Coast in the under-$50 range. That basically buys you the very best American sparkling wine (though there are a couple that I think have broken through that price point) and most are under $25. A few I've liked very much:

Domaine Carneros 1998 Brut by Taittinger, Carneros-Napa

Iron Horse Brut LD 1992, Sonoma (I think this one may be $55)

Iron Horse Russian Cuvée Brut 1996, Sonoma

Pacific Echo Brut NV, Mendocino

Except for the Egly-Ouriet and a couple of rose Champagnes, I almost never look to France for sparkling unless I'm going way upmarket to Salon le Mesnil or something like that (which usually means I'm not the one paying).

[awbrig]

why. what happens? how long does it take before it happens? how about white wine? is there a problem with leaving white wine in the fridge?

hey Tommy,

I do it on occasion and then put the bottle in my Tiffany ice bucket to get it really really cold...

on refrigeration...according to Judith Sutton's Champagne & Caviar book, she says...."Most experts agree that overnight chilling, or longer, in the refrigerator actually dulls the flavor of champagne and recommend no more than 2 or 3 hours refrigeration before serving. " She also states proper temp being 40 - 45 degrees...

get the book its pretty good...

[Jason Perlow]

Yes, its grossness personified.

I know you live in Chicago, but if you REALLY want to learn about Champagne, you want to go the Annual Champagne Taste-off, which is held usually in early December in NYC. Its run by wine expert Willie Gluckstern, who wrote "The Wine Avenger" and his web site is at www.wineavenger.com

You blind taste like 50 different champagnes, all big names and many little known ones.

here are some notes from our 1999 tasting:

Here are some of the producers of champagnes favored at the Annual Champagne Taste-Off, Dec. 8, 1999, NYC, followed by the surprisingly most disliked. Prices listed are approximate, some may still be available at Nancy's Wines for Food, 313 Columbus Ave (at 75th), 212-877-4040, but I haven't shopped there (that's the wine shop for which Willie Gluckstern, the leader of the tasting, buys.

Favored:

Non-Vintage: Bollinger ($40, Jason's favorite), Rene Geoffroi ($44), Demoiselle ($32), Pol Roger ($30), Charles Casenove ($30), Guy Larmondier (we liked all varieties by this producer, vintage & non vintage, 0 dosage, $35), Deutz ($35, but was able to find it for $27 at Shoppers of Madison in Livingston, NJ, they also have a store in Madison, NJ)

Blanc de Blancs: Paul Goerge ($26), Guy Larmondier (Grand Cru 1992 $50, Crament Grand Cru $50)

Rose: Rene Geoffroi ($45)

Vintage: Bruno Paillard 1989 ($62), Bollinger 1990 ($80) - most of the vintage champagnes seemed tired, see below

Yucky:

Non-Vintage: Cliquot (the orange label - its the only brand I've seen EVERYWHERE too!), Taittenger, Mumm Cordon Rouse, Perrier Jouet Brut, Moet & Chandon, Dom Peringnon 1990 ($300!)

Blanc de blanc: Mumm Crament

Vintage: Most were old tasting although most were 1990 (some 1989 and 1993s), although these are the years currently in the shops.

Willie's book has a lot more info about what to look for in champagne and other wines and is very no nonsense.

A couple of things that are important to understanding what is good and bad about champagne is that probably the best champagnes are the ones we hear least about. Companies like Dom Perignon, Moet, Perrier Jouet, Tattinger, Cliqout , Mumm and Louis Roederer spend the most advertising dollars and thus we -think- they are the good ones, when really they are very commercial and not that good. As noted in the previous message, there are many smaller producers that make much better champagnes for less money.

Champagnes can be devided into three major types -- These are the "Codes" you find on champage lables.

Negotiant Manipulant -- These are companies that buy grapes from growers and make champagne. All of the ones I mentioneed above are NM. Most NM's are commercial champagnes, but some like Bollinger are exceptional.

Recoltant Manipulant (RM) or "Grower Champagnes" are made by the grape producers themselves, they are hard to find in the US and virtually all of them are superb. If a wine store carries these this is the sign of a very good wine shop.

Cooperative Manipulant (CM) - a Co-op co-producer. There are 11,000 of these growers who pool their resources to market their own brands. There are 150 such firms, most of these are pretty pathetic.

Marque de Archeteur (MA) - Buyer's Brand. Always the cheapest on the shelf, made from second pressings and inferior quality grapes. Execreble.

[awbrig]

your tasting notes are ridiculous in my opinion....is this a joke?

1990 Dom P ...yucky? You are embarrasing yourself...

I dont want this to turn into an argument because its so lopsided but cmon...read some reviews, get a bottle, have some caviar w this stuff, its expensive for a reason, it's rated highly for a reason...

[Marlene]

I'm with you awbrig. Although I do like Cristal better than Dom. But really! What's not to like?!

[tommy]

on refrigeration...according to Judith Sutton's Champagne & Caviar book, she says...."Most experts agree that overnight chilling, or longer, in the refrigerator actually dulls the flavor of champagne and recommend no more than 2 or 3 hours refrigeration before serving. "  She also states proper temp being 40 - 45 degrees...

do you find this to be the case in practice?

[awbrig]

we're not here to argue whats better, Dom p or Cristal in this economy...be happy if you can afford a bottle of veuve and some smoked salmon...