Champagne under $50

[Stone]

If possible, I know less about champagne than I do other wines.

Jason (and others who have done blind tastings) -- I'm curious about the blind taste test -- were you surprised by the results?

That is, were you surprised at any of the champagnes you liked/didn't like? (I.e., I'd heard such good stuff about XXX, I'm surprised I thought it tasted like piss.)

Were there any that you have generally liked in the past, but didn't like when tasting blind? (I.e., I've been buying and drinking YYY for years, but when I tasted it blind, I hated it. Or the opposite, I hated ZZZ when I had it last month, but today . . . )

[Jason Perlow]

Dstone:

I grew up drinking some pretty expensive champagnes as my parents are avid wine collectors and like many people that personified the me generation of the 80's, loved to flaunt how much they could spend on wine. All I knew from Champagne until my 30's was Dom Perignon, Pol Roger, Cristal, Roederer, Veuve Cliquot, Moet, the big NM names. Vintages, you name it.

The problem with Champagne is that it is so infrequently drank by most people. So it is hard to compare it with other champagnes. In fact, I really didnt like champagne until I went to that champagne tasting and got a chance to drink some of the lesser-known, small batch estate brands.

Nowadays I always keep sparkling wines and champagnes around. It goes with everything.

[Stone]

I've rarely had any other than Vueve, Moet, and, well, Ding - Ding -a -Ling (if you know what I mean). I usually find them too sweet.

[Jason Perlow]

Thats interesting, I consider most of those champagnes to be very dry. Filthy tasting, leaving a filminess on the palate from over oaking, but dry.

[GordonCooks]

I usually drink more champagne in the warmer months. Cheapies I've had and liked are Billecarte-Salmon, Pommery NV, Pierre Moncruit B de B, etc

I do keep an obligatory Cristal and Dom in the cooler which never seem to get enjoyed - just given as gifts for the "oh my god, I forgot about......" standard Xmas/B-Day panic.

I did pick up a 4 pack of 85 Dom Oenothèque 187ml splits....very tasty and I get back 5 cents on the used cans.

[Lady T]

I'd have to add my vote for Veuve and Cristal in the actual-Champagne category, but if payday is REALLY that far away and I have a desperate inner need for bubbly, I have been known to resort to sparkling wine, buy a bottle of brut Freixenet, and chill it a bit.

(*Lady T, expecting thrown produce and brickbats, dives for cover*)

[nightscotsman]

I usually drink champagne in cocktails - french 75, kir royale, bellini, black velvet, etc - so Freixenet works just fine for me. No reason to use the really good stuff if you're mixing it with gin 'n stuff.

For nice champagne straight I rather like Schramsberg.

[Adam Balic]

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.

Gav. - Newky Brown man are you?

[Adam Balic]

Billecarte-Salmon, Grosset, Charles Heidsieck.

Plenty of small producers in Champagne produce excellent fizz at low prices, but are rarely seen. Go to Champagne and find out exactly how over-priced the produt is.

[Gavin Jones]

Gav. - Newky Brown man are you?

Only when I'm pushing the boat out.

There used to be (I have heard) a ward at the RVI in Newcastle solely devoted to people suffering various spectacular neurological problems not unrelated to locally produced alcohol consumption. I am nearly ready.

[oraklet]

have tried a few, including vintages, but always go back to taittinger. so straight and yet refined. and it leaves no film, nor is it "oaky". i've never had any of the rely, relly expensive stuff, though.

at one time we ran out of taitt. and had to go for the freix. bleah!

as for the fridge: there was this french cavalry colonel who claimed that you should allways have champ. in your fridge - and as it won't last long in there, it should be drunk as soon as possible. he was a very nice guy, and of course knew the noble art of desabrer!

but are (some of) you really drinking champgne from the marie antoinette's breast shaped cup? shame on you! it is only for those who dislike the bubbles.

[Adam Balic]

I have the breast cups and like them (I have no problem with bubbles as I don't wash them with detergent), but they are a bugger to clean. She must have had very long nipples though. Mostly we use flutes.

[Christopher]

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'm with you on CAVA as it most consistently comes close to having the complexity of champagne.

PROSECO is wonderful as an apertif but I've found it not so great as a food sparkler. It is however a great base for Belini

I spent a week this summer on a tour through German wine country and tasted a lot of Riesling Sekt. All were forgettable save one, from Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe made from Spatlese level grapes.

[malarkey]

Domaine Carneros 1998 Brut by Taittinger, Carneros-Napa

I tried 3 of their champagnes just recently while down in Napa. Lovely. And, so is their place. We sat outside on the front veranda and looked out over the hills surrounding while tasting champagne and nibbling some cheese as the sun slanted low in the sky...

[Liza]

(daintily stepping in...)

I went to a Wines from France champagne event a year or two ago and fell for Jaillance Clairette de Die AOC. It wasn't available in the states at the time and this thread has reminded me to look. Perhaps Christopher or others are familiar with it and recommend a likely substitute?

Many thanks,

Liza

[DANYRAF]

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.

Argyle's Best Sparkling wines should be on the shelf for $29.99 or less. The are excellent. There are three different ones besides the standard Brut. My favorite in Extended Tirage.

[DANYRAF]

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).

There are still a few cases of 1989 Extended Tirage available in NY/NJ!!! Call Lauber.

[DANYRAF]

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...

1990 DP was pretty good but the last several vintages have been very bad. Moet needs to start making their own stuff again instead of buying it a putting their label on it. Too much of their business is farmed out to the co-op or purchased vin-sur-lait.

DP has never been on the upper end of the scale. What they do right is promotion. They have sold the image, not much more but a great deal of very bad wines like White Star.

[Schielke]

For tonight I picked up the standard Argyle Brut and a bottle of Zardetto Prosecco. I am still a champagne infant, but it should be fun!

Ben

[Jason Perlow]

You did good. Zardetto is an excellent prosecco and that Argyle is a great wine too.

[Schielke]

Cool, thanks! I am looking forward to trying them out. I almost bought a 1.5 L of the Argyle, but I decided to go for variety.

Ben

[tommy]

You did good. Zardetto is an excellent prosecco and that Argyle is a great wine too.

zardetto: 7.49 at Total Wines. i bought the last 3 bottles tonite.

[hollywood]

You did good. Zardetto is an excellent prosecco and that Argyle is a great wine too.

zardetto: 7.49 at Total Wines. i bought the last 3 bottles tonite.

Great price on the Zardetto. Louis Roederer makes some good Alexander Valley stuff but it's pricier.

[tommy]

i've been drinking zardetto for breakfast. i can't afford not to.

[hollywood]

i've been drinking zardetto for breakfast.  i can't afford not to.

Explains your bubbly personality of late.