Champagnes

It’s the festive time of year, so I have compiled a comparison of several Champagnes, or sparkling wine to be more precise. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I look forward to more feedback from you all and suggestions for wine, food, and anything else.

Name: Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut

Country/Region: France/Champagne

Bouquet: Slightly earthy and yeasty, hints of apple and peach.

Color: Golden

Range: Dry

Bubbles: Fine bubbles

Taste: Tastes of green fruits and honey, good finish, very easy drinking.

My wife’s favorite

Price: $50 - $60

Rating: Very Good

Recommendation:  Recommended, good Champagne. The price is a little high but it is still a very good and enjoyable Champagne. For our family, it is a special occasion wine only, due to the price.

Name: Dom Perignon 2003

Country/Region: France/Champagne

Bouquet: Mild, floral scent.

Color: Light silvery to golden

Range: Somewhat dry with a hint of sweetness

Bubbles: The finest bubbles I have experienced.

Taste: Very mild and very subtle, hints of citrus and vanilla. Good finish and has a good mouth feel.

Rating: Good

Price: $140 - $150

Recommendation:  This is a good wine, unfortunately I can’t recommend it as I don’t think it is worth the price. While the mouth feel is great and the bubbles are extra fine, the taste comparatively subtle, I can’t help but feel that it is overrated and relies more on reputation than substance.

Name: Moet & Chandon

Country/Region: France/Champagne

Bouquet: Bold, yeast and minerals.

Color: Golden Straw with a hint of green

Range: Very dry

Bubbles: Fine

Taste: Bold tastes of apples, citrus, while the wine is bold, it also includes subtleties with hints of nuts and minerals. The wine has been described as toasty, which seems to be a good fit. Lingers well in the mouth with a great aftertaste.

Rating: Very good

Price: $40 - $50

Recommendation:  This is very good wine and in my opinion the best wine for the price. Strongly recommended.

Name: Mumm Napa Brut

Country/Region: Napa/USA

Bouquet: Mild bouquet with hints of oak, yeast and vanilla.

Color: Golden Straw with a hint of green

Range: Medium dry

Bubbles: Medium            

Taste: Decent flavor and hint of apples and yeast. The wine has a decent taste but has a weak finish and doesn’t linger well.

Rating: OK

Price: $20 - $22

Recommendation:  An OK wine and acceptable value for money without being outstanding, recommended for the $20 price range.

 Name: James Serra Cristalino Brut

Country/Region:  Spain

Bouquet: Nice mild bouquet, slightly fruity and a hint of yeast.

Color: Golden

Range: Fruity, slightly dry.

Bubbles: Fine to Medium

Taste: Hints of lemon, definitely has citrus overtones. Nice mouth feel and great taste. The only drawback I can distinguish is no real length to speak of compared to the higher end Champagnes.

Rating: Very Good, exceptional value for money.

Price: $7 - $8

Recommendation:  Strongly recommended, represents excellent value for money, possibly the best value for money wine I have experienced. When I was first referred to this wine I was told “don’t let the $7 price tag fool you” and it is true, this wine is much better than the price would indicate. This is an example where price doesn’t always dictate the quality of the wine. It is not quite at the same level as the $40 wines but it is not too far off. For under $10, you can’t go wrong.