I share your love of Argentinian malbec (Catena Zapata, anyone?) but I also love champagne.
A personal favourite, and one that has really hooked PartnerJohnM's 27yo daughter is Louis Roederer NV (LAN's champagne of choice so you should have seen that often enough in the LAN lounges). I think it's a very good all-round easy-drinking aperitif style. The usual other non-vintage suspects in that $50-70 price range such as Pol Roger, Billecart-Salmon, Heidseck (QF J's choice), Moet are all good. Lanson (QF F lounge in AKL) is not bad. Personally, I'd steer away from Mumm Cordon Rouge although it has improved from the hole that it went into a few years ago. Bollinger is a heavier style so probably works a bit better with food than some of those other more aperitif styles.
For a good range and pretty good prices for Australia, check out Kemenys (
https://www.kemenys.com/go.jsp#!class=Tab&theme=SparklingWines).
Use that information to put together a mixed carton, give it to your wife for Christmas and let her work through them to pick what she likes the best! Think of the brownie points you'd get for that
.
Also check out:
https://www.champagnegallery.com.au/ and
The Champagne Guide 2012-2013 Hardback - Books & e-Books
Hope that's of some help and good luck
!
