Advice on champagne

[medhead]

Personal opinion of course - IMHO LA not within a bull's roar of Moët - even considering the price diff - but each to their own of course.

Been a while since I've had Moët. Maybe i need to do a side by side taste test.

 

[Keith009]

Continuing on the 'light' champagne theme. Had the delightful Lenoble Blanc de Blanc 06 last night. Extremely light bodied, super delicate yet bursting with floral aromas and honeydew flavours with every sip. Was thinking it's dry (and it does have a very low dosage) but it had an unexpectedly long finish. Would be easily overpowered by strong tasting foods but it was a lovely accompaniment to our foie gras with fig mostarda. $79 at Wine Emporium, Gasworks Plaza. Somewhat unusually this is a single variety, single vineyard (in Chouilly) vintage grand Cru - superb value for the money!

We are big fans of the house of Lenoble. The entry level Brut Intense and their Blanc de Noir 2006 (very different to the Blanc de Blanc but equally amazing) are some of our fave champagnes.

Not a fan of entry level Moët NV at all and especially dislike the Demi Sec version which seems very popular, nectar or whatever it's called. May as well drink melted sugar. (I do like a good Demi Sec). Only thing I'd drink from Moët are Dom Perignon 1998, 2002 and 2004. Highly personal of course.

 

[Stewey]

Just picked up 3 bottles of Louis Auger from DM Glen Waverley, there were a few bottles left on the shelf
Now one is in the fridge ready for a quiet sip tonight and if it passes the test I'll get some more for Christmas drinks, me thinks

 

[Plutonus]

Not a fan of entry level Moët NV at all and especially dislike the Demi Sec version which seems very popular, nectar or whatever it's called. May as well drink melted sugar. (I do like a good Demi Sec). Only thing I'd drink from Moët are Dom Perignon 1998, 2002 and 2004. Highly personal of course.

I too dislike the demi-sec Moet... any suggestions for better ones? Don't seem to many stockists of demi-sec varieties around.

 

[Keith009]

I too dislike the demi-sec Moet... any suggestions for better ones? Don't seem to many stockists of demi-sec varieties around.

Jacquart has a rather acceptable Demi Sec. Unsure where you can get it in Oz though, maybe try a specialist champagne retailer. Conversely I don't like its Brut go figure!

Billecart-Salmon also does a nice Demi Sec. This one should be easier to find in Oz.

 

[Plutonus]

Jacquart has a rather acceptable Demi Sec. Unsure where you can get it in Oz though, maybe try a specialist champagne retailer. Conversely I don't like its Brut go figure!

Billecart-Salmon also does a nice Demi Sec. This one should be easier to find in Oz.

Thanks Keith, I've seen the Billecart-Salmon around as well as a Laurent-Perrier, but not the Jacquart. Will need to do some searching.

 

[jetlagger]

Personal opinion of course - IMHO LA not within a bull's roar of Moët - even considering the price diff - but each to their own of course.

Agreed.. Had a couple of glasses & IMO the LA is around 6.5/10.
The Moet has been pricing very attractively as well.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Dan's have Moet advertised at $42.75 and CB at SH now 6.5% - so couple WC / SH = tidy price around $38.00

They also have Veuve (Clicquot to some) advertised at $51.80 so couple WC / SH = tidy price around $46.00 IMMAC - prices that AFFers of ALL polictical pursasions would no doubt agree are heading towards attractive?

 

[cove]

Clic.... Is too hard to spell so let's stay with Veuve.
I was just so pleased that all our politicians are ok.
It may be my age but we now drink more bubbly than beer some days.

 

[JohnM]

It's your age, cove - you and I can attest to that!

Coming to you from El Calafate in Patagonian Argentina after a typical steak and malbec dinner . Off to Antarctica in a few days .

I do say again, to get back on topic, Louis Roederer is the NV to beat.

 

[Keith009]

Dan's have Moet advertised at $42.75 and CB at SH now 6.5% - so couple WC / SH = tidy price around $38.00

They also have Veuve (Clicquot to some) advertised at $51.80 so couple WC / SH = tidy price around $46.00 IMMAC - prices that AFFers of ALL polictical pursasions would no doubt agree are heading towards attractive?

Clicquot at that price is nice.

But I'd still drink something else (even Cremant or Tassie sparkling) other than Moët unless it's served free at a party or something. Life is too short for mediocre bubbles.

I was amazed to see Bollinger Special Cuvée for $52 at Dans and this is before all the StartHere / Wish discounts are applied. It was only a few years ago that this was at least $70 a bottle. We were going to get more Dupperey for a mate's BBQ but ended up bringing some Bollinger for that extra bit of street cred. Or maybe I should have gotten them to do a blind tasting.

Conversely I used to be able to get Pol Roger NV at my local wine shop in South Yarra back in our Melbourne days for sub $50 but outside of a promo these are now selling in DMs for $60ish and more in small wine shops up here in Brisbane. :/

 

[Pushka]

I really like Moët - I have amazing memories of our trip to Europe on so many levels and of which Moët played a part. So enjoying Moët brings all those memories back like no other Champagne. Priceless.

Veuve Clicquot was my favourite but no longer.

 

[Keith009]

I really like Moët - I have amazing memories of our trip to Europe on so many levels and of which Moët played a part. So enjoying Moët brings all those memories back like no other Champagne. Priceless.

I know exactly what you mean. I can't say La Grande Dame 2004 is my absolute fave but we drank so much of it on our recent trip to Europe that we've now associated it with the fun times we had haha and it does evoke pleasant memories. Seems to be the default 'nice' champagne of many of the restaurants we went to, also served in SQ's The Private Room. Pity it's considerably more expensive locally but it should do the trick during long spells in between holidays.

 

[Deleted User]

FWIW my list is as follows: -

Pol Roger
Billecart
Bolli
Taittinger (Brut Reserve)
Veuve
Moët

But I'm not as old as cove so drinking more beer than Champagne

 

[Keith009]

But I'm not as old as cove so drinking more beer than Champagne

Never too old for champagne. Having met cove I think I'm a mere fraction his age being in my late 20s but I drink minimal beer if at all. Champagne, red wine, rum (for mojitos) and whiskey (for the other half) are the staples in our household.

Other than Moo Brew and a few other similar pale ales, and some of the white wheat stuff, most beers are too bitter for me.

We tried cognac for the first time recently after buying a great big bottle to make some mostarda sauce for foie gras. Maybe an acquired taste or I have to be older to enjoy it but I can't say I'm a fan...! The fig mostarda was lovely though and accompanied the foie gras beautifully.

 

[Sprucegoose]

FWIW my list is as follows: -

Pol Roger
Billecart
Bolli
Taittinger (Brut Reserve)
Veuve
Moët

But I'm not as old as cove so drinking more beer than Champagne

actually i I agree with most of this, may even have Billicart ahead of Pol Roger?

 

[Deleted User]

We tried cognac for the first time recently after buying a great big bottle to make some mostarda sauce for foie gras. Maybe an acquired taste or I have to be older to enjoy it but I can't say I'm a fan...! The fig mostarda was lovely though and accompanied the foie gras beautifully.

Cognac can be hit and miss, anything below XO then dont bother is my opinion, and the glass, the glass must be quite warm (hot) to carry the heat effectively into the cognac, even the best quality cognac is very average unless it is warmed up. The warmth really mellows out the flavour but gives ones' nostrils a smacl in the face...

 

[Deleted User]

actually i I agree with most of this, may even have Billicart ahead of Pol Roger?

Yes, happy to swap them around, they are quite different, both go down very well... if anything I would say that the Pol Roger is slightly more refreshing on a hot day, while the Billecart is such a nice drink of an evening especially this time of the year...

 

[Keith009]

Cognac can be hit and miss, anything below XO then dont bother is my opinion, and the glass, the glass must be quite warm (hot) to carry the heat effectively into the cognac, even the best quality cognac is very average unless it is warmed up. The warmth really mellows out the flavour but gives ones' nostrils a smacl in the face...

Thanks for the tip. We got Meukow VS Cognac - this must be the Moët of cognac as it seems very common? Anyway we really only needed a cup or 2 to make mostarda sauce.

 

[Pushka]

You need to try Coopers Pale Ale if not into beer.