Important travel question - duty free champagne suggestions

[rtyuiop]

Hi folks,

I'm not normally much of a sparkling white drinker, but want a bottle or two of actual champage for a possible upcoming celebration. We seem to have a decent community of champers guzzlers around here, so thought it was a good place for a discussion!

I'm coming home to BNE this week from SIN and plan to purchase from one or the other duty free. Any suggestions for a good champagne on the sweeter side of things in the low to medium price range (so no Dom, probably!) would be appreciated.

My wine tastes generally run from aromatic non-tanniny reds through most whites (particularly rieslings and viogniers right now for some reason) and I do love a good dessert wine or rose...

Regards,

Danny

 

[pshepvic]

Hi folks,
Any suggestions for a good champagne on the sweeter side of things in the low to medium price range (so no Dom, probably!) would be appreciated.

My wine tastes generally run from aromatic non-tanniny reds through most whites (particularly rieslings and viogniers right now for some reason) and I do love a good dessert wine or rose...

Define "low to medium price range"! My tip would be the Moet & Chandon Rose - often you can get a good deal in Duty Free - usually some sort of twin or triple pack. Definitely go French. Australian wine and sparkling is hideously overpriced in duty free - usually more expensive than at Dan Murphy's.

Other option would be a couple of nice bottles of Verve Cliquot in the mid-range.

You can get the the lower range Imperial Moet or Verve for around $50 - prob $5-15 a bottle less than in most retail. Otherwise the nicer ones are a bit more.

 

[rtyuiop]

Define "low to medium price range"! My tip would be the Moet & Chandon Rose - often you can get a good deal in Duty Free - usually some sort of twin or triple pack. Definitely go French. Australian wine and sparkling is hideously overpriced in duty free - usually more expensive than at Dan Murphy's.

Other option would be a couple of nice bottles of Verve Cliquot in the mid-range.

You can get the the lower range Imperial Moet or Verve for around $50 - prob $5-15 a bottle less than in most retail. Otherwise the nicer ones are a bit more.

Yeah, all of those guys are in what I suppose I'd call the low price range (for the French stuff, at least), so I can be a bit more flexible. The tricky bit from my research so far has been finding somewhere that sells something other than brut - might have a lead on somewhere here in SIN with some demi-sec available duty free though!

Thanks for the thoughts - I do like sparkling rose, so the Moet might be a good option!

Danny

 

[medhead]

I gotta say that non-vintage Verve cliquot is just about my (and my wife's) sweet spot in the low price area. typically $55 to $65 at Dan Murphy's. We have gone upto around the $100 to $120 mark for a vintage Moet or Dom.

Basically, we reckon French bubbles are all good. Even the inlaws, who like the most sweet wine going, were impressed with Verve. It is my mission to educate them about non-sweet wine - their usual purchases go by names like fruitwood and cost about $7 a bottle. :shock:

In terms of Australian bubbly a good option is Jansz. Certainly it isn't French bubbles. But it is very good especially at about $30 a bottle.

btw these are retail prices.

 

[k_sheep]

their usual purchases go by names like fruitwood and cost about $7 a bottle. :shock:

Ahh I love the $7 bottles. May I never drink something better and be spoilt forever more! (actually I'm not a huge fan of Moet, which is the only more expensive one I've tried!)

 

[medhead]

Ahh I love the $7 bottles. May I never drink something better and be spoilt forever more! (actually I'm not a huge fan of Moet, which is the only more expensive one I've tried!)

I do definitely prefer the verve over the moet for non-vintages. But I do rate vintage moet on par with non-vintage verve. (note I'm no expert on the proper names like imperial brut and all that).

Hearing you about moving to something better. I'm currently on the $20 to $50 price range for wine. I seriously hope that I don't get to be like my friend who can't seem to buy anything less than about $150 a bottle - but then that is restaurant prices.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I'm not sure what's available in duty free. My personal favourites in NV are Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger. Not keen on Moet always tastes mouldy to me. The Woolies/ Dan Murphy's Pol Gessner brand at around $30 a bottle is always popular in the Shrek household particularly if we are entertaining

 

[rtyuiop]

OK, NV veuve pencilled in as an option too - thanks folks! Hopefully I can remember the contents of this thread once I actually get into a shop on Thursday...

 

[NYCguy]

... The inlaws... Usual purchases go by names like fruitwood and cost about $7 a bottle. :shock:

Oy. Vey. Zmir.

They would probably like the Moët Rosé, although if you can find Dom Pérignon for AU$100 a bottle, I can't imagine why you would drink anything else. Also, I would love to know where you sourced it. Did it fall off the back of a truck? I only ask because, at that price, I'd be up for maybe 20, 25 cases!

 

[Sprucegoose]

In terms of Australian bubbly a good option is Jansz. Certainly it isn't French bubbles. But it is very good especially at about $30 a bottle.

Yes Jansz is a good drop for the dollars.

Don't buy in Singapore. I picked up some Lanson from Costco for $43. If you are in bne then try Dan murphys. Duty free doesn't mean profit free!!

Anyone who knows sq knows lanson in the j cabin. Dry and smooth, an old champange house indeed!

 

[medhead]

They would probably like the Moët Rosé, although if you can find Dom Pérignon for AU$100 a bottle, I can't imagine why you would drink anything else. Also, I would love to know where you sourced it. Did it fall off the back of a truck? I only ask because, at that price, I'd be up for maybe 20, 25 cases!

I might have been mistaken, was thinking more like $120 for NV Dom. It would be unlike my wife to allow me to spend more than that. But just double checked the Dan Murphys book and they only have vintage for $218. So best to say I was wrong.

 

[dk4]

... hideously overpriced in duty free - usually more expensive than at Dan Murphy's...

LOL I get it - your from MEL and your comparing overpriced duty free to Dan Murphy's prices.

 

[excell]

Was at Dan Murphys yesterday for free champagne tasting Dom, Krug, vintage veuve 2002, Vintage Moet 2002, and Vintage Pol Roger 1998. (Thank you Mr. Murphy)
IMHO Bolinger above Veuve or Moet prices are good at Mr. Murphy's with non vintahe Veuve at $56 bargain.

 

[Febs]

Was at Dan Murphys yesterday for free champagne tasting Dom, Krug, vintage veuve 2002, Vintage Moet 2002, and Vintage Pol Roger 1998. (Thank you Mr. Murphy)
IMHO Bolinger above Veuve or Moet prices are good at Mr. Murphy's with non vintahe Veuve at $56 bargain.

That's quite an impressive "in store" tasting! Was it a personal / members only tasting?

My bosses (who clearly know me very well) gave my fiancée and I a champagne tasting "masterclass" at Etch a few weeks ago. It was fantastic, and gave us a good idea of what to serve on the bridal table for the wedding.

This was the lineup, not sure I can remember every bottle, but I do remember that of the last two (Cristal and Mumm Rene Lalou), the Cristal left me very underwhelmed.

- Mumm NV
- Veuve Clicquot NV
- Perrier Jouet NV
- Laurent Perrier
- 1998 Ayala
- Can't remember
- 2003 Moet Grand Vintage Rosé
- Lanson Gold Label
- Henriot
- Cristal
- Mumm Rene Lalou

Yum.

 

[BVT]

I'm not sure what's available in duty free. My personal favourites in NV are Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger. Not keen on Moet always tastes mouldy to me. The Woolies/ Dan Murphy's Pol Gessner brand at around $30 a bottle is always popular in the Shrek household particularly if we are entertaining

Totally agree. For around $30 on sale, the Pol Gessner is extraordinary value drinking. Almost the everyday quaffer at that price.

Hmmm, thirsty now ....

 

[notzac]

This was the lineup, not sure I can remember every bottle, but I do remember that of the last two (Cristal and Mumm Rene Lalou), the Cristal left me very underwhelmed.

Funny you should mention that -- I've previously tried a Louis Roederer champagne (not the Cristal, was a NV something or other) and I was pretty disappointed with it as well.

 

[Keith009]

Funny you should mention that -- I've previously tried a Louis Roederer champagne (not the Cristal, was a NV something or other) and I was pretty disappointed with it as well.

+1, too "flat" for my liking. (as in taste-wise)

For the budget end of the champers scale, I'd probably go for Moet Rose, Moet 2000 or Taittinger NV. I can't remember if they sell Bollinger Special Cuvee (now avail on SQ J btw - much nicer than the Charles Heidsieck MEC!) in Duty Free but if they do - would be my pick if the price is right! If looking beyond duty free, Ayala Brut Majeur is a fantastic drop for the price.

Dom Perignon for $100 a bottle is a no-brainer however - IF you can find it for that price! Can I ask where?!

 

[serfty]

DFS has contracted this part of the Duty Free at Changi, so don't expect any value there.

DFS Galleria Singapore - Champagne -Liquor

BNE not much better:

F1RST Tax & Duty Free

 

[samh004]

I like the Taittinger NV, so can tell you that a twin pack is $160 in Australian duty free. However, best bet would just be to see what’s on special. I know in the Qantas mag this month they advertised a Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage, aged for 7 years, 2002, to be on sale soon for $120 each.

 

[zzyss]

Almost completely off-topic, but while I was in France recently, I received a sound telling off from my French-speaking father-in-law for calling Veuve Cliquot "Veuve". Apparently it means "widow" and it's not the done thing to go around saying widow, widow so flippantly.

And slightly on topic, I got caught out at Hong Kong airport recently trying to buy grog - you can't bring it onto the plane with you. Period. It doesn't matter if it was purchased from the duty free store, you have to buy it before hand and put it into your checked baggage. Not sure if it's the same rule as Singapore, but you should check first just in case.

Thought I'd best mention it.