Important travel question - duty free champagne suggestions

[NYCguy]

There isn't any such beast. DP is Vintage only, not produced every year, aged for a minimum of 7 years (12 iirc for Rose). Interestingly, quite a large proportion of production (something like 15%+ is in Magnums and larger).

The tour of the Moet & Chandon caves in Epernay is well worth while - there is something impressive about a cave stacked with 80,000 bottles of Dom :shock:

It is certainly a fine sight.

DP take their aging very, very seriously. The wine is usually kept on the lees for around 7-9 years, and then cellared for about 6 months after initial disgorgement, prior to release onto the market. Some of the vintage is kept on the lees for considerably longer (from 12-40 years), and these become the Œnothèque releases. These are the finest examples of DP. I recently had the opportunity to sample the 1975 Œnothèque, about 8 months after its 3rd disgorgement, and it was absolutely magnificent. There are 1962 and 1971 Œnothèque bottles around, but they are extremely coveted. The 1990 Rosé Œnothèque (the first Rosé to wear the label) is also magnificent, but will be even better in another 20 years.

Dunno if you'd find any of the above in DF stores, though. You might get lucky. Last time I was in Sydney, DJ's Market Street had a DP trio - a 2000, a 1998 Rosé and a 1996 Œnothèque. I think the trio was AU$2100. Would make a very nice gift. For me.

 

[tuapekastar]

It is certainly a fine sight.

DP take their aging very, very seriously. The wine is usually kept on the lees for around 7-9 years, and then for about 6 months after initial disgorgement, prior to release onto the market. Some of the vintage is kept on the lees for considerably, longer (from 12-40 years), and these become the Œnothèque releases. These are the finest examples of DP. I recently had the opportunity to sample the 1975 Œnothèque, about 8 months after its 3rd disgorgement, and it was absolutely magnificent. There are 1962 and 1971 Œnothèque bottles around, but they are extremely coveted. The 1990 Rosé Œnothèque (the first Rosé to wear the label) is also magnificent, but will be even better in another 20 years.

Dunno if you'd find any of the above in DF stores, though. You might get lucky. Last time I was in Sydney, DJ's Market Street had a DP trio - a 2000, a 1998 Rosé and a 1996 Œnothèque. I think the trio was AU$2100. Would make a very nice gift. For me.

Interesting you mention the Œnothèque . I was reading very recently, possibly in the QF inflight mag last week, that Tetsuya's was serving some 1995 Œnothèque (the snippet article focussed on some special 'bowls' made for the occasion) @ AUD79 a 'bowl'.

Sounds like something worth tasting.

 

[samh004]

Interesting you mention the Œnothèque . I was reading very recently, possibly in the QF inflight mag last week, that Tetsuya's was serving some 1995 Œnothèque (the snippet article focussed on some special 'bowls' made for the occasion) @ AUD79 a 'bowl'.

Sounds like something worth tasting.

I can confirm that it was Octobers magazine, page 44. Available until the end of November.

On page 188 is the Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage.

 

[Sprucegoose]

This was the lineup, not sure I can remember every bottle

- 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.

Ok Febs are you prepared to rank from what you remember !!!

cheers Spruce

 

[zzyss]

The tour of the Moet & Chandon caves in Epernay is well worth while - there is something impressive about a cave stacked with 80,000 bottles of Dom :shock:

I missed out. They were closed on the day that I was there, and so I had to "settle" for a tour of Taittinger instead. Funny thing is, we must be such a boozer nation, 'coz more than half the people in the group were Aussies!

 

[Febs]

Ok Febs are you prepared to rank from what you remember !!!

I actually wrote down some notes/rankings, but they're at home and I won't be for the next 5 weeks. Will do so when I get back though

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[samh004]

I actually wrote down some notes/rankings, but they're at home and I won't be for the next 5 weeks. Will do so when I get back though

Cheers,
- Febs.

Right… see you here on the 1st December

 

[equus]

Some pictures from the Moet Caves

Dom Perignon to be...



The certainly will need to clean up this Moet before sale...



Every last space used - don't worry about the drainage pipes, just stack some more around it....

 

[Febs]

Looks exactly like the Freixenet caves I visited in Spain recently. Interestingly (I didn't know this before), Cava doesn't actually age like Champagne. After a few years, it's basically useless. Apparently the same goes for all Cava.

They had hundreds of thousands of bottles of 30, 40+ year old Cava, but even though it's been kept in perfect conditions, it's all undrinkable. :shock: