Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995

What is to be said of a champagne that, when first consumed, several years before its prime, strikes one as near perfect, then, several years later, when tasted again is even better! I am speaking not in hypotheticals, but of Charles Heidsieck’s Blanc des Millenaires 1995, and as superb as it is now, I believe it still has room to improve. This wine has been a stand out for me for several years, and when a client recently inquired as to a recommendation for a great champagne this immediately came to mind, but I was absolutely sure there would no longer be any available; miraculously I was wrong and, while the prices have gone up a bit, it can still be readily had.
The light fruits really stand out in this champagne, with pear taking center stage, followed by a crisp apple; the yeast flavors are not heavy and overbearing but more rich and toasty. The bubbles, oh, the bubbles, are among the finest I ever encountered, being small and nimble, and the entire drinking experience is what I dream of every time I pop a cork on a bottle of champagne.
The Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 will probably require an effort to track down, but trust me, if you are looking for a memorable champagne that will absolutely wow the senses this is it, and it will be worth every bit of labor put into aquiring the bottle the moment those perfect bubbles role gracefully across the lips.

Dom Perignon Vintage 2000

Dom Perignon, do you love it or hate it? This is a question analogous to asking one their political persuasion during an election year, meaning, in my experience,  it is most often best left un-asked. All too often the conversation devolves from a pleasant discussion of attributes and draw backs, as I find most wine talks with good company, to petty comments as comebacks to snide remarks, often having to do more with money and percieved class issues than the actual bottle or glass supposedly being discussed. I am most definitely not one to claim that all good champagnes are over one hundred dollars, but I also will not dismiss a bottle solely because it it; I say let the wine speak and the experience decide.
On that note, and on the eve of New Year’s eve, I would like to briefly mention Dom Perignon’s 2000 vintage. I am not a devotee of Dom Perignon, nor do I despise them, they are simply another long standing maker of consistent champagne, that I do drink from time to time, and often enjoy I might add.The 1996 vintage was grand but now is all but unavailable, the 2002 and 2003 are not ready, so that leaves us with the 2000 as the only reasonable Dom option this New Year’s eve, if that is the direction one chooses to go, and I have to say it is a pretty good way to go. The 2000 vintage started off unimpressive to me, but has grown exponentially as it has matured. It is still vibrant, but has mellowed well, with plenty of yeast and soft earth flavors and the fruits are more impressive now than two or three years ago (which has surprised me).
So if on the eve of this new year you feel that a bottle of Dom Perignon is what your situation demands, and assuming you do not have a bottle of 1996 laying around, then please enjoy the 2000 and leave the younger vintages to rest for a bit longer. And remember that, while I will not dissuade anyone from enjoying a bottle of Dom, there are many amazing champagne producers out there, and variety is the spice of life.

Krug Sharing Set 2012

Every year it seems like a slew of champagne makers, of tremendous variation in quality, put out some form of gift box, usually with horrible, cheaply made glasses that I would not wish on, let allow give to, anyone. For this reason I rarely recommend them to clients, or give them as gifts myself, but this year brings us a stunning exception.

The name Krug, in the world of champagnes, is inseparable from images of luxury and quality, so if anyone were to be expected to produce a high quality gift set it would undoubtedly be them, but, even with that assumption, they have truly out done themselves this year. The Krug Sharing set is simply stunning in every facet; the presentation in beautiful, the champagne in the set, a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvee, is, in my opinion, the best non vintage champagne to be had, but what really places this set apart is the glassware that comes within.

To start, the glasses are made by Riedel, and that should catch your attention right there, I mean, a gift set, or in the more demure terms of Krug, a sharing set, with actual quality glasses is almost unheard of, but they get better. Not only are they made by Riedel, but they are a one of a kind design made to Krug’s specifications called the Joseph, in honor of the man who founded Krug (and to whom every champagne lover is eternally indebted), that in many ways are unlike any champagne glass I have used or owned, and the differences are all grand. They have a wider flare, a longer stem, a more solid feel, and a perfectly classy K monogram and Krug diamond etched on them, just to name a few of the unique attributes of the glasses.

So this year, not only am I recommending a champagne gift set to my clients, but I could not resist giving one to my self.