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.

Chateau Potensac 2008

The 2008 vintage, from Bordeaux, has been largely forgettable to me, but for some reason there have been a few stand out Medocs. Many of these have been surprisingly modest in price, with the 2008 Chateau Potensac being nicely indicative.  With a blend of primarily Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon,  with a good amount of Cabernet Franc, the wine comes through with rich dark fruits, mainly blackberry and black cherry, nicely varied earth flavors, and a hint of bread and espresso.  This is not the most amazingly complex Bordeaux,  nor the one you will remember forever,  but it is balanced, rich, and definitely of quality, and it shows the potential to improve for, perhaps, another decade.

Chateau De Ferrand 2008

I want to be honest up front with this one, the 2008 vintage in Bordeaux is one of my least favorite of the last ten or so, but, having said that, the 2008 Chateau de Ferrand is a solid, enjoyable wine. It carries a lot of the hallmarks of a Saint-Emilion red and has an intriguing, dominant pomegranate flavor, which sounds irritating,  but was truly pleasant.  Be sure to decant this one as it is young and a bit tight, but I do not think it will improve all that much with time, at least not enough to justify cellaring for long.