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by Tim Fish
by Ray Isle
by Ed McCarthy
by Bruce Sanderson
In this year-end wrap-up, Bruce Sanderson extols the consistently high quality of the 300 Champagnes he blind-tasted in 2007. He notes that French Champagnes have risen in price between ten and 30 percent… in the last year, with the largest increases in the luxury category. This trend is expected to continue, he reports. Sanderson praises the Krug Brut Champagne 1996 -- a "majestic" wine from one of the region's top houses. Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne NV and Louis Barthélémy Brut Champagne Améthyste NV represent particularly good values, he writes.
by Bruce Sanderson
Asserting that the sparkling wines of Champagne deliver excellent quality across the board, Bruce Sanderson selects more than a dozen Champagnes from the 300 he blind-tasted in 2006. He calls the Domaine… Chapuy Brut Blanc de Blancs Réserve an excellent value. Of the three vintages that consumers are likely to find in stores, Sanderson prefers '98. The non-vintage Duval-Leroy Brut is a full-bodied wine at a reasonable price. The overall top-scoring wine is the Krug Brut 1995, which Sanderson says has "precision and intensity."
by Ed McCarthy
McCarthy, author of Champagne for Dummies and several other titles in the "Dummies" series, suggests non-vintage, reasonably priced Brut Champagnes as well as high-end Champagnes. In the non-vintage Brut… category, McCarthy recommends Henriot, Jacquesson, G.H. Mumm, Nicolas Feuillatte, Bruno Paillard, Piper-Heidsieck and Ruinart for those seeking a light, elegant sparkling wine. For those seeking fuller-bodied wines, he suggests Bollinger, Alfred Gratien or Louis Roederer. He considers the Roederer Estate to be the world's best sparkling wine in its price class. In the vintage or prestige cuvée category, McCarthy recommends Gosset NV Grande Réserve and Charles Heidsieck 1995 Blanc des Millénaires.
by Laurie Woolever
Wine Spectator suggests eight sparkling wines to pair with hors d'oeuvres. Ranging in price from $20 to $50, these wines have all earned scores of 89 or greater on the magazine's 100-point scale. Topping… the list is Drappier Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Cuvée Signature NV, with a score of 92. This Champagne is said to have honey, coffee and gingerbread flavors and aromas. Janisson et Fils Brut Champagne Tradition NV ties for second place with Roederer Estate Brut Rosé. With its "pronounced graphite aroma," Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne NV also earns a high rating.
by Eric Asimov
A panel of experts, including two writers for The New York Times and two leading sommeliers, taste 25 blanc de blancs Champagnes, which are made using exclusively chardonnay grapes. The panel limits its… selections to Champagnes under $100. A 1995 Blanc des Millénaires from Charles Heidsieck was the overall winner, followed by the 2002 Vieilles Vignes from José Dhondt. A bottle of Drappier Signature Brut NV earns a "best value" rating. (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by The New York Times Company, but the two are editorially independent.)
by Eric Asimov
In this installment of the "Wines of the Times" series, Asimov and his fellow panelists taste 25 bottles of rosé Champagne, finding them less complex than ordinary Champagnes, despite the fact that rosés… re the fastest-growing category in the Champagne region. François Hémart Rosé Grand Cru Brut Rosé NV emerges the winner, while Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial rosé did not make the cut. Had the panelists not considered these wines overpriced, Alain Soutiran Brut Rosé Grand Cru NV would have earned a best-value rating. Two well-known labels, Roederer and Taittinger, also score well. (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by The New York Times Company, but the two are editorially independent.)
by Mike Steinberger
In this roundup of non-vintage Champagnes, Steinberger identifies some winners -- including Roederer Brut Premier and Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut -- and some losers (like Moët & Chandon White Star,… which he says is "execrably sweet"). He calls Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve "the best-kept secret in Champagne." Henriot Brut Souverain is a "rich, vinous" wine with a "green-apple core" and a reasonable price.
by Editors of Food and Wine
by Eric Asimov
The New York Times' expert panel sampled 25 Champagnes with a price ceiling of $30. Eric Asimov considers Nicolas Feuillatte particularly reliable Champagne and a good value at almost every price level.… Lanson Black Label Brut, which earns a rating of three stars, earns praise for its "snappy acidity and mineral and citrus flavors." Piper-Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Perrier-Jouët and Mumm fail to make the list of excellent yet inexpensive Champagnes. Louis de Sacy Brut Grand Cru NV and Paul Goerg Blanc de Blancs NV round out the top three.
by Eric Asimov
Asimov and his fellow panelists sample 23 Champagnes ranging in price from $70 to $190, finding many to praise. The Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart '96, which "epitomized luxury," cost $95… - far less than most. The "outsider" of the group, the Jacques Selosse Grand Cru 1995, is a hard-to-find blanc de blancs. While none of the wines showed poorly, the Roederer Cristal '97 needs time to develop, and the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne proved "austere." Moët & Chandon Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1990 was "rich and full," and should improve with long aging.
by Editors of MSNBC
by Editors of Consumer Reports
by Fiona Beckett
by Editors of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Selections
by Ray Isle
by Editors of Food and Wine
by Tyler Coleman
by Ed Levine
by Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk is the Director of Operations at Wine Library TV in Springfield, NJ. His video blogs have made him a well-known personality, with appearances on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Late Night with… Conan O'Brien and NPR. These unscripted videos usually focus on three to eight wines, and a handful of videos cover Champagne. You'll find Vaynerchuk's videos either fascinating or annoying (or a bit of both), with a mix of serious evaluation and off-topic banter. But the assessments are insightful and non-snobby. Among luxury Champagnes, Duval Leroy Brut Femme 1996 is highly regarded and Legras De Vielles Vignes gets a recent high rating. Veuve Clicquot Brut is overrated. Pierre Morlet Millesime gets Vaynerchuk's highest rating of 96 (out of 100). Tasting notes are included in addition to videos.
by Editors of Forbes.com
by Editors of Wine.com
This wine e-tailer lets you sort Champagne and other sparkling wines by combined ratings in such publications as Wine Spectator, Wine and Spirits, Wine Enthusiast and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Many… wines, however, earn high rankings based on a single expert review. Consumers are invited to post their tasting notes. The top-rated sparkling wine here is a Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2002, followed by Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1998 and Salon Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger 1996. Several wines, including Roederer Brut 2000, Henriot Vintage Brut 1998 and Schramsberg J. Schram 2000, earn high ratings and cost less than $100 per bottle. Gloria Ferrer NV Blanc de Noirs is the least expensive wine with a rating of 91 or greater in two publications.
by Contributors to KensWineGuide.com
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