Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve Mis en Cave 1995 (DM49.90)****, a fabulous, award-winning wine from top blender Daniel Thibault.
• Champagne Beaumont des Crayeres (£12.99), a super easy-drinking fizz from this respected co-operative.
Champagne de Venoge, Grand Vin des Princes, 1992 Brut (£27.99), a super cuvée in an unusual shape conical bottle with glass stopper.
Champagne
Drappier Carte d'Or NV (£12.99 UK) ***
A deep dark gold hue gives a hint as to the cepage of this Champagne: 90% Pinot Noir. I first tried this wine at the two-Michelin starred Fat Duck, in Bray on Thames, England, where it is the House Champagne. I was impressed.
Lively mousse, forming a necklace. Honey and toffee,
Smooth, long finish. A quality Champagne. Tasted 24/2/01
Champagne
Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée 1993 (£39.99 UK) ***** This small house is widely acclaimed and for very good reason. The primary
fermentation is exclusively in oak barriques. The 1990 is considered by
some to be one of the best Champagnes ever produced. Sadly, that has all been
snapped up and or drunk. But don't despair - the '93 is here. The bottle label and capsule look a bit naff for a prestige cuvée, but
if that concerns you you'll probably pay half or double as much for inferior
Dom Pérignon or Cristal in perfect packaging. The colour is an intense greenish yellow gold. Honey and butter on the nose. Smooth and sweet, with a long finish. Concentrated
toffee and raisin flavours. Production of this wine is limited to 4000 bottles only (in comparison DP sells
2.5m bottles annually), the grapes harvested from low-yielding, 40 year old
vines in the proportion Chardonnay: 80%, Pinot Noir: 20%. I am sure this Champagne
will keep for years, but it's wonderful to drink now. If you can find any, snap
it up.
This is one of the finest Champagnes I have ever tasted! Value for money: vvvv Tasted 25/12/00
Champagne G.H. Mumm & Cie. Cordon Rouge Brut Cuvée Limitée 1990 (£34.99 UK) *** An unusual cuvée, a Millennium special limited edition. Sold in the same shaped bottle as Mumm's Prestige Cuvée, Grand Cordon.
Dark gold in colour. Lemon and burnt sugar on the nose, yet not intense, and so a little disappointing for a premium wine.
Orange and lemon on the palate, crêpes Suzette? Long finish, but fairly acid.
A good Champagne, but not worth the recommended price of 35 quid. I got it on special offer at £19.99 - so, value for money, two ratings: (£34.99)v, (£19.99)vvvv. Tasted 10/3/01
* Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Blue Top Brut:70% Pinot Noir,
10% Pinot Meunier,
20% Chardonnay. £14.99, although has been the subject of various promotional offers during 2000 for as little as £9.99. Pale yellow / straw colour. Hint of petrol on the nose, weak mousse (I tried another glass washed in cold water in case the rinse aid from the dishwasher had affected it) Long finish. I left a third of this bottle in the fridge, as I was not thrilled with it. Surprisingly, a week later, there was still some petillance and somehow it tasted better. You know what they say about bottle age!
**** Mailly Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs:
100% Pinot Noiryeast and honey