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The Ten Greatest Champagnes http://champagnepoodle.

com What are the top 10 Champagnes, and what qualifies me or anyone else to choose them? Obviously there must be a strong element of personal preference here, and my list will be different from anyone elses. However I have drunk a lot of Champagne and do have some pretty solid opinions, as well as the ability to appreciate greatness in wines that may not perfectly align with my palate. Hey, we all have different tastes! In looking for the top Champagnes, there are a number of considerations Ive taken. A wine must be consistently superb year in and year out. While some vintages will certainly be better than others, consistency is important. Also a long term track record is required. We are only looking at wines that have been produced for decades. This removes most Grower Producers from consideration (but perhaps they belong on another list). We are also only considering wines that a mere mortal might actually find and drink, which leaves out wines like the 1907 Heidsieck recovered from a shipwreck that auctioned for US$275,000. In fact I am totally ignoring vintages in this list! There are plenty of things to argue about on this list. How can I list Dom Perignon when they make a virtual ocean of it? (Dom Perignon is superb, I dont care how much they make or if it doesnt suit your palate). Why do I not list more Grower Champagnes? (I easily drink more Grower juice than 99.99% of the population and love the stuff, but few growers have a track record). I only list the big houses! (Bullshit, is Salon big for example? How about Jacques Selosse). You didnt list XYZ (Its my list, and only 10 long. There are plenty of other worthy wines indeed go make your own list and then please send me a link!). So, in no particular order, here they are: Here is my current list.

1) Jacques Selosse Run by the influential, charismatic, yet ultra unorthodox Anselme Selosse since 1980, and producing unique Grower wines with a cult-like following. Selosse is a leader in the biodynamic movement which encompasses standard organic practices as well as pretty far out new age "ethical spiritual considerations." Think of it as wine first, not Champagne, or you may be confused when you drink it. Try any of his wines for a intellectual, and hopefully hedonistic, thrill. 2) Cristal Roederers Cristal is clearly a superb wine. It is a wine of great finesse, elegance, and delicacy, but with plenty of flavor and oodles of tiny little bubbles. It is simply my favorite "finesse" and "elegance" Champagne! Although much of it is drank way too young, as I believe it requires time to show its true splendor, it does drink very well young in most vintages. And just a quick mention as a side note that the very expensive Cristal Rose is true to the Cristal finesse and elegance taste profile. 3) Vintage Krug I am massive fan of everything Krug produces, although I have not yet tasted their stupidly expensive Blanc de noirs Clos d'Ambonnay. Krug is a very traditional house that makes very big and very dry Champagne. Rich and complex, with both incredible finesse and power are its trademarks. Nothing else tastes like Krug. It's not necessarily a Champagne for everyone, even if you ignore the steep price. Its very serious wine, best served with food, and not for casual christening of yachts or drinking with babysitters. A magnum of the 1988 is stashed away for opening in maybe a decade or so.

4) Salon Salon makes just one wine, a massive Blanc de blancs that needs serious time to drink superbly. It demands at least 15+ years of aging. Im not even considering opening my 1996s yet. It is a very complex wine, with nuts, coffee, vanilla, toast and more. When young there is lots of lemon, lime, and other citrus flavors - sometimes way too much. Like I said, it demands at least 15+ years of aging. 5) Dom Perignon It is amazing how Moet and Chandon produces a near ocean of Dom, yet the quality stays extremely high! It is also most popular prestige cuvee worldwide, although that has zero to do with its inclusion on this list. It is very dry and has elegance, creaminess and superb balance. Although maybe they shouldnt have made the 1992 and 1993 as they are not up to their standards in my opinion, every vintage is a damn good wine. In great years like 1966, 1985, 1990, and 1996 it will age and improve for decades, depending of course on your preferences. Oh yes, the Dom Perignon Rose absolutely rocks as well. 6) Clos des Goisses Philipponnats Clos des Goisses is a single vineyard Champagne from a 5.5 hectare walled vineyard on an very steep south facing slope in Mareuil. The grapes ripen extremely well, and this Pinot Noir dominant wine is powerful yet graceful and exceptionally well balanced. Like most wines on this list, it needs age to show phenomenally well. As of now, 2013, the 1990 is amazing for example. 7) La Grande Annee Bollingers Grand Annee is actually one of the less expensive wines on this list. It is about 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay, very big and dry in flavor, lasts a long time, and James Bond drinks it in his later movies. 8) Grand Siecle A Multi Vintage wine from Laurent-Perrier, this is blend of 3 great vintages (unfortunately not specified on the label) that greatly rewards aging. A creamy and complex Champagne. 9) Winston Churchill - Pol Roger Champagne Cuve Sir Winston Churchill is a powerful and complex wine, much like Churchill himself, who loved Pol Roger Champagne. Pinot Noir dominant.

10) Comtes de Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is a 100% Grand Cru Bland de blancs and consistently superb. Although most Tattingers are light bodied, this is a big wine. It requires at least ten years of aging to show superbly, sometimes more. Its also one of James Bonds favorites. Any serious top ten list is bound to be contentious. Your top ten are bound to be different. Also, any list must have constraints as I listed at the top of the article. If this was just The Top Ten with no constraints, I probably would have included Sponge Bob, Sex, The Three Stooges, Coffee, and Shellfish. The most common comment I get has to do with the very few Grower-Champagnes (except for Selosse). Few have a have term track record, although a list of 10 awesome Grower Champagnes that arent too difficult to find would be awesome! Now who wants to write it? http://champagnepoodle.com

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