What was your New Year's Eve champagne?
Champagne and sparkling wine drinkers, what did you toast the new year with?
Me, I had a bottle of Billiot rose Champagne. The bottle sat in my wine closet for several years, so I think it was no longer at its best (not many bubbles), but it was still lovely. The leftovers were still good the next night.
Anne
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We had a party and served Champagne cocktails at first: 1 oz St Germain Elderflower liquer, 1/4 oz lemon juice, top with Champagne. We had a variety of different Champagnes and I made a point to try them all as they were opened before using them up for cocktails: Moet White Star, Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut, Gaston Chiquet Tradition, Veuve Clicquot yellow label...and you know what? I could barely tell the difference between all of them. Granted these are all very straightforward big house style (the Gaston Chiquet was a disappointment, but it is very reasonably priced so I didnt mind, it was still good). The only one I thought has much character was my old favorite Nicolas Feuillate, which has an assertive pleasing yeastiness.
Partner bought some Veuve Clicquot 2000 rose for the midnight toast, and it was certainly nice also, probably fruitier.
So my big house go-to remains Feuillate, especially since it's still only $26 around here.
If I manage to sell my apartment I will seek something different and more special to celebrate, perhaps a grower or at least a vintage Bolly. Any recommendations for a Feuillate-o-phile?
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Melanie Wong
Jan 5, 2008 03:04 PM
I was invited to a James Bond theme party, http://www.chowhound.com/topics/465457#3250136 , so there was plenty of Bolly (Special Cuvee) to be had but didn't spot any Dom. My favorite bubbles of the night was the 1995 Henriot Cuvee les Enchanteleurs, which was so elegant and precise in its expression. The friend who brought it confessed that he'd had it in the fridge for almost two years and was concerned that it might be damaged. No worries, it was all that it should be.
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http://www.chowhound.com/topics/46545... -
cookie monster
Jan 3, 2008 05:34 PM
I decided to start at the top, rather than saving the best for the midnight toast when we'd probably be too tired / tipsy to appreciate it. So first there was a bottle of 1998 Dom that I've had "cellared" (i.e. in the 30 bottle wine fridge in my garage) for two years, which was fantastic. Then a Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label, always a favorite. Then multiple bottles of Mumm Napa Brut Prestige . . . what can I say . . . there were 8 of us and it was a long evening.
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We are generally all about the artisanal champagnes, but this year found us, coincidentally, hitting the big houses. We started w/ a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvee while lounging in our soaking bath and eating oysters on a bed of snow (not a simple thing, but worth the trouble!) and went on to crab paired with the Mumm Napa Brut Prestige. Alas, while the experience was extremely romantic and relaxing, it ended with me asleep on the couch well before the ball fell.
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re: ibstatguy
I was so lucky this year! A few of my favoite people that just so happen to be bubble freaks all got together at a friends house and we did it up bigtime, (over did it a bit but hey it's New Years).
We had;
NV Henriot Blanc Souverain in Magnum
1999 Philipponnat Brut In Magnum
NV Agrapart 7 Cru
2000 Agrapart Mineral Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs (2 bottles)
NV Godme Brut Rose
NV Pierre Peters Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
NV Paul Bara Brut Reserve
NV Camille Saves Carte d'Or
NV Godme Blanc de Noirs
hmmm I think that was it, there were a couple of bottles we did not get to but "man o man" what a night of truly fine Champagne!-
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re: ibstatguy
It was pretty amazing...I leave for a wine buying trip to France in a week and we have decided to do a New Years Eve II for the one of my bubble freak friends that was out of town when I get back....don't know which I'm more excited about...the trip or the part 2! I have to say that the Pierre Peters is in an astoundingly brillant spot right now. It has alaways been a favoite but this bottling, (current batch) is breath taking. I think the star of the night may have been the Agrapart Mineral....so complex and long. I drank another bottle tonight and it really is amazing stuff. I was reminded tonight that we also drank the Gosset 98 Celebris....a wine I love but I think it got lost among small growers. Guess I will have to try it again..poor me!
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MissMethuselah
Jan 2, 2008 08:27 PM
Nothing too fancy, as I knew that we'd be out at local watering holes, without the benefit of glasses (or atmosphere) appropriate for anything in the cellar. At a bowling alley(how Milwaukeean), with a handful of great friends, we cracked a bottle, secretly, of Louis Latour's Simonnet Febvre Crémant de Bourgogne N/V, which we "decanted" into a mini glass beer pitcher and passed around at midnight! It's an awesome bubbly made in Chablis and is my favorite inexpensive go-to sparkler. as mojoeater said, not perhaps the most "Chowhound-ish" but such great memories, with friends who are family.
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New Year's Eve, it was a magnum of 1997 Roederer Estate "L'Ermitage" (Anderson Valley, Mendocino),which we bought at the winery last year.
New Year's DAY, we had a) 1992 Westport River Vineyards "Cuvée MAX" (Southeastern New England), an Estate bottled 50-50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, having spend 14 years en tirage; b) Pehu-Simonet Champagne nv “Selection” Brut, a blend of 70 percent 2004 Pinot Noir from the villages of Verzenay and Verzy, and 30 percent 2002 Chardonnay from Verzy, Verzenay and Mesnil; c) Champagne Agrapart et Fils nv Les 7 Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs, produced from 100 percent Chardonnay grown in seven different villages, all within the Côte des Blancs, from the 2003 and 2004 harvests, and aged en tirage for approximately three years. (All of these were 750ml.)
Cheers,
Jason -
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re: Erk877
Love both of those! We actually had the good luck to spend an afternoon w/ Alexandre Chartogne in November. He is charming and passionate and writes a blog that's equaly so: http://chartogne-taillet.typepad.fr/
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we did a Schramsberg evening. Started with a 99 J. Schram and had 2 btls of 93 Reserve Napa with the Szechuan Orange beef and a bottle of 01 Cremant for dessert. The J.S. was a delight, even if a bit austere. toast and almonds with a hint of honey in the nose. lots of tiny tight bubbles, quite crisp on the palate with a dissapearance act as the finish. the Reserve was sweeter with more fruit and honeysuckle in the nose and a little spice that made it work well with the spicy beef. the cremant was rich and smooth almost creamy in the mouth(hence the name,I guess) and went perfectly with the chocolates accompanying it. I don't believe we have ever had leftover champagne, ever, ever. (even with 4 btls for 4 people)
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re: AlaskaChick
Veuve Cliquot La Grand Dame 1995, we got it for our wedding 3 yrs ago, have been waiting to drink it... leftovers??? I don' t understand what you mean ;)
it was lovely but I found it was better with food rather then on its own, so taking from another posting we started chowing on junkfood, chex mix was my favorite with it! who knew!
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re: cleopatra999
AnneInMpls
Jan 2, 2008 11:21 AM
Yeah, normally I don't have leftover New Year's Eve champagne, but we both were sick this year, so we were too sleepy to drink the whole bottle. Besides, our dinner was matzoh ball soup, which isn't really the best match for champagne (it's not bad, though, especially with my salty matzoh balls).
I adore Veuve Cliquot! What a treat to have the Grand Dame. I agree, it's definitely a "food champagne". Ain't it great how even the best champagne goes perfectly with salty, buttery junk food? :-)
Anne
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