531513 Sun Jun 22 10:32:05 -0700 2008 36 34 Wine 0 3802330 Is anyone familar with this NV Champagne? Wondering what to expect from this recent gift. Sun Jun 22 10:32:07 -0700 2008 78406 scrappydog 1 3802344 I've had it a few times...it is ok, not great. Clean enough but nothing all that interesting flavor wise. I would use it for some kind of Champagne cocktail, would be good for that. Sun Jun 22 10:38:08 -0700 2008 3802330 96905 bubbles4me 2 3804376 Far be it for me to question the use of Champagne, but the use of Champagne for a Champagne cocktail is a waste of Champagne. Champagne cocktails are why God invented CAVA . . . or Korbel, or even Andre . . . . Mon Jun 23 06:52:39 -0700 2008 3802344 28122 zin1953 3 3805045 For me it depends on the Champagne.. I don't find the flavors of the Heidsieck Blue Top interesting enough on its own but for say, a French 75 it would be perfect, (for me of course). I buy Cava for the store where I work and I know it has a place but I personally don't care for it, (even mixed with OJ or something) and for me adding cheap sparklers to a cocktail makes a less than tasty cocktail so I use less expensive Champagne or ones that are simple.... Mon Jun 23 10:00:41 -0700 2008 3804376 96905 bubbles4me 4 3806767 Just to be clear, I'm not touting Heidsieck Monopole as an outstanding Champagne. It is, however, FOR ME a wine worthy of much "higher status" (shall I say) than relegating it to "champagne cocktail" level, and I find it preferable -- based on my last tasting of it -- to be better than some other grandes marques out there. Again, YMMV. Cheers, Jason Mon Jun 23 16:50:37 -0700 2008 3805045 28122 zin1953 5 3806851 I think you hit the nail on the head....Grandes Marques. I have a passion and palate for Grower Champagnes so they are pretty much all I drink any more, with the exception of Gosset which I tend to like quite a lot but still tend to prefer the RM wines. I'll give the Heidsieck another shot. Mon Jun 23 17:16:49 -0700 2008 3806767 96905 bubbles4me 6 3807095 >>> I have a passion and palate for Grower Champagnes so they are pretty much all I drink any more . . . <<< You and me both, but one still must approach the Grandes Marques with an open mind. ;^) Mon Jun 23 18:49:41 -0700 2008 3806851 28122 zin1953 7 3813649 Jason (and bubbles4, chrisinroch and Icantread): Thanks for all of this information. This is an example of why I like this board so much. As a result of this thread, I not only got your opinions on the wine, but I actually learned lots of other interesting facts. Obviously, I am far less experienced with champagne than any of you, but I am always willing to try something new. Consider your collective selves toasted when I pop the cork on this puppy. Likewise, I am always willing to learn something new, so I googled "grandes marques" and confirmed the definition was pretty much what I expected from the context, although I did not know what specific brands/houses made up the the list of grandes marques prior to the search. Sounds like I should try a Grower Champagne sometime. I did a search and found an article from NY Times. (12/23/2007). Accordingly, I have at least one persons perspective. Do you have any Grower Champagne recommendations for a novice? I am thinking it might be fun to host a blind tasting of several NV champagnes with at least one Grower Champagne in the mix. I am in SOCAL, so we have WHWC, K&L, and others in terms of vendors. (Any other recommendations for some non-grower champagnes for a blind tasting are welcome also. I am thinking of the Monopole, but need some other options. We have some Billecart-Salmon Rose and Brut on hand, VC yellow label, and maybe another option or two, but I will have to check our stash for specific details.) I would like to keep it to real french Champagne, even though there are many domestics sparklers that I appreciate. Any general tips on hosting a champagne tasting are also welcome. I may open up a new post on this topic to solicit advice. Regards. Wed Jun 25 15:57:48 -0700 2008 3807095 78406 scrappydog 8 3813878 Terry Theise has a strong portfolio of "Grower Champagnes" -- check out http://www.skurnikwines.com/msw/documents/2008Champagnecatalog_2008final_opt.pdf In alphabetical order, my favorites producers from Terry are: Gaston Chiquet, René Geoffroy, Pierre Gimonnet and Pierre Peters -- especially the Pierre Peters! -- but all of Terry's wines (even the ones not mentioned here) are worth trying. From Louis/Dressner, I really enjoy Larmandier-Bernier -- see http://louisdressner.com/Larmandier/ From North Berkeley Imports, I really like the Egly-Ouriet a great deal; their others, Jean Vesselle, Michel Turgy, Lancelot-Royer, and Alain Robert are certainly worth trying as well -- especially the first three! Check out http://northberkeleyimports.com/browse/index.php?id=15 Cheers, Jason Wed Jun 25 17:28:34 -0700 2008 3813649 28122 zin1953 9 3815509 The Terry Theise website is really a great wealth of information. Thu Jun 26 08:56:11 -0700 2008 3813878 78406 scrappydog 8 3813907 Here is a list of some of my favorite Grower Champagnes: Agrapart Pierre Peters Vilmart Rene Geoffroy Jean Milan Jose Dhondt Camille Saves H. Billiot I know I am leaving a few off the list but those are some of my absolute favorites, these are not only wines that I love but wines that blow my customers away and turn them into people like Zin and myself...grower lovers! If you need any help with like tasting notes or helping with the order just let me know! One tip...serve potato chips, salty, crunchy makes Champagne sing. Wed Jun 25 17:41:46 -0700 2008 3813649 96905 bubbles4me 9 3813970 Good news. A quick check on-line reveals that a number of Jason's and your recommendations are available at my local wine shop. Prices from the mid 40s to high 50s on most of them, with a few exceptions outside this range. I will make a visit this coming weekend. Wed Jun 25 18:15:35 -0700 2008 3813907 78406 scrappydog 10 3813989 Awesome! Happy shopping....would love to hear what you came up with. Wed Jun 25 18:23:18 -0700 2008 3813970 96905 bubbles4me 11 3822321 This weekend I picked up Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs, Rene Geoffrey Rose Brut, and Lallier Cuvee EnzoE Brut based on recommendations from you and Jason as well as my local wine merchant. On hand, I have Billecart Salmon Brut, Rose and Demi-sec, Veuve Clicquot Yellow label, Heidsieck Monopole Brut (original subject of this posting), Deutz Brut, Tattinger Rose, Nicolas Feuillatte Brut and one bottle of vintage 1999 DP that we have on hand in case we need a quick gift. Depending on how many people can make the tasting, I would like to offer 6 to 8 choices. My plan is to ask every one to rank their top 3. Any thoughts on which wines to pick, or tasting order (I am guessing the Rene Geoffrey last, based on the comments by the shop owner) or other choices I might want to pick up? (Of the grower champagnes mentioned in your post and Jason's post, they also have Gaston Chiquet, Pierre Gimonet, Agrapart, Vilmart and Henri Billiot as well as several not mentioned. Pretty much any mass market champagne is available locally.) Sat Jun 28 13:43:27 -0700 2008 3813989 78406 scrappydog 12 3823876 Keep in mind that Demi-Sec ("half-dry") is noticeably sweet, and you might want to save it for either a dessert course, or something more suitable. The rest of the wines are all Brut, but many rosés -- even though they are indeed in the Brut category -- may have a slightly higher level of sweetness than their "non-Rosés" counterparts. Depending upon what you want to accomplish, you only have one Brut Blanc de Blanc on hand, and although it's certainly one of my absolute favorites, I might hang onto it -- and do the Billecart-Salmon Brut, the Heidsieck, and the Feuillatte or Deutz. I would group the Brut Rosé Champagnes into one flight, and serve Billecart-Salmon (the most delicate) first, followed by the Taittinger and the René Geoffrey last. Another idea would be to take make one flight all Billecart: the Brut, the Brut Rosé, and the Demi-Sec -- you can see the house style in three different "editions." The problem with Veuve Clicquot is that it's on the "sweeter end" of Brut, so if you include it, serve it last in a "Brut flight." Cheers, Jason Sun Jun 29 09:46:59 -0700 2008 3822321 28122 zin1953 13 3824144 I like the idea of doing the three Roses as a flight, so I might do the other flight of Brut as you suggest. If I was to add one more wine for comparison sake, would you suggest the Blanc de Blanc or Demi-Sec? One thought I had was to provide a wide spectrum of tastes, as half the crowd will likely be somewhat wine-savy and the other half will probably not have be exposed to anything beyond basic Brut champagne. As almost everyone will have had the VC yellow, I am inclined to leave it out anyway. Sun Jun 29 12:12:11 -0700 2008 3823876 78406 scrappydog 14 3824994 Pierre Peters IS a Brut. It is ALSO a Blanc de Blancs, so I'd use that one. Keep in mind that designations such as Brut, Extra Dry, Demi-Sec, Sec, and Doux refer to the (ever increasing) level of residual sugar in the wine, whereas the terms Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noirs refer to the grape composition of the cuvée. A "White of Whites" can only contain Chardonnay; a "White of Blacks" can contain NO Chardonnay (only Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). And the term "Rosé" means it's pink, as opposed to white. Red Champagne is illegal -- Champagne must be "blanc ou rosé." Cheers, Jason Sun Jun 29 18:46:31 -0700 2008 3824144 28122 zin1953 14 3830551 Even though it doesn't fit perfectly, I'd leave in the VC yellow. It might show as noticeably simple compared to the others, but that's part of the point of a blind tasting, to knock people out of their zone of expectations and overcome marketing. Tue Jul 01 13:05:22 -0700 2008 3824144 17221 SteveG 2 3816544 < I would use it for some kind of Champagne cocktail, would be good for that.> I can't imagine using any Heidsieck Champagne for a cocktail mixer. My favorite NV from their house is Charles Heidsieck, but they're all tasty. (or am I just a fool for Champagne?) I was fortunate to attend a Champagne and food tasting dinner in the Heidsieck caves last November, and Regis Camus, their winemaker was my dinner partner. We drank not only their cuvees, but also from Dom Ruinart and Roederer that evening... and the 89 vintage CH. Definitely an evening to remember. 8>D Thu Jun 26 13:08:34 -0700 2008 3802344 52499 ChefJune 3 3817248 Remeber, June that there are THREE SEPARATE HOUSES, all with the name "Heidsieck" as a part of their name -- all are descended from the ORIGINAL Heidsieck & Co., founded in 1785 by Florens-Louis Heidsieck. He died in 1828, however, with no children of his own, and control passed to two nephews -- who each acquired a partner: Henri-Louis Walbaum and his brother-in-law Auguste Heidsieck kept the Heidsieck & Co. name*, while Christian Heidsieck and Henri-Guillaume Piper had Piper-Heidsieck. BOTH houses claim the founding date of 1785. Meanwhile, Charles-Camile Heidsieck established his own house in 1851. At this point, and for over 100 years, all three firms operated INDEPENDENTLY of one another. Piper-Heidsieck grew to be the largest and most important of the three by the 1960s, especially in the American market, while Heidsieck & Co. Monopole thrived in the UK and Charles Heidsieck in Asia -- but both were much smaller than Piper. Indeed, few people -- at least here in the US -- ever heard of Heidsieck & Co. or Charles Heidsieck, in the same way that many have never heard of Joseph Perrier (a totally different house than Perrier-Jouet). Eventually, in the course of things, Seagram's acquired Heidsieck & Co. Monopole, but always focused their marketing monies on G.H. Mumm & Co. and Perrier-Jouet. Piper-Heidsieck was acquired by another large multinational, and only Charles Heidsieck remained independent . . . at least until the 1990s (IIRC). As I've said elsewhere, today, Charles Heidseick is (IMHO) the best of the three, and is owned by the parent company of Remy Martin Cognac. So, too, is Piper-Heidsieck. And although there were rumours about their interest in Heidsieck Monopole, it was sold to Vranken. There is no connection whatsoever between Heidsick & Co. Monopole (makers of "Blue Top" n.v. Brut) and Charles Heidsieck. Cheers, Jason * Later this "officially" became "Heidsieck & Co. Monopole." Thu Jun 26 16:20:36 -0700 2008 3816544 28122 zin1953 4 3819029 Jason, just finished reading the book "Champagne," by Don and Petie Kladstrup, and all about "Champagne Charlie." Yes, I know they are different houses. but M. Camus is the winemaker for both Piper and Charles.... 8>) <in the same way that many have never heard of Joseph Perrier (a totally different house than Perrier-Jouet).> and Laurent-Perrier is different yet again. Fri Jun 27 08:49:26 -0700 2008 3817248 52499 ChefJune 1 3802387 Heidsieck & Co. Monopole is the ORIGINAL "Heidsieck" Champagne house. Although both it and Piper-Heidsieck claim the 1785 founding date, Pipier-Heindiseck split off from the original when Henri Piper joined it. Later, in 1851, Charles Heidsieck split off and formed the third Champagne house with the "Heidsieck" name. Piper-Heidsieck was long the most famous of the three, but investments from Rémy Martin turned Charles Heidsieck around and it quickly soared to the top of the "Heidsieck trio." Heidsieck & Co. Monopole -- also known simply as "Heidsieck Monopole" -- has long labored in the shadow of the other two, but the quality is quite high. For a time, it was owned by Seagram's, but it was always the "poor relation," as Seagram's put their efforts into Mumm and Perrier-Jouët. Eventually it was sold to Vranken (owners of Champagne producers Vranken, Pommery, Charles Lafitte, Le Demoiselles, as welll as Rozes Port house). The Blue Top is a typical non-vintage Brut, produced from (approx) 24% Chardonnay, 48& Pinot Noir, and 28% Pinot Meunier; I'd enjoy it now, rather than later . . . Sun Jun 22 10:57:27 -0700 2008 3802330 28122 zin1953 1 3804098 I think its a really nice "everyday" champagne. Its a classic brut with quite a bit of yeastiness. Delicate mouthfeel. For the money $30-50 I think it shows great value. If you need to mix it with sugar and bitters to enjoy it, you have a much more refined palate than I. Mon Jun 23 04:43:36 -0700 2008 3802330 53967 chrisinroch 2 3805079 I would not say more "refined" but maybe more sensitive....or just too picky! (Grin) I have been the Champagne buyer for a retail shop for 9 years so I have been lucky, (and in some cases unlucky) enough to taste a lot of Champagne and Sparkling wine....maybe too spoiled is more like it. I can just think of other wines in that price point that I would much rather drink...like Agrapart Blanc de Blancs, now there is a Rock Star in its price bracket! Mon Jun 23 10:09:11 -0700 2008 3804098 96905 bubbles4me 3 3806788 I used to sell (retail) Heidsieck Diamant Bleu for $39.99 . . . now THAT was "a Rock Star in its price bracket." Now the "regular" n.v. Brut is $35 (according to the Wine Spectator [91 points, BTW; see http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Daily_Wine/0,1142,4600,00.html ] -- RARELY an authortative source, but whacha gonna do?), and can indeed be found for less, it remains a good value. What remains to be seen is what Vranken will do with it . . . . Mon Jun 23 16:58:23 -0700 2008 3805079 28122 zin1953 4 3806830 Wow I think I remember when we sold the Diamant for around $45.00, seems like a million years and two million bottles ago. The prices on those, (the Rose as well) have almost doubled......the last time I was tasted on the line was about a year ago....maybe I should re-visit? Mon Jun 23 17:10:32 -0700 2008 3806788 96905 bubbles4me 1 3805244 I think it's a fairly enjoyable champagne and a good value. Found some recently for under $30. It claims to be the champagne of the Titanic, so I wouldn't go out on a boat with it, but that's less about champagne and more about (far out) superstition. I had some Pipier recently as well (don't know which, except it was dry) at a function and I dare say that the Blue Top was heads above that one. Mon Jun 23 10:46:45 -0700 2008 3802330 124704 Icantread 2 3806797 >>> It claims to be the champagne of the Titanic <<< Where do you find that information? There WAS a stash of Heidsieck Monopole brought up from a Swedish ocean liner that sank -- I forget exactly -- sometime around 1908-1916, I think. Because of the cold water, and the pressure, many of the bottles were intact and quite delicious! (I tasted the wine from two different bottles.) Mon Jun 23 17:01:04 -0700 2008 3805244 28122 zin1953 3 3807416 Heidsieck Monopole Champagne Brut Blue Top 750ML Sku: 202097 A non-vintage bubbly from one of the most prestigious Champagne houses, Heidsieck & Co. Monopole. Blue Top was the official champagne aboard the ill-fated Titanic. When you pop open a bottle of this super premium sparkler, you`ll know why the world has been singing champagne`s praises for centuries. Mon Jun 23 20:31:36 -0700 2008 3806797 53967 chrisinroch 4 3808200 Quoting someone's shelf talker doesn't make it correct. Do you have any "real" information? Tue Jun 24 06:50:51 -0700 2008 3807416 28122 zin1953 5 3809290 FIRST-CLASS WINELIST: (Prices subject to variation) Bottle 1/2 Bottle Champagne: Cliquot 1900 £14 ($3.50 ) £7 ($1.75) Pommeroy Naturel 1900 £13 ($3.25 ) £7 ($1.75) Moet and Chandon, Dry Imperial 1898 £12/6 ($3.12) £6/6 ($1.62) Heidsieck, Dry Monopole 1898, 1900 £12/6 ($3.12) £6/6 ($1.62) Mumm's G. H., Extra Dry 1900 £12 ($3.00) £6/6 ($1.62) Perrier Jouet, Extra Quality, Extra Dry 1898 £12 ($3.00) £6/6 ($1.62) Ruinart, Vin Brut £11 ($2.75) £6 ($1.50) Claret: Chateau Rauzan Segla, First Quality £5 ($1.25) £3 ($0.75) Chateau Camponac, Medoc £3 ($0.75) £1/6 ($0.38) Sauterne: Sauterne £4 ($1.00) £2/6 ($0.62) Hock - Rhine wine: Nonpareli, Sparkling £6 ($1.50) £3/6 ($0.87) Rudesheim, Still £5 ($1.25) £3 ($0.75) Moselle: Nonpareli, Sparkling £6 ($1.50) £3/6 ($0.87) Josephshofer, Still £4 ($1.00) £2/6 ($0.62) Port: Old Matured £5 ($1.25) Fine Old Tawny £5 ($1.25) Sherry: Vino De Pasto £5 ($1.25) Burgundy: Volnay £5 ($1.25) £3 ($0.75) Vermouth: French £5 ($1.25) Italian £5 ($1.25) Bottle Glass Rum: Jamaica £4 ($1.00) 6d. ($0.13) Gin: Geneva £4 ($1.00) 6d. ($0.13) Warrington £4 ($1.00) 6d. ($0.13) Old Tom £4 ($1.00) 6d. ($0.13) Brandy: Hennesy £7/6 ($1.88) 8d. ($0.16) Martell £7/6 ($1.88) 8d. ($0.16) Frapin £7/6 ($1.88) 8d. ($0.16) Liquer - Hine £15 ($3.75) 9d. ($0.18) Liquer - Frapin £15 ($3.75) 9d. ($0.18) Whiskey: Irish, John Jameson & Sons (10 Yr old) £5 ($1.25) 6d. ($0.13) Scotch (11 Yr old) £5 ($1.25) 6d. ($0.13) Canadian Club £5 ($1.25) 6d. ($0.13) Hannis £5 ($1.25) 6d. ($0.13) Liquers: Crème-de-Menthe £10 ($2.50) 6d. ($0.13) Benedictine £10 ($2.50) 6d. ($0.13) Chartreuse (Yellow) £10 ($2.50) 6d. ($0.13) Chartreuse (Green) £15 ($3.75) 9d. ($0.18) Curacao £10 ($2.50) 6d. ($0.13) Kummel £10 ($2.50) 6d. ($0.13) Ales, Lager, Stout, 6d. or $0.13 per bottle. Apollinaris water, Perrier water, White Rock water, Apenta water, Cantrell & Cochrane and Ross's Ginger Ale and Lemonade, Schweppe's Soda Water, 6d. or $0.13 per bottle. Split Apollinaris, Perrier, White Rock and Soda Water, 3d. or $0.07 per bottle. Poland water (still) 1sh. or $0.25 per bottle. Congress water, 1sh. or $0.25 per bottle. Hunyadi water, 1sh. 6d. or $0.37 per bottle. Vichy Celestin, 1sh.3d. or $0.31 per bottle. Craven mixture in 1/4 lb. tin, 2sh. or $0.50. Cut (Pioneer Savory and Capstan) Tobacco, 3sh. or $0.75 per lb. Egypian Cigarettes, Fribourg & Treyer, 1sh. or $0.25 per box. Pall Mall, 1sh. or $0.25 per box, tin. Three Castles, 1sh. or $0.25 per tin. Richmond Straight Cut, 1sh. or $0.25 per box. Cigars: Fernandez Garcia, Vincedores, £1 or $0.25 each. Bock's Rothchild Elegantes, 6d. or $0.13 each. Jose Morales, 6d. or $0.13 each. Garcia Perlas Finas, 4d. or $0.08 each. All except bottles of wine or spirits is to be paid for on delivery, unless ordered during meals. The Purser is directed to present and collect the Wine Bill against Passengers on the day previous to the ships arrival. * * * Tue Jun 24 11:26:50 -0700 2008 3808200 53967 chrisinroch 6 3810182 Oh, I certainly BELIEVE that the White Star line carried Heidsieck Monopole onboard their passenger liners, Chris. But that's a far cry from: >>> It claims to be the champagne of the Titanic . . . <<< poted by "Icantread" >>> Heidsieck & Co. Monopole. Blue Top was the official champagne aboard the ill-fated Titanic. <<< posted by "chrisinroch" In other words, "THE Champagne of the Titanic," as in "The Official Champagne of the Innagural Trans-Atlantic Crossing of the Titanic" as in -- well, you get the idea. Sure, White Star carried Heidsieck Monopole on their "Carte des Vins," but they also carried a number of other Champagnes -- and it's not even the most expensive one, at that. It's one thing to be sold (e.g.) in a restaurant or bar. It's quite another thing to be the Official Cola of the 2008 Summer Olympics . . . . Cheers, Jason ;^) Tue Jun 24 14:37:28 -0700 2008 3809290 28122 zin1953 3 3810234 Wow, you just caught me quoting third party information. I do not know why I thought I had read it on their website, (can't even find their website), but rather it was from other various ones. Wikipedia quotes the following: "In 1998, the Hiedsieck cuvée called Diamant bleu vintage 1907 was found in a shipwreck in the Gulf of Finland of a carrier ship charted by the Imperial Court of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. The ship was torpedoed in 1916 by a German sub during World War I and a majority of the bottles survived in the frigid waters.[1] About 2000 bottles were salvaged from the ship and have been sold at auctions all over the world as a historic novelty." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidsieck_&_Co_Monopole Definitely a far cry from the Titanic. All I find is on random wine sites: ". . .its popular Blue Top non-vintage bubbly -- Heidsieck & Co. Monopole -- the official champagne aboard the ill-fated Titanic. (When they were bringing up salvage from the boat a few years back, they pulled-up some Heidsieck Monopole and it tasted terrific!)" http://www.abarbanel.com/wines/heidsieck.shtml http://www.internetwines.com/rws33317.html etc. Sorry and I'm glad you caught that Tue Jun 24 14:52:14 -0700 2008 3806797 124704 Icantread 4 3810532 OK, that's the wine I had -- from the ship sunk in the Gulf of Finland. The importer I was then working for brought some into the US. (At least I got the "1916" right! Sort of.) Tasted two different bottles, and they were definitely MORE than just an historic novelty. As far as the Titanic "thing" is concerned, I had not heard of any Heidsieck being recovered from the Titanic. I honestly suspect the story of the recovered bottles from the Gulf of Finland is being confused with the Titanic, as -- IIRC -- the recovery of the Heidsieck Monopole and some of the (e.g.) china service and other goods from the Titanic occurred at roughly the same time. Look, I actually imported some of the bottles from the 1916 shipwreck, and I had confused some of the details . . . certainly easier for people to confuse even more of the specific details if they weren't directly involved. Heidsieck Monopole used to be a top-notch Grande Marque that, over the years, fell into disrepair and neglect as first PiperiHeidsieck and then Charles Heidsieck took top honors (among the three houses) in popularity AND quality. It was the parent company of Remy Martin that upgraded Charles Heidsieck so significantly, and then they acquired Piper-Heidsieck. It was hoped by Seagram's that all three Heidsieck's could be reunited, but the company now known as Remy-Pernod (probably) felt that two Heidsiecks were enough, and so Seagram's unloaded Heidsieck Monopole on Vranken. Vranken has great PLANS for Heidsieck Monopole, but it remains to be seen if they can actually realize them. Until quite recently, they've still been working through the back-stock of wines and reserves from the previous owner. * * * * * In the interests of full disclosure and all that, Heidsieck & Co. Monopole was the first major Champagne House that I "discovered" . . . I worked for a small importer and wholesaler at the time (small in that, when I started with them, we had a total of three sales reps for all of California), and one of the wines we had in our portfolio was Heidsieck Monopole. I was quite fond of it back then, and used to sell hundreds of cases of it. It feels now as if I was forever having to explain that this WASN'T Piper-Heidsieck, and that (I honestly felt at the time) this was better. Then we moved on, grabbing Champange Lechere and its "Cuvee Orient Express" . . . Even though I rarely drink either one now (preferring several "grower Champagnes" and other small producers), I shall always have a soft spot in my heart for both houses. Tue Jun 24 16:33:22 -0700 2008 3810234 28122 zin1953 5 3814922 As always, a veritable encyclopedia of wine knowledge and experience. Thank's for sharing. Pretty neat to drink from the recovered stash. Thu Jun 26 06:12:16 -0700 2008 3810532 124704 Icantread 1 3810271 So all this makes me wonder. . . how did it get that regurgitated moniker? just plain cheap shot by marketing, internet myth or does anyone have some proof? Did it really get pulled out of some wreckage and become the "Titanic wine" then and there? I'm not exactly in the wine business so I don't really know how the beast works. If anything, I'd be worried about having stories floating around. Tue Jun 24 14:59:45 -0700 2008 3802330 124704 Icantread 1 3819783 new question. What's the difference between the regular Blue Top and the one that comes in a yellow bottle? I've seen it several times, but it reads "Blue Top Brut" just the same. Fri Jun 27 12:10:42 -0700 2008 3802330 124704 Icantread