Cost: $71.50 (Cayman)
Grape Variety: 78% Pinot Noir & 22% Chardonnay
Category: Champagne
Location Bought: Cayman Islands
Country: France
Region: À Reims
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Chanoine
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Light yellow with a green ting in colour with a fine mousse & a medium minus intense nose.

Positives: A very smooth Champagne in which grapefruit dominates along with butter notes, rose petals, cloves, light brioche, limestone, baked apples, cinnamon stick & pepper. Medium+ body, good acidity and a fairly long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Things: Tortuga had this champagne at 50% off, which is a steal. I love the bottle and the history of this Champagne house:

History:

The French language echoes through the palace corridors in Saint Petersburg, Parisian fashion is all the rage, interesting discussions take place on the major works of the age of enlightenment. At this period, Russian high society took a liking to French culture, and especially to its finest illsutration: champagne.

Introduced to the court of the Empress Anna Ivanovna, it quickly became the guest of honour at all banquets, especially at the table of Catherine the Great and the highest nobility in the Empire.

It is to pay tribute to this period in Russian history that Maison Chanoine, founded in 1730, created Tsarine Champagne.

Its exclusively designed, long, curved bottle bears certain similarities to the architecture of the great Russian monuments. Its emblematic colours, its rounded label and its evocative name are all redolent of the period of the great Russian dynasties.

Drink now on its own or pair it with cheese, mushroom, tomato, shallots & red pepper omelette.

Tasted: 5 Aug 12

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9+/10, Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5+