Cost: $130.00
Grape: 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay
Category: Champagne Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Bouzy, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Pierre Paillard
Alcohol: 12.5 % Alcohol/Vol.

Beautiful, elegant, delicious & complexed. Score: 98/100.

Tasting Note: Old gold in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, an intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Brioche, sour dough, buttered toast, Anjou Pear, lemon, kumquat, Golden Delicious apples, yellow pitaya, honeycomb, chalk, limestone, vanilla, a hint of salt & plumeria on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: La Grande Récolte 2008 benefits from extended aging “sur lie”: 10 years in our 19th century cellars at a depth of 53 feet/16 meters and
at a constant 50°F/10°C temperature

Pairings: Drink this now or in 7-10 years on its own or pair it with Caviar served on fresh baked Blinis.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: March 12, 2022

LCBO: 22922

Cost: $45.95 (Sale price until Feb28, 2021: $39.95
Grape: 20% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, 15% Meunier, 15% Red Wine
Category: Champagne
Location: LCBO General List
Country: France
Region: Epernay, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: G.H. Martel & Co.
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Very easy drinking but with substance & a great price for a Champagne Rosé: 92/100

Tasting Note: Bright deep salmon in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: cherry, Strawberry, Fuji apples, raspberry, pomegranate, cured meat, toasted almonds, yeast & cassis.

Negatives: None

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 10 years on its own or pair it with Blinis with Smoked Salmon & Caviar.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: February 28, 2021

LCBO: 16396

Cost: $47.70
Grape: 1/3 Pinot Noir, 1/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Meunier
Category: Champagne
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Oeuilly, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tarlant
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

In honour of Joe Biden’s victory & the next President of the United States of America, I present to you this very dry, crisp & elegant Champagne. Score: 92/100

Tasting Note: Gold in colour with good acidity, a low intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features toasted bread, brioche, sourdough, lemon, tangerine, baked apple, Anjou pear, hazelnut, ginger & Champagne mushrooms.     

Negatives: None

Interesting Point:

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 10+ years on its own or pair it with Shiny Sea oysters.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: November 8, 2020

LCBO: 325167

Cost: $47.95
Grape: 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay
Category: Champagne
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Ludes, Montagne de Reims
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Monmarthe
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Classic Champagne but from an Independent Winegrower that is priced well under top Champagne houses with the same quality.

Positives: Deep gold in colour with a copper tinge. This wine has a fine mousse and features yeast, brioche, finely oxidative, green apples, Anjou pear, lemons, peach, ginger, nutmeg and crushed limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: This Champagne was bought as a birthday present from my daughter, but today we drink in her honour in getting into her Masters program.

Ageability: Drink now or in the next 10-15 of years on its own or pair it with New York style Parmesan, garlic & herb pits chips.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: February 22, 2020

LCBO: 624775

TAITTINGER ROSÉ BRUT $99.95	BOLLINGER ROSÉ BRUT $113.95
40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier	62% Pinot Noir, 24% Chardonnay, 14% Pinot Meunier
Colour: Cherry-Salmon	Colour: Pale copper
Cherry, strawberry, wild raspberry, blackberry, hazelnut, clementine, cherry tomatoes	Apricots, apple (red & yellow), brioche, tangerine, peach,
Elegant, creamy	Luminous, yeasty with good acidic
Pairs well with mussels in a red wine butter garlic broth	Pairs well with Escargot in garlic butter sauce
Both complex in a different way	Both complex in a different way

Winner: In a head to head comparison, in several different stemware, it was determined for pure drinkability that Bollinger came out ahead. However, in food pairings it was equally enjoyable depending on what you paired the Champagne with. For example, the Bollinger, being higher in acidity paired better with fatty foods. The creaminess of the Taittinger was the perfect foil for other milder savory food items.  Overall the Bollinger is slightly more expensive but worth the price, therefore the nod goes to Bollinger.

My opinion: Highly recommended for both

Top Pick for both

Tasted: December 29, 2019

Cost: $84.95 (Clearance Price: $68.00)
Grape: 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Bollinger
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.

Bone dry but full of character & quality

Positives: Bright gold in colour with a fine mousse and a long finish. Wine features brioche, yeastiness, green & golden apple, Anjou pear, lemon, white peaches, walnuts, nutmeg and cloves.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Maturation cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appellation, which in total 36 months.

Ageability: Drink now or over the next 10-15 years on its own or pair it with raw oysters.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: March 17, 2019

LCBO: 384529

Cost: $74.95 (Sale price: $69.95 until Jan 6, 2019)
Grape: 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier
Category: Champagne Wine
Location: LCBO
Country: France
Region: À Reims, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Louis Roederer Champagne
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.

One of the best Champagnes without breaking the bank

Positives: Rich gold in colour with a fine mousse that features, brioche, yeast, toast, lemon, green apples, Anjou pear, clementine, Herbes de Provence, hazelnut, smoke and vanilla.

Negatives: None

Ageability: Drink now or over the next 10-15 of years. Drink on its own or pair it with oxtail ravioli in a garlic white wine butter sauce.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: December 30, 2018

LCBO: 268771