Category Archives: Champagne

KRUG GRANDE CUVÉE BRUT NV, Ac Champagne, France

04 Thursday Dec 2014

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Krug Grande

Cost: $277.95
Grape Variety: 44% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay, 19% Meunier
Category: Champagne
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Maison Krug
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.

Distinctive, elegant, sophisticated & amazing

Description: Deep gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose and fine mousse. This complex Champagne features toasted brioche layered in Kerrygold butter followed by jellied fruits, marzipan, golden apples, hazelnuts, almonds, tangerines, barley sugar, gingerbread, honey & sweet spices. Full body with good acidity and a very long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: Every Krug after 2011 has a specific ID that you can check for the bottles detail at www.krug.com. This bottle’s ID is 411048

Drink now or in the next 20 years on its own or pair it with chicken Brûlée Pâté

Tasted: 4 Dec 2014 (My 6th Year Wedding Anniversary)

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5+

LCBO: 38562

CHAMPAGNE HENRIOT BRUT SOUVERAIN NV, Reims, Champagne, France

28 Wednesday May 2014

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Henriot

Cost: $56.95
Grape Variety: Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
Category: Champagne
Location Bought: LCBO
Country: France
Region: Reims
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Henriot
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Deep straw in colour, a medium to medium+ intense nose with fine mousse.

This may be my new favourite Champagne

Positives: This complex smooth Champagne features medium toasted crostini, brioche, yeast, white flowers, lemon zest, orange, Anjou pears, green and yellow apples, ginger, honey and toasted almonds. Medium+ body with good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: None

Drink now or in the next 5 years and pair it with caprese salad made with Mozzarella di Bufala.

Tasted: 28 May 2014

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 5

LCBO: 959643

PALMES D’OR BRUT CHAMPAGNE 1998, Ac Champagne, France

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

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Palmes

Cost: $98 Cayman Islands
Grape Variety: Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
Category: Champagne
Location Bought: Blackbeard’s, Cayman Islands
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Nicolas Feuillatte
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose & a fine mousse.

Powerful, distinguished & smooth. Happy birthday to me!

Positives: This complex Champagne features melba toast, peach, pear, apricot, lemon, walnut, candied ginger & limestone. Full body with good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Note: You can serve this as an Aperitif, Starter, Main & Desert

Thank you Jacs & Mandy for this Champagne

Drink now or in the next 5 years on its own or pair it with Foie gras.

Tasted: 12 March 2014

Top Pick

Score: 9.5+/10, Value: 8.5+/10, Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

PIPER-HEIDSIECK BRUT CHAMPAGNE NV, Reims, Champagne, France

05 Sunday Jan 2014

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Piper Heidsieck

Cost: $54.95 ($34.95 Total Wines, Florida)
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meuniers
Category: Champagne
Location Bought: Total Wines, Florida
Country: France
Region: Reims, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Piper Heidsieck
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium straw in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose & fine mousse.

The sports car of Champagnes; fast, lean, racy & easy to drink

Positives: This complex wine features light toast & yeast, guava, honeysuckle, pear, green apples, pistachio, tobacco, melba toast & icing sugar on the finish. Light to medium body with good acidity & a long length.

Negatives: $20 more expensive in Ontario than Florida.

Drink now or over the next 5 years on its own or pair it with raspberry point oysters.

Interesting Point: My wife’s go to Champagne, and if it were priced like Florida this would be a weekly staple.

Tasted: 5 January 2014

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9/10 Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO: 462432

KIRKLAND SIGNATURE BRUT CHAMPAGNE NV, Champagne, France

01 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Kirkland champagne

Cost: $19.99 US
Grape Variety: 65% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay
Category: Champagne Wine
Location Bought: Costco, Florida
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Kirkland
Alcohol: 12% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Bright yello gold in colour with a medium+ intense nose & fine mousse.

Happy New Year 2014 with this $20 Champagne!

Positives: This true champagne from Kirkland features a lot of yeast, mild toastiness, tart orange, peach, lemon marmalade & toffee. Full body with fairly good acidity & average length.

Negatives: A little too yeasty, tart & one dimensional.

Drink now on its own or pair it with peach pie.

Tasted: 1 January 2014

Score: 8.5+/10, Value: 9/10 Total: 17.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 3.5+

TARLANT ZERO BRUT NATURE NV, AC Marne River Valley, Champagne, France

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Tarlant_Zero_Brut_Nature_Champagne_web

Cost: $44.95 (Clearance Price $31.55)
Grape Variety: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Category: Champagne Wine
Location Bought: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Marne River Valley, Champagne
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tarlant Père & Fils
Alcohol: 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Gold in colour with medium+ intense nose and fine mousse.

Not often can I say that Champagne is so smooth that it should have a warning on it, being easy to consume 2 bottles in one sitting, but this one should.

Positives: This easy drinking but complex Champagne features citrus, pears, brioche, yeast, almonds, ginger, wet hay, Magnolia and limestone. Medium body with good acidity a long length.

Negatives: None

Interesting Notes: Don’t over chill this, as you will not get all the nuances from this beautiful Champagne. Harvested in 2006 with reserve wines, 4 years on the lees and no dosage which means it’s dry.

Drink now on its own or cellar it for another 5 years. Pair it with cheese, tomato, shallot omelet.

Tasted: 7 July 2013

Top Pick

Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9.5/10 (Clearance price 10/10) Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO: 996264

TSARINE PREMIER CRU 2002,

05 Sunday Aug 2012

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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+

TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE BRUT PRESTIGE ROSÉ NV, Reims, France

28 Saturday Jul 2012

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Cost:  $68.99 (KYD)
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Category:  Champagne
Appellation:  Cayman Islands
Country:  France
Region: Reims
Format: 750 ml
Producer: Taittinger
Alcohol: 12%

Description: A beautiful rose gold colour with fine mousse and medium minus intensity on the nose.

Positives: Strawberries, lime, papaya, mandarin and limestone. Medium body with good acidity and medium+length.

Negatives: None

Drink now on its own or pair with it cured meat.

Tasted: 26 July 12

Score:  9+/10, Value:  9/10, Total: 18+/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine 4.5

DEUTZ BRUT ROSE CHAMPAGNE 2008, Aÿ, France

15 Thursday Mar 2012

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Deutz Rosé Brut Champagne 2008, Ac Bottle

Cost: $34.95
Grape Variety: Pinot noir
Category: Wine
Appellation: LCBO
Country: Champagne, France
Region: Aÿ
Format: 375 mL bottle
Producer: Champagne Deutz
Alcohol: 12.0 %
Description: Salmon in colour with fine mousse & medium+ intense nose. Positives: Rose petals, strawberry, yeasty, biscotti, ambrosia apples, cherry & mineral notes. Full body with good acidity & a long creamy finish.

Negatives: None.

Interesting Points: Having this for my birthday so cheers! You should always treat yourself on your BD.

Drink on its own or pair it with salmon (sake) sashimi.

Tasted: 12 Mar 12

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9/10, Total: 18.5/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

LCBO#: 249391

RUINART BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS CHAMPAGNE, Reims, France

14 Saturday Jan 2012

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Ruinart Blanc De Blancs, Champagne Bottle

Cost: $89.00
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Category: Champagne
Appellation: VINTAGES
Country: France
Region: Reims
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Champagne Ruinart
Alcohol: 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Description: Medium straw in colour with fine mousse & medium intensity on the nose.

Positives: My wife says it’s yummy with delicious & a touch of tasty. I happen to agree. We also agree it’s one of the best champagnes we’ve tasted. The nose has aromas of fresh baked bread, apple, ginger, jasmine, biscotti & wet stone. The taste shows macadamia nuts, lemon, apple crumble, strawberry/kiwi, tangerine and with a slight lemon peel & ginger on the finish. Medium body with good acidity & long finish.

Negatives: None.

Drink now on its own or with strawberries.

Tasted: 11 Jan 12

Top Pick

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

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 5

LCBO#: 62984