Peak Champagnes in the Rocky Mountains
February 12, 2007 by Sean
Filed under Sean Chaudhry
Bruce Schoenfeld in Golden, Colo.
Tradition associates Champagne with St. Valentine’s Day, though it seems to me that red wine makes a better pairing. It’s red, like the color scheme of the occasion. It also compliments the stews, braised meats, and other hearty foods that most of us in the Northern Hemisphere use to combat February’s bluster and chill.
Nevertheless, I’m happy for any excuse to focus attention on Champagne, which we seem to take for granted the rest of the year, unless it’s New Year’s Eve or we’ve just won the Super Bowl.
My favorite event of the season is a Champagne party that Steve and Kathy Carpenter have held for the past seven years at their spacious home in the Rocky Mountain foothills. The premise, simple enough, surely is replicated elsewhere. The Carpenters set out a buffet on their dining room table and pull out about a dozen bottles of Champagne (and occasionally other sparkling wines) from their cellar. The 20 or so invited guests each bring along a bottle.
The result is a steady flow of great wine, accompanied by slices of rare roast beef, savory pot pies, guacamole, and other treats. It not only proves how versatile Champagne really is, but gives me a chance to sample mature cuvees to which I otherwise wouldn’t have access.
This year, my friend David Scholefield, formerly the lead wine buyer for the province of British Columbia and now a Vancouver-based consultant for various wine-based ventures, accompanied me to the event. He kept reminding me how fortunate we were to be tasting so many fascinating Champagnes in one evening. I told him that’s what life is like pretty much every night here in Colorado’s Front Range, though I don’t think he bought it.
Some of this year’s highlights, with the night’s best at the bottom:
De Sousa & Fils Zoemie La Cuvee Merveille NV – A marque I hadn’t previously known, but one I will seek out. A big, friendly Champagne with plenty of fruit, but not without some litheness and elegance.
Schramsberg J Schram 1999 – Tangy and refreshing, with more evident acidity than the Champagnes. It had an angular quality to it, and may not improve much with age, but it has to stand near the top of any list of domestic sparklers.
Taittinger Brut Blanc de Blancs Comte de Champagne 1996 – Some diesel and minerality on the nose, and dry as cotton in the mouth. Still a baby.
Bollinger Brut Grande Annee 1988 – A mature, slightly maderized flavor, nutty and full. Not getting any better from here.
Bollinger Extra Brut RD 1988 – Totally different wine than the above. Fresh and young and full of power, with an underpinning of citrus.
Bollinger Brut Grande Annee 1996 – Delicious, with notes of lemon-drop and dry toast that strengthened as it sat in the glass. Years and years of improvement ahead.
Charles Heidsieck Brut 1985 – Still crisp, but full of evolved, secondary flavors. Fully mellowed and mature. At its peak.
Louis Roederer Brut Cristal 2000 – Dry, austere, almost stingy – all no doubt a function of its youth – and typical for Cristal. Can’t see how a wine this complex ever became the ultimate “bling” beverage. For true Champagne aficionados only
Veuve Cliquot Brut La Grande Dame 1990 – Lemongrass and lemon zest, some warmth and elegance, but maybe a touch past its best.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Champagne Charlie 1985 – Gingery, quite dry, and far less evolved than the Heidsieck Brut. Firm and delicious. Will keep improving for years.
Veuve Cliquot Brut La Grande Dame 1996 – A complete wine from a complete vintage, and one of the greatest Grande Dames I’ve had. Flowers and finesse, but with plenty of intensity. Unlimited promise.
Krug Brut Grande Cuvee N.V. (from magnum) – Totally balanced, nuanced, serious, and gloriously drinkable. As always.
Louis Roederer Brut Cristal 1999 – One of the finest Cristals I’ve had, despite the mediocre vintage. Firm, floral, and as elegant and aristocratic as a gown dripping with diamonds. Tied with the ‘96 Grande Dame and the Krug as the best wine of the night.
