CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING WINE
2008 REVIEWS
VINTAGE
1998 Moet Chandon Dom Perignon $$$$$
Color: Medium gold
Nose: Dough, pear, apple, mineral
Taste: Concentrated and balance with pear, apple, mineral, dough, citrus
Finish: Long and intense. A really balance wine.
Evaluation: Much better then the bottle I had six months ago. 93 Points
2002 Rotari Riserva Trento Italy $
Color: Light gold
Nose: Weak
Taste: Chalk, straw, minerals, and too acidic
Finish: Too acidic for my taste
Evaluation: Go with the Rotari NV. 80 points
2004 Scramsburg Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine $$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear, dough, and apple. More intense then the Laurent
Taste: Apple, pear, strong acidity, mineral, and lemon pie
Finish: Medium and balanced.
Evaluation: Solid Vintage Brut from California 89 points
2001 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee Carneros Vintage Reserve Brut Sparkling Wine $$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Lemon, pie crust, chalk
Taste: Chalk, lemon, pear, good acidity
Finish: Medium and complex wine
Evaluation: Solid US Sparkling Wine 90 points
1999 Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut Champagne$$$$$
Color: Medium
Nose: Wow! Floral, citrus, dough, mineral
Taste: WOW! The best I have ever tasted with floral, tropical fruits, mineral, and dough notes. Just a mouthful of flavor.
Finish: Medium and intense with complexity
Evaluation: The best Champagne I have ever tasted. Just wish it was cheaper. 95 points
2000 Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Brut Champagne $$$$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Mineral, pear
Taste: Mineral, pear and some dough notes
Finish: Nothing exciting especially at this price points
Evaluation: I would expect to pay around $30 for this Champagne 88 points
2004 Gimonnet Gastronome Champage $$$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Mineral, dough, pear, apple
Taste: Solid with a ton of flavor
Finish: Medium with dough, pear, apple and well integrated
Evaluation: Nice new find 91 points
NON VINTAGE
(TASTED IN ORDER FROM JANUARY)
NV Jean Laurent Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne $$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Citrus, mineral, dough
Taste: Amazing! Crisp with sour apple, mineral, chalk, and pear.
Finish: Perfect balanced wine with a long finish.
Evaluation: As good as the 1998 Dom Perignon I just sampled. 92 points
NV Petaluma Croser Piccadilly Valley Sparkling Wine Australia $$$
Color: Medium gold
Nose: Pear, apple, mineral
Taste: Excellent with mineral, apples, pear, dough notes
Finish: Medium and complex. Very balanced
Evaluation: For $25 a steal. 90 points
Lakeside Wines
NV Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top Brut Champagne $$$$
Color: Medium gold
Nose: Lemon pie, apple, minerals
Taste: Pie crust, lemons, mineral, chalk, crisp acidity
Finish: Balanced wine with a mix of fruit and minerals
Evaluation: 92 points
NV Marquis de Perlade Blanc de Blanc Champagne $
Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear and apple
Taste: Dough, mineral, apple
Finish: Bad
Evaluation: OK up to finish and then falls apart. 80 points
NV Francois Montand Blanc de Blancs France $
Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear
Taste: Acidic, mineral, chalk
Finish: Short with mineral and lemon
Evaluation: good for the price 83 points
NV Gloria Brut Sparkling Wine $$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Lemon, mineral, dough, very subtle overall
Taste: Lemon pie, mineral,
Finish: Medium with chalky soil, dough, mineral
Evaluation: Solid Sparkling wine from the US 88 points
NV San Martino Frizzante Prosecco $$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Mineral, lemon
Taste: Refreshing with lemon, mineral, pear
Finish: Medium and overall a light wine
Evaluation: A great starter to a party or wedding. 87 points
NV Gloria Ferrer Brut Blanc de Noir $$
Color: Light pink
Nose: Spice, strawberry
Taste: Light with spice, strawberry, mineral
Finish: Medium
Evaluation: A great value that will please a party crowd 88 points
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose Champagne $$$$
Color: Medium pink
Nose: Spice, floral
Taste: Intense with floral, spice, mineral
Finish: Long with Strawberry, mineral, floral, dough
Evaluation: A complex Rose that will impress 93 points
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne $$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Mineral, dough
Taste: Big mineral and dough tastes along with pear
Finish: Earth tones dominate on this medium finish
Evaluation: Solid Champagne for around $25 on sale 89 points
NV Mionetto Prosecco di Valdobbiadene $
Color: Light gold
Nose: Lemon, mineral
Taste: Crisp and sharp acid with lemon and mineral
Finish: Medium and refreshing
Evalution: Good starter wine 85 points
NV Veuve Moisans Blanc de Blancs Brut France $
Color: Light gold
Nose: Mineral
Taste: Mineral
Finish: Mineral
Evaluation: Poor 75 points
NV Pierre Peters Brut Champagne$$$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear, apple, dough
Taste: Mineral, pear, apples
Finish: Medium and solid with tons of flavor
Evaluation: Well made Champagne 89 points
NV Chateau Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noir $
Color: Medium
Nose: Mineral, spice
Taste: Mineral, spice, fruit
Finish: Weak
Evaluation: Worth the price 83 points
NV G.H. Mumm Cordon Rogue Brut $$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Grapefruit, honey, peach
Taste: Nice with peach, grapefruit, and mineral
Finish: Medium and flavorful
Evaluation: Solid Champagne 88 points
NV Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne $$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Honey, citrus, mineral, dough
Taste: Nice fruits, honey, and citrus dominate
Finish: Medium and complex
Evaluation: Excellent producer year in and year out 91 points
NV Veuve Clicquot Rose Brut Champagne $$$$
Color: Pink
Nose: Mineral, chalk
Taste: Really chalky, mineral, little off
Finish: Medium with mineral and chalk
Evaluation: Too dry and mineral for me 84 points
Domaine Chandon Brut Sparkling Wine $$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear, apple, mineral
Taste: Pear, apple, mineral
Finish: Medium and well balanced
Evaluation: Solid every year 87 points
2000 Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne $$$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Mineral, floral
Taste: Mineral, floral, little bitter
Finish: Medium but a little off
Evaluation: Never been impressed with the White Star Label 82 points
NV Piper Heidsieck Brut Champage $$
Color: Light gold
Nose: Mineral, chalk,
Taste: Chalk, pear, sour apple, little bitter
Finish: Chalk and dry with sour lemon, apples, mineral
Evaluation: A steal at $19.34 at Haskell's Winter Sale 88 points

