Rating Champagne selections for the holidays

Rick, Sally and Les each wrote to me last year informing me that the holiday recommendations were posted too late. I was allowing too little time for their local wine shoppe to gather their selections. Fortunately one of the publications I follow ran an article on Champagne. This prodded my memory and prompted today's column. Champagne est de rigueur, pour un fete chomee. N'est-ce pas?

I enjoy Snooth. Greg Dal Piaz writes a pretty nice hand and some of the contributors are also enjoyable. He recommended this website: mymaninchampagne.com. I found it fascinating. The videos were fun and informative. I learned of a completely new (to me) technique. The third film clip discusses decanting Champagne and an attractive French woman with a lovely accent describes the process in English. I'm sure you will enjoy the clip. The fifth clip is named the Perching Bar. It depicts a Champagne bar built up in the tree canopy in Reims, Champagne, France. When I return to France, I will try to go there.

To prepare for the holidays I recommend you sample three Champagnes that I truly enjoy. For those who think Cristal $239 or Dom $170 are too expensive, take a look at the 1998 Veuve Cliquot Grande Dame. Rated mid 90s by most, this wine is in its perfect window now at $130/bottle. However, if you love to drink top notch Champagne and enjoy serving it to a crowd, the best bubbles for the buck that appeals to a broad spectrum, and has a festive holiday color is the Veuve Cliquot Rose NV $60/bottle, maybe $650/case. I'm including four major reviews, none of which I found accurate.

"This seems drier than its stablemate, the famous Yellow Label, and is the better for it. There is an urgent freshness here, driven by red currants and tight plum skin flavors. It is lively but full in the mouth, and shows just the right bottle age;" 91 points - Wine Enthusiast, and "This has the bright savor of a strawberry dipped in sea salt. It’s light, with a hint of smokiness to balance the fruit. Together with the fine bubbles, that fruit savor will clean up after cured sausages and other charcuterie." - 91 points, Wine & Spirits, and "A smoky version, exhibiting light berry and watermelon notes. Quite firm, as much from the chalky sensation as from the lively acidity. Despite its lightness, this shows intensity and length. Drink now through 2011." - 90 points, Wine Spectator.

"Pale yellow hue with tiny bubbles. Earthy, nutty aromas of apple cider, lemon drop, brioche, clove and coffee bean. Fresh, toasty flavors of lemon curd and a dose of minerals for balance. Flinty close." - 90 points, The Wine News.

I found the wine pale golden with a tiny bead and a very slight green-pink tint. The nose is fruit-driven with strawberry and some currant. The acidity has a slightly tart apple acid nuance and there is some minerality in the finish. Folks in the know will buy Schramsburg Mirabelle Brut Rose at $350/case instead; 93 points, a delicate pink hue, aromas of strawberry and yeast. The flavors of raspberry, apples, ginger and fig are focused and it finish cleanly. Drink through 2012. Roederer Estate Brut Rose is another festive $30 sparkler; 92 points, the wine is slightly different than many other Cali sparklers. The blend is 60 percent pinot noir and 40 chardonnay. For color, the winemaker prepares a small portion of pinot noir with extended maceration and adds about 5 percent to the blend before secondary fermentation, imparting a subtle salmon tinge. Both the 60/40 blend and addition of the small amount of this very red/purple maceration creates a full-bodied, rich wine with fruit-forward flavors of cherry, vanilla and chardonnay with very ripe strawberries that finishes clean and dry with a hint of brioche.

Inexpensive that's not offensive - choose a case of these and keep them very cold: Roederer Estate Brut, Andersen Valley $16, Gruet Brut Blanc de Blanc $13; Mumms Napa Brut Prestige $16. The best of the under $10 is still Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut. The nose is a bit vegetal, but on the palate pineapple, citrus and apple flavors show. Finishes dry, crisp, clean and firm. Shrimp and bruschetta are great food pairings.