Please recommend a really nice champagne

Cafe Society
1

Please recommend a really nice champagne – or sparkling wine, since we don’t believe that the best necessarily comes from France.

Mr. Middon and I will be celebrating our 50th anniversary this summer, and want to mark the occasion with a special bottle of champagne. I’m looking for suggestions on what that might be.

As a reference, we marked our 25th anniversary with a bottle of Dom Perignon. We enjoyed it a lot. For our 50th we’d like to go a step or two up.

A few notes:

  1. We like brut champagnes, so nothing sweet.

  2. We don’t care for rosé wines.

  3. We’re thinking we’d spend up to $400, but would probably go as high as $500 for something really special.

So, what do you suggest?

2

Ruinart is my wife’s favorite champagne maker.

We haven’t splashed out for the really expensive bottles, but we’ve bought in the €120-150 range, and it’s always terrific.

Here’s one site with a sampling of their top offerings.

3

Lots of good choices in your price range. My favorite would this

# Pol Roger Winston Churchill Champagne, 2013

Not necessarily that vintage, but it comes in at $375

4

Here’s an auction listing for a 1975 Piper Heidsieck “Cuvée Reservée Florens Louis” Brut Champagne, currently at $450. I tried to find one from 1974, but could not.

5

You should buy a really nice champagne! (You’re Welcome)

6

This one is $440 but has some of the best ratings I have seen.

You can save a couple hundred for just slightly lower ratings. Might be worth roaming around that site to see what you can find.

Note: I have not had this champagne and I cannot say for certain it is one the OP will like. Brut was mentioned but this is “extra” brut…whatever that means.

ETA: This place has the same for $320. Shop around: Bollinger Extra Brut Champagne R.D. 2008 - Woodland Hills Wine Company

ETA2: This one for $290 has great ratings too (I have not had this one either). Krug Grande Cuvee Brut (171st Edition)

7

It may be too late but this guy really likes Krug champagne.

8

I have always had good luck with Tattinger.

9

I’ve been sober for a while, but I used to drink quite a bit of champagne - and my wife still does. In our opinion, once you get above a rather modest price point, the difference is all personal taste. I’d suggest you seek out a tasting, such as they periodically have at our local Binny’s, to see what you 2 like best. Otherwise, you might find your $400 bottle somewhat underwhelming.