WINEIf you're splashing out on a Champagne, make it a memorable one, writes John Wilson
WE ALL HAVE rules in life. One of mine used to be "never drink cheap Champagne". Most of it tasted truly awful, a glass of dyspepsia-inducing battery acid. Instead, I would go for a bottle of fizz from the New World or Alsace, or else break open the piggy-bank and splash out on a really good bottle of Champagne.
Things have changed at the bottom end in recent years. It is now possible to buy pretty decent Champagne at €25 to €30 in the supermarkets and some off-licences, sometimes promoted to as low as €20. Above these, lie the big brands, names familiar to all of us, priced at anything from €35 to €60.
Most of the larger Champagne houses are now owned by massive multi-nationals. Some do a better job than others. Champagne is the most heavily branded wine of all, and for many, it is a matter of style over substance. There are, however, four smaller Grande Marque houses still in the hands of the original founding families. Each has a different style, but all are quality-orientated enterprises, offering wines with real depth, complexity and character. I feature the four below. Other family-owned houses worth looking out for include Billecart-Salmon and Gosset.
World-wide Champagne sales go through a regular boom and bust cycle, largely depending on economic well-being. When times are good, everyone likes to splash out and celebrate; when belts need tightening, Champagne, perceived as a luxury, is often the first to go. Forget about our own current economic woes, Champagne is currently going through an unprecedented increase in demand, fuelled by the nouveau riche of Russia, China, India and Brazil. Many Champagne companies simply cannot keep up with demand.
Production last year reached 340 million bottles, still not enough to satisfy these thirsty new markets. However, virtually all available vineyards in the region have now been planted. Some producers have increased prices, but they do not want to kill the golden goose. The alternative is to increase production further.
The Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne, the Champagne authority, has increased the maximum yield per hectare in the vineyards. These were already pretty high, and some wonder if this will lead to a loss of quality.
In addition, the Champagne region will expand greatly. Some 40 new villages, hitherto not part of Champagne, suddenly find themselves included. Naturally, they are delighted; less so the two villages who have been demoted. Owning vineyards in Champagne is a very lucrative business, yielding vastly more than any other crop.
TAITTINGER
The old family firm of Taittinger has been through the financial mill for the past few years. Under Claude Taittinger, it was part of a huge conglomerate, which had interests in perfume, crystal and hotels, and included the luxury Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. This was sold to US investment company Starwood Capital, which in turn sold the Champagne company to French bank Crédit Agricole. In 2007, the Taittinger family, headed by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, bought back a substantial shareholding, with "friendly investors" owning the remainder.
Taittinger is best-known for its luxury Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, a wonderfully elegant creamy Champagne that oozes class. The Comtes de Champagne rosé is pretty good, too. There are a couple of special non-vintage Champagnes, Prélude and Nocturne, but I would go for the basic Non Vintage. This has improved out of all recognition in the past five years.
Taittinger Brut Réserve NV,12%, RRP: €49. With a high percentage of Chardonnay, this is lighter than most, a wine with real finesse. An exquisite nose, delectable lightly honeyed, toasted flavours in the mouth and plenty of lemony zip, too. The finish is long and very classy.
Stockists:McCabe's, Blackrock; Thomas's, Foxrock; Redmond's, Ranelagh; Sweeney's, Glasnevin; Gibney's, Malahide; Wine Centre, Kilkenny; Bradley's, Cork.
LOUIS ROEDERER
Roederer has expanded out of Champagne in recent years, making some intelligent acquisitions in Provence (Domaines Ott), Portugal (Port house Ramos-Pinto) and Bordeaux, where it now owns Château de Pez, Château Haut-Beauséjour and most recently, Grand Cru Classé Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande. The company also produces an excellent sparkling wine in California, sadly not available here. It also owns Champagne house Deutz, and Délas in the Rhône.
But the core product is still very much Champagne. The luxury Roederer Cristal may be the favoured tipple of rap stars and Russian billionaires, but it remains one of the most subtle and elegant of all Champagnes. The entire range from Vintage, to Blanc de Blancs, and Rosé is excellent. The Vintage, in particular, ages magnificently. Roederer has put huge efforts into the Non Vintage Brut Premier in recent years, with excellent results. The quality has risen even further still. This week, Roederer launches a range of new labels, the first change in some 40 years.
Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV, 12%, €50. More full-bodied than Taittinger, but not as rich as Bollinger, Roederer is a superb, impeccably balanced Champagne. Pristine ripe apple and pear, subtle grilled nuts and brioche, with a finish that lasts perfectly.
Stockists:Widely available, exclusively through independent wine shops and off-licences, including O'Donovan's, Cork; Karwig, Cork; Redmond's, Ranelagh; Fallon & Byrne, Exchequer Street; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Harvey Nichols, Dundrum; Next Door Off-Licences; Ardkeen Food Store, Waterford; Mac's, Limerick; Harvest, Galway; Thomas Woodberry, Galway.
POL ROGER
Pol Roger was founded in 1849 by the Roger family, who still own and run the company. The current team includes Hubert de Billy and Christian Pol-Roger.
Their most famous Champagne is the Cuvée Winston Churchill, named in honour of the wartime leader, a great devotee of Pol Roger. It is a rich and powerful wine, apparently the style favoured by Churchill. However, the Brut Vintage is often one of the very best Champagnes of all, particularly with a few years' age. I have had some exquisite bottles over the years. I have also always been very fond of the Brut Réserve Non Vintage, although I did taste one rather disappointing bottle recently. I am sure it was a once-off.
Pol Roger Brut Réserve N V, 12%, €43.99. Like Roederer, Pol Roger is medium-bodied. It has an aristocratic creamy elegance with excellent floral aromas, and some lovely honeyed fruits. A very good aperitif , possibly with oysters or lighter seafood. Stockists: Superquinn; OBrien's; Jus De Vine, Portmarnock; Wines on the Green, Dawson Street; The Vintry, Rathgar; O'Donovans, Cork.
BOLLINGER
Mention Bollinger and most people still think of Patsy in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous. Bolly has long been the favoured tipple of the English upper classes, but on this occasion at least, they know what they are doing. Bollinger produces some of the most brilliant, distinctive Champagnes. Bollinger RD (which stands for Recemment Disgorgé) is aged on its lees for a decade or so, and has the most complex layered flavours. It is one of the great Champagnes. Bollinger is one of the few Champagne houses to still ferment most of its wines in barrel, so there is always a richness and extra body.
Bollinger Special Cuvée NV, 12%,€59.99. Big, rich and toasty, Bollinger Special Cuvée is one of my favourite Champagnes. On the palate it has a measured opulence and power, complex yeasty notes and a rounded, long finish. It can be drunk on its own, but will also happily partner many fish and seafood dishes.
Stockists:Superquinn; Dunnes Stores; O'Brien's Fine Wines; Next Door Off Licences; Molloy's Liquor Stores, and many independent off-licences and wine shops.