Alright, alright – I know. I have doubled the usual Wine Witch ceiling of $15. Sometimes only REAL Champagne will do. The economy is in the toilet and it is very scary out there. Sharing a bottle of Champagne with loved ones is a little extravagance to remind you that life still has its pleasures.
Remember all Champagne is sparkling wine, but VERY little sparkling wine is Champagne. Champagne comes from France – period – and most decent bottles start around $50. The Duval-Leroy Brut is a bargain at $30 and I have seen it on sale for around $20. Wine Spectator is in love with it also having given it a very rare 93 rating for a wine at this price point.
Duval-Leroy NV is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In the glass it is a light honey color with endless streams of pinpoint bubbles. The nose is very peachy with a yeasty overtone of brioche and a bit of toffee. There are lovely peach, apricot, and pineapple flavors supported with a hazelnut background. The bubbles just dance around in your mouth and do not get in the way of all the lovely taste sensations.
If you are used to drinking other $10 bottles of sparkling wine (don’t get me wrong – the Wine Witch loves these also), buy a bottle of the Duval-Leroy Brut to experience the pure joy of REAL Champagne.
Cheers and a Happy and Prosperous 2009!
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Tags: Champagne, Duval-Leroy Brut Champagne N.V., Duval-Leroy NV, France, Wine Reviews | |
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Hey Wine Guy – thanks for your comments and support. If you enter Champagne in the search box you will see a few that I have recommended in the past. These sparklers are fun and refreshing, but have simpler flavor profiles. I especially like the Mionetto Proseco for the price – I would have this with my pizza. Sometimes you just need to splurge a bit. I like the Duval-Leroy more than Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label which before this was my favorite REAL Champagne (by the way this one goes for $40)
What you mean champagne is not supposed to taste like soda pop?
Ok ok now you’ve gone too far once is ok but twice? But seriously… Is there any acceptable champagne to be had for $15? if not what about sparkling wine? You mentioned Mionetto Proseco and Korbel in the past how would they compare?