While they can be quite costly, vintage or “prestige” Champagnes provide bouquet and flavor rarely found in less-pricey bubblies, making them perfect to pair with even the most delicate dishes. In fact, merely toasting with these wines often fails to allow them to provide maximal sensory pleasure. Produced like other Champagnes, which must be made from grapes grown in a demarcated area in France and by a process in which the bubbles are added through a second fermentation in the final bottle, the fine attention to detail in their grape-growing and processing procedures sets these wines apart. For example, only top-level specific plots of grapes grown in a particular year are selected for inclusion, with meticulous attention to aging, blending, and bottling. Here are a few widely available bottles that are worth the splurge:
2013 Moët & Chandon Dom Pérignon Brut Champagne ($250)
Made from a blend of top-echelon pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, this elegant bubbly shows a bouquet and taste of melons and pineapple with notes of tangerine in its smooth finish. Enjoy it with shrimp, scallops, and sushi.
2013 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc Brut ($200)
Produced solely from chardonnay grapes, this Champagne has a bouquet and taste of apricots and ripe apples with notes of almonds in its finish, perfect to pair with grilled Chilean sea bass and halibut.
2015 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame Brut ($200)
Predominantly from pinot noir grapes (with 10% chardonnay), this sparkler has a floral scent with hints of pear and mint in its finish, ideal to sip with hors d’oeuvres of smoked fish as well as drink with roasted duck.
NV Krug Grande Cuvee Brut ($280)
This barrel-fermented bubbly is made from a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier culled from more than 100 wines produced over 10 years. It has a rich, toasty bouquet and taste, with notes of honey and spice in its long, memorable finish. It pairs well with duck, beef, and lamb.
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