Buying guide: Champagne

Champagne

Feeling in the mood for French bubbly? Good news: excellence is not exclusive to the Krugs and Dom Perignon at the top end of the market. Christian Eedes reports on a tasting of Champagnes available locally for under R350 a bottle.

 

Many contend that Champagne has a quality unmatched by any other sparkling wine. Champagne remains inimitable, they declare, possessing a quality and finesse that no other bottle-fermented sparkling wine has yet been able to match.

Even those of us who acknowledge the high standard of local Cap Classique still like to drink the French product to develop a broad frame of reference in which to assess sparkling wine in general.

One problem, though. Whether due to inherent worth, limited production, exchange rates or superb promotion, Champagnes demand relatively high prices, thus confining their enjoyment to special occasions. What's more, even the most reliable source of fine wine, those holding grande marque status, are not infallible.

Select a well-established label, pay top dollar, but you'll still have no guarantee that you're getting the best. That's why WINE magazine undertook to review a line-up of locally available Champagnes that fall below a certain maximum price point. Our aim was to identify those Champagnes that offered the best value for money. We hoped to single out one or two examples that succeeded in offering outstanding quality, despite perhaps not carrying quite the same brand cachet as some of their pricier counterparts.

Originally we set the cut-off price at R250 a bottle, but that would have limited us to a line-up of six wines. So we raised the ceiling to R350 a bottle, resulting in a tasting of 20 different wines. For those aspiring to the Champagne experience but constrained by budget, good news: one 5 Star wine, three 4½ Star wines and two 4 Star wines.

Top rating went to the Drappier Carte D'Or Brut 1995, the only vintage Champagne tasted on the day. This wine obtained a 4½ Star rating when tasted for our November 2001 issue, so maybe in that additional year of bottle maturation the wine acquired sufficient complexity to warrant 5 Stars.

The question must be asked: would Drappier, the best in this line-up of bubblies of relatively humble origin, have fared as well in an open competition? Yes, say the panellists, confident they judged the wine on its intrinsic merits.

Peter Ferreira, winemaker for Graham Beck (Robertson), believes it would show well in any company. "Among a line-up of the better known grandes marques," he says, "it would be an extremely interesting wildcard."

The miscellany of entry-level Champagne available in this country should not be approached with entirely unbridled enthusiasm, however. For while the best wines are truly excellent, there is a lot of very ordinary stuff as well. The panel discerned three tiers of quality - a top tier described as "absolutely great value, fantastic", a middle tier termed "there or thereabouts" and a bottom tier regarded as simply not making the grade.

Panel member Christine Rudman, Cape Wine Master and Principal of the Cape Wine Academy, says she was disappointed that so many wines achieved less than a 3 Star rating. "When drinking Champagne, I expect a lot of care to have gone into the making of the product. I expect what's in the bottle to justify the price."

Pieter Ferreira criticised the poorer wines for their coarse bead and lack of minerality. "They're not talking the language of Champagne," he maintains.

Panel chairman Allan Mullins, Cape Wine Master and wine buyer for Woolworths, advises consumers to be cautious. "While Champagne does have the capacity to age, at this end of the market you really don't know when the wines hit the shelves, or how long they've been in the country. Buying Champagne is a bit of lottery."

Returning to the perennial question of whether it is useful to compare Cap Classique with Champagne, Ferreira suggests it is a matter of training the palate.

"Understanding what makes good sparkling wine develops over time." To gradually build up that understanding, he believes you need to drink both local and French bubbly on an on-going basis.

Panellist Dick Davidson, Cape Wine Master, puts it more bluntly: "Drinking Champagne broadens your horizons. It's like foie gras compared with chicken liver pâté. To experience it, you have to pay extra."

Champagne Assessments

Drappier Carte D'Or Brut 1995 *
RETAIL PRICE: R267.90
Straw gold in colour. Fine, lively, persistent bead. Forthcoming biscuity nose. Rich and complex on the palate: toasty, nutty with a touch of honey. Black grape character to the fore. Good acid and length. Very classic in style. Drink in next 2 to 5 years.

Drappier Carte Blanche Brut NV *
RETAIL PRICE: R222.30
Complex nose: biscuity and toasty along with red grape character. On the palate, it has a rich, creamy texture as well as some sweetness (candyfloss). Red grape character prominent. Good balance between fruit and acid and a long finish. Drink now or keep for 5 years.

Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV * *
RETAIL PRICE: R259.00
Good mousse. Creamy nose along with some earthy notes. Palate well balanced with refreshing acid and good autolysis (licorice). Good black grape character. Lingering finish. Drink now or keep for 4 years.

Brugnon Brut Rose NV ^ ^
RETAIL PRICE: R316.94
Onion-skin in colour. Small lively bubble. Nose shows biscuit tones with underlying fruit. Full and rich on the palate, flavours include strawberry and biscuit. Good balance between fruit and acid. Possesses long finish. Drink now or keep for 4 years.

Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Réserve NV ^ ^ ^
RETAIL PRICE: R215.00
Tiny bubbles. Forthcoming nose with notes of bread and biscuit. On the palate, shows some bottle-age: creamy texture and softness. Acid still manages to lend pleasant freshness, reminiscent of limes. Well-balanced with clean, long finish. Made in aperitif style. Drink now or keep for 2 years.

Duval-Leroy Brut NV *
RETAIL PRICE: R296.40
Very fine bead. Quite shy on the nose, with some berry fruit and a delicate biscuit quality. Rich and creamy on the palate. Very elegant. Good autolysis, developing nuttiness to go with sweet fruit. Long, lasting finish. Drink now or keep for 2 years.

Drappier André et Michel Brut Nature Pinot Noir Zero Dosage NV *
RETAIL PRICE: R254.22
Rather coarse bead. Nose shows herbaceous quality to go with typical toasty character. Palate is creamy with good acidity. Rich in flavour, if a little clumsy. Good entry but finishes short. Commercial in style. Drink now or keep for 2 years.

Drappier Cuvée Signature Blanc de Blancs NV *
RETAIL PRICE: R278.16
Fine, persistent bead. Nose is fruity with vegetal, marmite character. On the palate, white grape character shows along with some minerality. Good balance between fruit and acid, making for a fresh and youthful character. Drink now or keep for 3 years.

Gosset Grande Réserve NV ^
RETAIL PRICE: R305.00
Nose shows honey and biscuit. Frothy mousse. Palate shows richness with good berry fruit flavours. Acid provides freshness. Appears somewhat unbalanced at present, but with potential to develop. Drink now or keep for 5 years.

Perrier Jouët Grand Brut NV ^ ^ ^ R245.00
Cattier Chigny-Les-Roses NV * * * R250.00
Laurent-Perrier Brut L-P NV * * R324.00
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV WW R339.00

André Clouet Brut Rosé NV BW R184.00
Jacquesson & Fils Perfection Brut NV BW R225.00
Drappier Val des Demoiselles Brut Rosé NV * R278.16
Ruinart Brut NV WC R342.00

Gosset Excellence Brut NV ^ R220.00

STOCKISTS
* Waterfront World of Wines, Clock Tower Centre: (021) 418 0001
* * Makro
* * * Picardi Rebel
^ Morgenhof wine estate: (021) 889 5510
^ ^ Michael's Fine Wines: 082 455 7775
^ ^ ^ Reciprocal: (011) 455 4920
BW Boutique Wines: (011) 706 4430
WC Wine Concepts: (021) 671 9030
WW Woolworths stores

WINE TASTERS: Allan Mullins CWM (Panel Chairman), Cathy Brewer CWM (Villiera), Dick Davidson CWM, winemaker Pieter Ferreira (Graham Beck, Robertson), Christine Rudman CWM (Cape Wine Academy Principal)

PROCEDURES: Tasting done "blind". Wines poured at 8 - 10°C. The 20-point scoring system was used: 5 Star = 18 or more out of 20; 4 Star = 16 or 17; 3 Star = 15; 2 Star = 14; 1 Star = 13; No Star = less than 13. Star ratings awarded on the basis of discussion and consensus. Wine identities not revealed to panellists until publication of the assessments.

Superlative wine, a masterpiece. World-class.
Excellent, wine of distinction. Recommended for special occasions
                    and cellaring.
Good to very good. Fine character and style. Suitable for cellaring.
Above average. Appealing.
Average. Acceptable.

Ratings determined after deliberation by the panel, rather than simply calculating the average scores. Chartered Accountants Deloitte & Touche audited the procedures to ensure fairness and accuracy.