We drink a lot of Billecart-Salmon champagne. They are without a doubt my favourite champagne maker, and I feel fortunate to be in a position to purchase their champagnes. I stopped reporting on 'repeat' bottles, because I really don't like to rub it in when I'm drinking it and you might not be. But we recently had two new bottles of older vintages that I should report.
The first was the 2000 vintage Cuvee Nicholas Francois Billecart. This champagne had a wonderfully big flavour, lots of rich, ripe apple, with some carmelised nuts at the finish. While we enjoyed first glasses on their own, this champagne stood up to our dinner, too.
The second was the 1999 vintage of the Brut Blanc de Blancs. I have always thought that the Brut Reserve was my favourite Billecart-Salmon offering. I'm not so sure anymore. Firstly, I couldn't believe the bubbles in this champagne, especially considering its age. They were amazing, the best bubbles I've had in a long time. The flavour was also fantastic, lemony-goodness, with just a touch of chalky dryness. The finish lasted forever. While you could probably serve this with food, I just wanted to savor it on its own, it was THAT good. I love it when a maker can surprise me with something even better than I was already expecting!!
Showing posts with label billecart-salmon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label billecart-salmon. Show all posts
Friday, 17 May 2013
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
A New Old Favourite
I made tofu and rice for dinner the other night. I really like tofu and rice, but my poor husband...he'll eat it, but it's just not the same as meat and potatoes. He cheered immensely when I offered a glass of bubbles to go with it, especially as I had a bottle of 'the good stuff' in the fridge. We've been really impressed with Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois, a blend of the traditional champagne grapes, chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier, aged in oak. The oak adds such a stunning richness to a champagne that we already love. On top of the usual clean and yeasty wine, there is a layer of dried apricot (without being sweet) and buttered, toasted nut bread. And the finish...wow...lingered forever, making us just want to drink more and more. It was such a good champagne for food, although not a great pairing with the grapefruit in the salad that I had also made, which was far too acidic for the depth of the wine. But champagne and tofu...a definite do-over. THIS champagne and tofu...made it a gourmet meal.
Saturday, 26 November 2011
November Round-up
I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I've been so busy lately I have actually been drinking less champagne than I ordinarily would because I know I won't have time to blog about it and I hate seeing the bottles lined up on the counter waiting for their reports.
For the month of November (so far) I have three bottles to report on:
The first is a British sparkler, Avonleigh Brut. My husband brought this one home, I'm not sure what caught his eye, other than it is organic. This wine is a pinot noir and chardonnay blend, with the back of the bottle saying that it has hints of elderflower. I couldn't find them. We liked this wine, but it's nothing like the label describes, nor anything like a champagne. It has such heavy and rich apple flavours, it tastes like a sparkling cider. Even though I enjoyed it, it's not what I look for in a sparkling wine.
The second was another British wine, Denbies Sparkling Rose 2007. I had high hopes for this wine, as I really like Denbies still rose wines. This didn't live up to expectations. It was terribly bitter, and even drinking it with food couldn't mask the harsh finish.
So back to France for the last bottle...Ocado was running a special, so I bought a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut, a blend of the three traditional champagne grapes, pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier. This was so much better than the other two bottles - plentiful bubbles, crisp, biscuity flavour. A reminder of why champagne is champagne. That said, I've had just as good champagnes for a better price than this one (usually in the high £30's, I bought it in the high £20's). So while it was a refreshing change from the British bubbles I had drunk this month, it's still not something I'd buy again.
It hasn't been all disappointing in November...we're also working our way through our latest order of Billecart-Salmon, although since I've reported on it all before, I'm not writing up the repeat bottles. There's still not much that compares to this brand though, for bubbles, flavour, and quality at price point. It's a sure-thing, always nice to have on hand when a never-before-tried bottle of something else disappoints.
For the month of November (so far) I have three bottles to report on:
The first is a British sparkler, Avonleigh Brut. My husband brought this one home, I'm not sure what caught his eye, other than it is organic. This wine is a pinot noir and chardonnay blend, with the back of the bottle saying that it has hints of elderflower. I couldn't find them. We liked this wine, but it's nothing like the label describes, nor anything like a champagne. It has such heavy and rich apple flavours, it tastes like a sparkling cider. Even though I enjoyed it, it's not what I look for in a sparkling wine.
The second was another British wine, Denbies Sparkling Rose 2007. I had high hopes for this wine, as I really like Denbies still rose wines. This didn't live up to expectations. It was terribly bitter, and even drinking it with food couldn't mask the harsh finish.
So back to France for the last bottle...Ocado was running a special, so I bought a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut, a blend of the three traditional champagne grapes, pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier. This was so much better than the other two bottles - plentiful bubbles, crisp, biscuity flavour. A reminder of why champagne is champagne. That said, I've had just as good champagnes for a better price than this one (usually in the high £30's, I bought it in the high £20's). So while it was a refreshing change from the British bubbles I had drunk this month, it's still not something I'd buy again.
It hasn't been all disappointing in November...we're also working our way through our latest order of Billecart-Salmon, although since I've reported on it all before, I'm not writing up the repeat bottles. There's still not much that compares to this brand though, for bubbles, flavour, and quality at price point. It's a sure-thing, always nice to have on hand when a never-before-tried bottle of something else disappoints.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Opposites
I've recently drunk two new bottles of bubbles that couldn't be more different.
The first was Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart 2000, a chardonnay/pinot noir blend. It was stunning - much richer than their blanc de blancs, tasting like the toasted crust of a very eggy loaf of brioche. Fantastic bubbles, too. While I always argue that you don't need a special occasion to drink champagne, this is one that I would serve on a big day, because it is a very memorable wine.
The second was Brown Brothers Cienna Rosso, something that I picked up through Ocado because I spotted it and hadn't tried it. Cienna is the grape variety, a new hybrid grape stemming from cabernet sauvignon. It was not-obnoxiously-sweet, fizzy, and punchy - the sort of thing you would drink quickly at a summer BBQ. Different because it's a red sparkler, but not at all notable.
The first was Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart 2000, a chardonnay/pinot noir blend. It was stunning - much richer than their blanc de blancs, tasting like the toasted crust of a very eggy loaf of brioche. Fantastic bubbles, too. While I always argue that you don't need a special occasion to drink champagne, this is one that I would serve on a big day, because it is a very memorable wine.
The second was Brown Brothers Cienna Rosso, something that I picked up through Ocado because I spotted it and hadn't tried it. Cienna is the grape variety, a new hybrid grape stemming from cabernet sauvignon. It was not-obnoxiously-sweet, fizzy, and punchy - the sort of thing you would drink quickly at a summer BBQ. Different because it's a red sparkler, but not at all notable.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
A Weekend of Wonderful
We had a BBQ on Saturday and, of course, we served some bubbles. One of our guests very kindly brought two bottles (thank you!). The first was Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs grand cru. It's been a while since I've drunk this champagne, and I had forgotten what a perfect champagne this is - crisp, delicately yeasty, slightly nutty, and non-stop bubbles. To me it is the gold standard for what a blanc de blancs should be.
The second was an interesting comparison, Pascal Doquet Premiers Crus de la Cote des Blancs. I remarked to my friend that, while I liked this champagne, it was edgier than the Billecart-Salmon. While the Billecart-Salmon was full of refined flavours, the Pascal Doquet tasted of a rounded blend of fallen apples and raw yeast. It was a wine that I enjoyed trying, but while I could drink the Billecart-Salmon every day, the Doquet had a richness that would almost overwhelm if drunk too often. My friend commented that the maker of this wine was definitely an 'edgy'-type, from a traditional wine family, but who branched out on his own to become a small producer. I liked this story, and am glad that he's making such lovely wines. He's one to watch!
We ended the meal with a sparkler that I had bought for my friend to try - Camel Valley 2008 Pinot Noir Brut. This rose had won the 2010 International Wine Challenge, and I was curious to see how a group of wine lovers would rate it. Even the very particular French contingent begrudgingly admitted it was better than they had hoped it would be, with rich berry flavours and lots of fizz. Surprisingly, it held up well against the chocolate mousse cake that I was eating. This one is expensive for a British sparkler (almost £60/bottle), but a fun thing to introduce to people who like bubbles.
On Sunday, my husband and I had the garden to ourselves, so we opened the one bottle of bubbles in the fridge that hadn't been opened the previous day - Le Cantorie Franciacorta brut that my friends had brought back to me from a trip to Italy (again, thank you!). I couldn't believe the whoosh of bubbles that exploded from the bottom of glass on pouring - it was just so awesome and unexpected. For the bubbles alone, everyone should try this wine. But the flavour was lovely too, with most of it hitting the mid-tongue in a burst of silky fruit. The wine didn't have much finish, but that just didn't bother me because of all the bubbles.
What a wonderful weekend, full of great company and great wine!!
The second was an interesting comparison, Pascal Doquet Premiers Crus de la Cote des Blancs. I remarked to my friend that, while I liked this champagne, it was edgier than the Billecart-Salmon. While the Billecart-Salmon was full of refined flavours, the Pascal Doquet tasted of a rounded blend of fallen apples and raw yeast. It was a wine that I enjoyed trying, but while I could drink the Billecart-Salmon every day, the Doquet had a richness that would almost overwhelm if drunk too often. My friend commented that the maker of this wine was definitely an 'edgy'-type, from a traditional wine family, but who branched out on his own to become a small producer. I liked this story, and am glad that he's making such lovely wines. He's one to watch!
We ended the meal with a sparkler that I had bought for my friend to try - Camel Valley 2008 Pinot Noir Brut. This rose had won the 2010 International Wine Challenge, and I was curious to see how a group of wine lovers would rate it. Even the very particular French contingent begrudgingly admitted it was better than they had hoped it would be, with rich berry flavours and lots of fizz. Surprisingly, it held up well against the chocolate mousse cake that I was eating. This one is expensive for a British sparkler (almost £60/bottle), but a fun thing to introduce to people who like bubbles.
On Sunday, my husband and I had the garden to ourselves, so we opened the one bottle of bubbles in the fridge that hadn't been opened the previous day - Le Cantorie Franciacorta brut that my friends had brought back to me from a trip to Italy (again, thank you!). I couldn't believe the whoosh of bubbles that exploded from the bottom of glass on pouring - it was just so awesome and unexpected. For the bubbles alone, everyone should try this wine. But the flavour was lovely too, with most of it hitting the mid-tongue in a burst of silky fruit. The wine didn't have much finish, but that just didn't bother me because of all the bubbles.
What a wonderful weekend, full of great company and great wine!!
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Celebrations
I knew we would likely drink something bubbly with dinner last night since it was the 4th of July. Then I also got some exciting professional news, too, so I pulled out a bottle of the good stuff, my very last bottle from Billecart-Salmon, the vintage 2004. It was just right for our celebrations, although a food and wine matching note - no champagne seems to go really well with peas eaten raw straight from the pod - they're just too green.
A lovely evening outside, made that much nicer by a fantastic champagne. My thanks to the person who helped us source the Billecart-Salmon, we have thoroughly enjoyed every single bottle!!
A lovely evening outside, made that much nicer by a fantastic champagne. My thanks to the person who helped us source the Billecart-Salmon, we have thoroughly enjoyed every single bottle!!
Friday, 6 May 2011
Newbie
A friend is staying with us who is curious about champagne but doesn't often drink it. He had never tried anything from Billecart-Salmon and was keen to, so we arranged a nice dinner for him with a bottle of their Brut Reserve, one of my favourites. So that he could compare it with something of similarly high quality, we also opened a bottle of Inflorescence which was highly-rated among the group at my last BYOBB.
It was an interesting comparison. Having tried a little of each champagne, my friend decided that the Billecart-Salmon should be served with dinner since it had a crisper, cleaner style that would complement rather than compete with the lemon-caper chicken and cauliflower risotto that we made. We served the Inflorescence afterward, so that the deep, apple-orchard flavour could be appreciated on its own. Both champagnes were wonderful and, as usual, had lots of bubbles. It was a treat to drink them both in one night!
It was an interesting comparison. Having tried a little of each champagne, my friend decided that the Billecart-Salmon should be served with dinner since it had a crisper, cleaner style that would complement rather than compete with the lemon-caper chicken and cauliflower risotto that we made. We served the Inflorescence afterward, so that the deep, apple-orchard flavour could be appreciated on its own. Both champagnes were wonderful and, as usual, had lots of bubbles. It was a treat to drink them both in one night!
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Homecoming
I was away from home for about 10 days - a lovely trip for me, but my poor husband was home alone dealing with a very sick dog. My return must have been a welcome relief for him, as the dog has been needing 24-7 care.
Somewhere in all of the drama, though, my husband found time to track down a couple of bottles of champagne for me. A long time ago, a friend gave me a great promotional apron from the Philipponnat brand. It's one of my favourite aprons, being the perfect length on me, with the exact right length ties for double-wrapping, and having a wonderful, nubby texture that picks up all of the bits from your fingers when you rub them on it. But I've never had Philipponnat champagne, and have always wanted to try it since owning the apron. My husband found two bottles.
The first one we tried was the 2002 Brut Reserve Millesimee, a 2/3 pinot noir, 1/3 chardonnay blend. This champagne really surprised us with never-ending bubbles and a toasted-nut finish. It was a very clean champagne, not very rich or rounded, but very drinkable.
The second champagne we tried (on a different night) was what I think was the 2004 Grand Blanc, made from 100% chardonnay. I say that I think this was a 2004 because the neck ring said 2004, but the label on the back of the bottle said it was a 2002. First time I've had this problem with labelling, but I'm guessing that what's on the front of the bottle is what's right. Anyway, this champagne was less successful than the first. It had a strong lemon-drop scent, which continued into the flavour, which was a very one-note, sour lemon. I didn't mind it so much, as I like tart lemon, but my husband had a hard time drinking this one - so much so that he poured out his glass. He also commented that, had this been his first experience with Philipponnat champagne, he wouldn't have drunk it again. Good thing we had tried a different cuvee the previous night.
In true champagne-loving fashion, to wash away the unpleasantness of the 2004 Philipponnat, my husband opened a bottle of Billecart-Salmon rose, knowing that he would love it and be very satisfied with it - and he was!
Somewhere in all of the drama, though, my husband found time to track down a couple of bottles of champagne for me. A long time ago, a friend gave me a great promotional apron from the Philipponnat brand. It's one of my favourite aprons, being the perfect length on me, with the exact right length ties for double-wrapping, and having a wonderful, nubby texture that picks up all of the bits from your fingers when you rub them on it. But I've never had Philipponnat champagne, and have always wanted to try it since owning the apron. My husband found two bottles.
The first one we tried was the 2002 Brut Reserve Millesimee, a 2/3 pinot noir, 1/3 chardonnay blend. This champagne really surprised us with never-ending bubbles and a toasted-nut finish. It was a very clean champagne, not very rich or rounded, but very drinkable.
The second champagne we tried (on a different night) was what I think was the 2004 Grand Blanc, made from 100% chardonnay. I say that I think this was a 2004 because the neck ring said 2004, but the label on the back of the bottle said it was a 2002. First time I've had this problem with labelling, but I'm guessing that what's on the front of the bottle is what's right. Anyway, this champagne was less successful than the first. It had a strong lemon-drop scent, which continued into the flavour, which was a very one-note, sour lemon. I didn't mind it so much, as I like tart lemon, but my husband had a hard time drinking this one - so much so that he poured out his glass. He also commented that, had this been his first experience with Philipponnat champagne, he wouldn't have drunk it again. Good thing we had tried a different cuvee the previous night.
In true champagne-loving fashion, to wash away the unpleasantness of the 2004 Philipponnat, my husband opened a bottle of Billecart-Salmon rose, knowing that he would love it and be very satisfied with it - and he was!
Friday, 25 March 2011
A Small Bottle
This is going to sound like a wierd thing to say, but I really like lentils. It's not the sort of food that makes most people (including my husband) go 'yum!', but for some reason, they do it for me. I always have an eye out for new recipes with lentils, and found a good one this week for lentil, spinach, and potato stew. I made it last night, a bit to my husband's dismay.
He perked up a bit as he smelled the stew cooking - but before we were ready to serve it, he started rummaging through the fridge, looking for something good to drink with the stew in case he didn't like it. Out came the bottle of Billecart-Salmon brut reserve. It seemed kind of extravagant drinking such a nice champagne with such a wholesome meal, but I wasn't going to turn down one of my favourite champagnes. It went really well with the lemony-minty flavours of the stew, too - which my husband even liked!!
On pouring our second glasses of champagne, though, my husband commented that we must have gotten a small bottle, as the champagne didn't seem to go as far as it usually does : )
He perked up a bit as he smelled the stew cooking - but before we were ready to serve it, he started rummaging through the fridge, looking for something good to drink with the stew in case he didn't like it. Out came the bottle of Billecart-Salmon brut reserve. It seemed kind of extravagant drinking such a nice champagne with such a wholesome meal, but I wasn't going to turn down one of my favourite champagnes. It went really well with the lemony-minty flavours of the stew, too - which my husband even liked!!
On pouring our second glasses of champagne, though, my husband commented that we must have gotten a small bottle, as the champagne didn't seem to go as far as it usually does : )
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Cauliflower Revival
I saw the Hairy Bikers campaign to save cauliflower on TV the other day and was reminded how much I like the vegetable, but how infrequently I buy/cook it. So I decided to serve it more often at home. Last week I made the roasted cauliflower that they demonstrated on the show and it was both incredibly easy and delicious. Following that, I found a recipe for cauliflower risotto in Jamie Oliver's Italy cook book, and decided to try it on Sunday along with some simply grilled pork chops. Both were wonderful and perfectly suited to the mild day we had - especially washed down with Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs. Who knew that cauliflower and champagne would be such a good match, but the nuttiness of the vegetable went so well with the grapefruit-crispness of the champagne. Another reason to eat more cauliflower!!
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Old Friends
A friend of mine from the US is in town, and we spent Saturday night at my house, catching up over dinner. It only seemed right to serve her one of my favourite champagnes - Billecart-Salmon vintage 2004. It was stunning, as always. It was also a great match to the Shrimp Palermo that we cooked and to my friend's lovely, bubbly personality!!
Monday, 7 February 2011
Will Work for Bubbles
I've been doing some garden design work for some friends, which is great practice for me as I'm undertaking my coursework. On Saturday, they very kindly assembled and gave me a case of champagne to thank me for my efforts. This was totally unnecessary as I'm not really comfortable charging anything for my gardening work with my still-amateur status - but very much appreciated (thank you!). And so I put one of the bottles in the refrigerator for Saturday evening - Billecart-Salmon extra brut - a zero dosage blend of pinot meunier, pinot noir, and chardonnay.
I love this champagne, it is totally my kind of champagne. It smelled like toast and grapefruit (or 'pamplemousse' as my friends say). It had the cleanest, richest, most refreshing taste with lots of citrus but no sourness or bitterness. The finish lasted forever and left us wanting more.
And the bubbles...perfect, round, plentiful bubbles!! The bubbles are my gold-standard for what a champagne should be.
This bottle disappeared far too quickly, even though my husband and I savoured every sip. My husband, cheeky-chappy that he is, suggested that we open the other bottle of champagne that was in our fridge, so that we could compare another champagne that we like to it. He knew I wouldn't say 'no' to that.
So he popped open the Roger Legros Cuvee Speciale from the Champagne Warehouse and we had a glass each. I have to say, I was a little nervous, because I've really liked this champagne in the past and didn't want it ruined because it couldn't stand up to the Billecart-Salmon. I'm relieved to report that, while it's definitely not in the same league as the Billecart-Salmon, it was still a very good champagne.
I should point out that there's no pinot meunier in the Roger Legros and that it's not a low or zero dosage champagne, so we weren't at all comparing like-for-like. These differences are very evident, with the Roger Legros having a much mintier nose, a lighter flavour, and a sweetness that I never noticed before when I'd drunk it on its own. My husband commented that while the Billecart-Salmon was 'toasty' the Roger Legros was more 'biscuity'. The Roger Legros was also far less structured than the Billecart-Salmon, it wasn't as crisp and lacked the amazing finish. While it couldn't quite compete with a bigger player, the Roger Legros still ranks among the top of their price range.
I'm now really starting to understand what you get with some of these bigger name producers...and why it's worth the price differential.
I love this champagne, it is totally my kind of champagne. It smelled like toast and grapefruit (or 'pamplemousse' as my friends say). It had the cleanest, richest, most refreshing taste with lots of citrus but no sourness or bitterness. The finish lasted forever and left us wanting more.
And the bubbles...perfect, round, plentiful bubbles!! The bubbles are my gold-standard for what a champagne should be.
This bottle disappeared far too quickly, even though my husband and I savoured every sip. My husband, cheeky-chappy that he is, suggested that we open the other bottle of champagne that was in our fridge, so that we could compare another champagne that we like to it. He knew I wouldn't say 'no' to that.
So he popped open the Roger Legros Cuvee Speciale from the Champagne Warehouse and we had a glass each. I have to say, I was a little nervous, because I've really liked this champagne in the past and didn't want it ruined because it couldn't stand up to the Billecart-Salmon. I'm relieved to report that, while it's definitely not in the same league as the Billecart-Salmon, it was still a very good champagne.
I should point out that there's no pinot meunier in the Roger Legros and that it's not a low or zero dosage champagne, so we weren't at all comparing like-for-like. These differences are very evident, with the Roger Legros having a much mintier nose, a lighter flavour, and a sweetness that I never noticed before when I'd drunk it on its own. My husband commented that while the Billecart-Salmon was 'toasty' the Roger Legros was more 'biscuity'. The Roger Legros was also far less structured than the Billecart-Salmon, it wasn't as crisp and lacked the amazing finish. While it couldn't quite compete with a bigger player, the Roger Legros still ranks among the top of their price range.
I'm now really starting to understand what you get with some of these bigger name producers...and why it's worth the price differential.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Another Long Week
Where do these long weeks come from? You wake up on Monday feeling fresh from the weekend, then by Wednesday you're wondering how you're going to make it to Friday. But Friday came at last...and to mark the start of the weekend, we opened a bottle of Billecart-Salmon vintage 2004 last night. Being a bit tired, I hadn't even planned anything special to eat with it, just some chilli that I had pulled out of the freezer. But the champagne is so stunning with its yeasty-goodness that you can really serve it with anything. It stood up well to the spicy tomato of the chilli. And it was nice to drink on its own. I always think that the brut reserve is my favourite of the Billecart's that we've got in the house - but I'm really going to have to re-think that now that I've had the 2004 again!
Monday, 3 January 2011
Hello 2011!
We had a wonderful, quiet New Year's Day on Sunday. I spent most of the day out in the garden, which I always enjoy. We had a casual dinner at home, with me making mac and cheese with bacon and spinach (always yummy) and an upside-down banana cake, a new favourite recipe. Accompanying it, we had Maison Lenique 2005, with its intense apple flavour and lots and lots of bubbles. All in all, it was a good day.
Yesterday, a group of us went to Ransome's Dock for lunch, and in his infinite wisdom, my husband pre-ordered a magnum of Billecart-Salmon rose. There's something about a magnum of champagne, the bottle just seems endless, although we always manage to finish it. The champagne was only eclipsed by the fantastic company and the most delicious dessert - a gingerbread pudding with ginger sauce, cream, and custard. It was to die for, the kind of cooking I've learned to expect at Ransome's Dock.
A great start to the New Year, now to some more healthy eating for the rest of January...
Yesterday, a group of us went to Ransome's Dock for lunch, and in his infinite wisdom, my husband pre-ordered a magnum of Billecart-Salmon rose. There's something about a magnum of champagne, the bottle just seems endless, although we always manage to finish it. The champagne was only eclipsed by the fantastic company and the most delicious dessert - a gingerbread pudding with ginger sauce, cream, and custard. It was to die for, the kind of cooking I've learned to expect at Ransome's Dock.
A great start to the New Year, now to some more healthy eating for the rest of January...
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Good Bye 2010
Having had such fantastic champagne at Christmas, my husband and I took a serious look at our stock and discussed what we wanted to put in the fridge for New Year's Eve. We had a lot of good choices...but we both agreed that having been disappointed with the bubbles in some of our recent bottles, we wanted a 'sure thing' for the evening, something that would taste great and be bubbly enough. In went a bottle of Billecart-Salmon brut reserve, my favourite of the Billecart's that we own.
I guess there's no such thing as a 'sure thing', though. We wrestled opened the champagne early on in the evening, the cork being particularly difficult to remove. It looked and tasted OK on opening. But halfway through my first glass, and unusually for this champagne, the bubbles disappeared. I couldn't believe it!! My husband and I agreed that, if we were drinking the brut reserve for the first time, we wouldn't have known it was an off bottle, just thought that it was only an OK champagne (and disappointing for the price). But knowing how stunning and bubbly this champagne usually is, we knew something wasn't quite right. Hopefully our one remaining bottle of this wine will be in top shape.
So good-bye to 2010. It went out with a bit of a fizzle, but we're really looking forward to 2011 and have a bottle of Maison Lenique in the fridge to welcome in the New Year!
I guess there's no such thing as a 'sure thing', though. We wrestled opened the champagne early on in the evening, the cork being particularly difficult to remove. It looked and tasted OK on opening. But halfway through my first glass, and unusually for this champagne, the bubbles disappeared. I couldn't believe it!! My husband and I agreed that, if we were drinking the brut reserve for the first time, we wouldn't have known it was an off bottle, just thought that it was only an OK champagne (and disappointing for the price). But knowing how stunning and bubbly this champagne usually is, we knew something wasn't quite right. Hopefully our one remaining bottle of this wine will be in top shape.
So good-bye to 2010. It went out with a bit of a fizzle, but we're really looking forward to 2011 and have a bottle of Maison Lenique in the fridge to welcome in the New Year!
Friday, 10 December 2010
Indulgent
My husband has had business dinners the last couple of nights, leaving me to eat on my own. I often can't be bothered to cook for myself, but as you're well aware if you've been reading this blog, I will open champagne for myself : )
So last night was a bit of indulgence...my bowl of honey-nut Cheerios was accompanied by a glass of Billecart-Salmon rose. I can just see some of you, shaking your heads in horror.
But since the bottle's sitting capped in the fridge and since I just finished some drawings for my gardening homework, I'll have to have another glass tonight. Not sure yet what I'll be eating with it...hopefully something better than cereal.
So last night was a bit of indulgence...my bowl of honey-nut Cheerios was accompanied by a glass of Billecart-Salmon rose. I can just see some of you, shaking your heads in horror.
But since the bottle's sitting capped in the fridge and since I just finished some drawings for my gardening homework, I'll have to have another glass tonight. Not sure yet what I'll be eating with it...hopefully something better than cereal.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Celebrating Milestones
This month is supposed to be 'austerity November' - we had a pretty decadent October and really need to get re-focused on our healthy eating and exercise habits. Last night I had planned a tasty-but-healthy dinner of homemade chicken and vegetable soup with rice. But then my husband came home and reminded me that yesterday was his 5-year anniversary at the company where he works. In this economic climate, that really is something to celebrate. To top it off, we had a cold bottle of Billecart-Salmon rose in the fridge - the perfect celebration champagne - so how could we let the milestone pass without bubbles? The richness of the champagne was perfect for the evening, and actually went pretty well with the soup!!
Not a great start to 'austerity November', but we got my husband's sixth year at this company kicked off properly!
He's too funny, too. So we won't be tempted to celebrate too many more things in November, my husband filled the champagne shelf with a bottle of Philizot & Fils brut numero 2. Neither of us will be rushing to drink that anytime soon...
Not a great start to 'austerity November', but we got my husband's sixth year at this company kicked off properly!
He's too funny, too. So we won't be tempted to celebrate too many more things in November, my husband filled the champagne shelf with a bottle of Philizot & Fils brut numero 2. Neither of us will be rushing to drink that anytime soon...
Sunday, 31 October 2010
What Every Friday Night Needs
Cold, creamy, crisp, bubbly. On Friday we had a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs with our Thai-food dinner. It was heavenly, the perfect wind-down to the week. What more can I say??
Monday, 6 September 2010
BYOBB Sept'10
We held this year's second round of Bring Your Own Bottle of Bubbly - BYOBB (TM) yesterday. Like the one in May, it was good fun, great company, and a lot of yummy bubbles. We re-tasted some of the sparklers from May, as well as a few new ones. The ground-rules remained the same as in May: non-vintage bubbles, blind tasting, and marks out of 10 points for each bottle, with 10 being the best you've ever drunk and 1 being undrinkable. I will report on the order in which we drank, although please keep in mind we didn't find out until the end of the afternoon what each bottle was.
The first bottle was a re-run from May, Philizot et Fils numero 1. This champagne had a slightly poorer showing this time around, receiving marks of 5s to 7s (compared to 6s and 7s in May), and with tasters commenting that it was 'fine, but characterless' and that it had no finish. The total score was 38/70, leaving it in 5th place out of 6 bottles.
The next bottle was a new entry, Inflorescence by Bouchard, which I had drunk before and thought my tasters might enjoy. I was right, as the champagne received consistent marks of 6s and 7s across the group, who agreed that it was a 'fresh, well-made' champagne. The total score was 45/70, placing 2nd out of 6 bottles.
Our third bottle was another champagne that we had tried in May and that had scored toward the lower end of the spectrum then. Charles Ellner Brut Integral gathered marks ranging from 3s and 4s to a 6. Compared to the previous bottles we had opened, this champagne smelled almost medicinal, with one taster saying it 'smelled like a hospital' (funnily enough, the same person gave it the '6' ranking). By the end of the afternoon, more than half of this bottle remained undrunk (and now awaits its final fate in my fridge as an ingredient in champagne risotto), it just couldn't compete in the line-up we had. It placed last out of the 6 bottles with a total score of 28/70.
Our fourth bottle was a huge hit after the disappointment of the third bottle, with tasters commenting on the 'strong bubbles that evaporate quickly in your mouth' and the full-flavour of the champagne being more like a 'wine with bubbles'. Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs, was another re-run from May (and a regular in my fridge!). Despite the positive comments and a quickly-emptied bottle, it scored less well than I would have expected with marks ranging from 4s to 8s (it was our top-scorer in May, receiving all 7s and 8s). The total score was 43/70, placing this champagne 3rd out of 6 bottles.
The only rose of the day came next, another new entrant in the field. This was Champagne Thienot Brut Rose, a fruity, bubbly, luscious wine that also disappeared from our glasses very quickly with tasters commenting that it was 'very drinkable'. It scored mostly 6s, book-ended with one 5 and one 7 ranking. With a total score of 42/70, it placed 4th out of the 6 bottles. It's also worth noting that this champagne was a particularly good match with the apple and blackberry pie we had for dessert.
At this point, we noted that while we had so far drunk some very good sparklers, none of them had really wow'ed us as a group. That ended with our final bottle, which had loads and loads of bubbles, and 'flavours of apricot and lychee' - a totally different taste and style to all of the other bottles we had opened. Camel Valley Brut, the only non-French sparkler in the group, topped the tables as a new entrant with rankings of 5s to 8s and a total score of 47/70. This comes with a caveat, though - some of our tasters felt that where they could drink some of the other high-scorers throughout an evening or throughout the year, the distinct flavour of this wine limited its appeal to a single glass as an aperitif, or possibly as a warm weather sparkler. So even though it scored well, I ended up finishing the bottle while I was washing up after everyone left (yet still managed not to break any of my Billecart-Salmon-branded glassware)!
(NB While I was typing up my notes, I noticed that the Camel Valley was a 2007 vintage, so technically should be disqualified from this year's BYOBB competition which was to include only non-vintage bubbles!)
My thanks to everyone who came for bringing bottles, eating almost everything I cooked, giving honest feedback, and helping to take notes and clean up! Cheers!!
The first bottle was a re-run from May, Philizot et Fils numero 1. This champagne had a slightly poorer showing this time around, receiving marks of 5s to 7s (compared to 6s and 7s in May), and with tasters commenting that it was 'fine, but characterless' and that it had no finish. The total score was 38/70, leaving it in 5th place out of 6 bottles.
The next bottle was a new entry, Inflorescence by Bouchard, which I had drunk before and thought my tasters might enjoy. I was right, as the champagne received consistent marks of 6s and 7s across the group, who agreed that it was a 'fresh, well-made' champagne. The total score was 45/70, placing 2nd out of 6 bottles.
Our third bottle was another champagne that we had tried in May and that had scored toward the lower end of the spectrum then. Charles Ellner Brut Integral gathered marks ranging from 3s and 4s to a 6. Compared to the previous bottles we had opened, this champagne smelled almost medicinal, with one taster saying it 'smelled like a hospital' (funnily enough, the same person gave it the '6' ranking). By the end of the afternoon, more than half of this bottle remained undrunk (and now awaits its final fate in my fridge as an ingredient in champagne risotto), it just couldn't compete in the line-up we had. It placed last out of the 6 bottles with a total score of 28/70.
Our fourth bottle was a huge hit after the disappointment of the third bottle, with tasters commenting on the 'strong bubbles that evaporate quickly in your mouth' and the full-flavour of the champagne being more like a 'wine with bubbles'. Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs, was another re-run from May (and a regular in my fridge!). Despite the positive comments and a quickly-emptied bottle, it scored less well than I would have expected with marks ranging from 4s to 8s (it was our top-scorer in May, receiving all 7s and 8s). The total score was 43/70, placing this champagne 3rd out of 6 bottles.
The only rose of the day came next, another new entrant in the field. This was Champagne Thienot Brut Rose, a fruity, bubbly, luscious wine that also disappeared from our glasses very quickly with tasters commenting that it was 'very drinkable'. It scored mostly 6s, book-ended with one 5 and one 7 ranking. With a total score of 42/70, it placed 4th out of the 6 bottles. It's also worth noting that this champagne was a particularly good match with the apple and blackberry pie we had for dessert.
At this point, we noted that while we had so far drunk some very good sparklers, none of them had really wow'ed us as a group. That ended with our final bottle, which had loads and loads of bubbles, and 'flavours of apricot and lychee' - a totally different taste and style to all of the other bottles we had opened. Camel Valley Brut, the only non-French sparkler in the group, topped the tables as a new entrant with rankings of 5s to 8s and a total score of 47/70. This comes with a caveat, though - some of our tasters felt that where they could drink some of the other high-scorers throughout an evening or throughout the year, the distinct flavour of this wine limited its appeal to a single glass as an aperitif, or possibly as a warm weather sparkler. So even though it scored well, I ended up finishing the bottle while I was washing up after everyone left (yet still managed not to break any of my Billecart-Salmon-branded glassware)!
(NB While I was typing up my notes, I noticed that the Camel Valley was a 2007 vintage, so technically should be disqualified from this year's BYOBB competition which was to include only non-vintage bubbles!)
My thanks to everyone who came for bringing bottles, eating almost everything I cooked, giving honest feedback, and helping to take notes and clean up! Cheers!!
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Now I Just Feel Spoiled...
On Tuesday, I had jokingly asked my husband what to put on the champagne shelf for the next night's dinner. He told me to pick what I wanted, so I, of course, put in a bottle of Billecart-Salmon brut reserve. I didn't think we would actually drink it the next day, but then yesterday was another beautiful day, so we again celebrated the weather. Dinner was satisfying, but nothing special - chicken stir-fried with chorizo, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, spinach and chickpeas, served with rice. The champagne was fantastic with it, loads of bubbles and a tart, clean finish that cut through all of the flavours in the meal. It's like eating a crisp, just-picked apple off of a tree in autumn - juicy, not-too-sweet, and fresh.
But I have left the champagne shelf empty in anticipation of an upcoming BYOBB...I need room in the fridge for all of those bottles...
But I have left the champagne shelf empty in anticipation of an upcoming BYOBB...I need room in the fridge for all of those bottles...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)