Fine Wines : Champange

This is Winemaker Notes - Armand de Brignac is marvelously complex and full-bodied, with a bouquet that is both fresh and lively. Its sumptuous, racy fruit character is perfectly integrated with the wine's subtle brioche accents. Its texture is deliciously creamy and the palate has great depth and impact with a long and silky finish. A superb and singular example of a Prestige Champagne. 2006 marks the unveiling of Armand de Brignac in the stunning gold bottle originally developed by Cattier for the Andre Courreges fashion house. Cattier–s gold bottle also made an appearance at Queen Elizabeth II of England–s Golden Jubilee celebration. All labels for each bottle of Armand de Brignac are made of real pewter, polished and applied by hand. Each bottle is packaged in a black embroidered velvet bag, which completes a package that speaks to the quality of the Armand de Brignac Champagne and the care taken with each step of its realization.the highly sought after ultra-luxury cuvee made by Cattier. It is packaged in a gold bottle with a pewter card-spade with an A on it instead of a label, giving rise to the nick-name "ace of spades". It is a favorite of many musicians and has been popping up in celebrity circles and even in videos. Take your cue from Jay-Z and pop open a bottle of this bubbly, made exclusively from mountain de Reims fruit. It is a blend of 33% Pinot Noir, 33% Meunier and 33% Chardonnay.

91 points Wine Spectator: "Aromatic and spicy, with cedar, honey and ginger notes matching a firm structure and lean, intense character. Fine length. Drink now." (11/06) 90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Pale gold. Fresh peach, pear and nectarine on the nose, with a complicating note of white flowers. Fleshy, plush and ripe, with strong peach and ripe pear flavors in a more powerful and less restrained style than last year's release. Firms up on the finish, picking up a mineral note and showing very good balance and length.

Bollinger is one of the few houses in Champagne to remain independent. The cuvee is blended primarily from grapes grown on bollinger estates many of which have vineyards with grand cru and premier cru designations. Year-to-year, bollinger produces a wine that is crisp and focused with citrus and mineral notes and some hints of yeast. The wine has excellent lenght in the finish with hazelnuts coming in at the end. Rated 90 points by The Wine Spectator

A beautiful gold color. The bubbles are persistent, fine and regular. The nose is pleasant, made very elegant by the large amount of Chardonnay. The Brut Souverain is sharp, well balanced and harmonious on the palate. '

For the last 200 years, this tiny, family-owned Champagne house has been carefully fine tuning their craft. Very few know about them (due to limited importation) but those lucky enough to have sampled Henriot Rosé know what to expect: elegant, sophisticated aromas with flavors of red fruits, rose petals and spice. A clean, effervescent mousse and a long finish.

Light gold in color, Brut Premier boasts a smooth, full mouth. This elegant champagne is a delicate balance of fruit and acidity, an outstanding example of the Roederer tradition of producing wines of lean, firm structure with discreet fruit and subtle toast flavors.