The Subject Was Champagne : Results of the Los Angeles Times’ 15th Annual Wine Tasting

IT WAS THE Los Angeles Times’ 15th Annual Wine Tasting, and for 1988 the subject was Champagne. Seventeen professional palates assembled for an all-day tasting of sparkling wines. Champagne, whether the pride of France, or any other bubbly produced by the highly refined methode champenoise , abounds in subtlety, which becomes a criteria of excellence. This sophisticated wine is the most challenging wine for fair evaluation.

Too much (but not surprising) emphasis is placed on the fine bead of bubbles. Without effervescence, the signature of the wine is flat. But one should not forget that its body is the structure that makes a bubbly wine outstanding.

Even among experts accustomed to the evaluation of wine on a rigid point system, subjectivity is inevitable. This brings into focus the role of style. With every sparkling wine, the style is distinct.

Value is important in an examination of the results. A world-renowned label lends prestige to a celebration. For pure drinking pleasure, however, there are titles here to challenge the more famous--and expensive--names.

Results of the Tasting The 1988 Los Angeles Times tasting panel consisted of Robert Lawrence Balzer, Richard Arrowood of Chateau St. Jean, William Bond MD, Jack Davies of Schramsberg Vineyards Co., Guy Devaux of Domaine Mumm Inc., Madeleine de Jean Dickinson of Veuve Clicquot, Dawnine Dyer of Domaine Chandon, Gary Heck of F. Korbel & Bros., Ben Lane of Wine Futures Exchange Inc., Jean Leon of La Scala Restaurant, actor Burgess Meredith, Lew Mitchell of Lew Mitchell’s Orient Express, Leonce Picot of Casa Vecchia restaurant, John Scharffenberger of Scharffenberger Cellars, Forrest Tancer of Iron Horse Vineyards, wine merchant Steve Wallace, and Eric Wente of

Wente Bros. The tasting was produced by Gricel Fernandez-Sanabria and James Willett.

The panel’s ratings follow:

NON-VINTAGE BRUT (.5% to 1.5% sugar)

16 Entries Price, Rating

This is essentially a “dry” category, with no indication of any other composition of the cuvee , or blend. It is usually a wine made from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and / or Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, in the style of the producer’s wine makers.

LAURENT PERRIER BRUT-- Price: $29.95, Rating: 16.1

Imported by Laurent Perrier, New York, N.Y. Wine of exquisite balance, fine bead and delicate toastiness in taste. CHANDON NAPA VALLEY BRUT-- Price: $14.39, Rating: 16.0

Produced and bottled by Domaine Chandon, Yountville, Calif. Silky wine with lively effervescence; low profile in the bouquet style. MUMM CUVEE NAPA BRUT-- Price: $15.50, Rating: 16.0

Produced and bottled by Domaine Mumm, Calistoga, Calif. Fresh, clean, crisp wine of fine bead in a creamy mousse. SCHARFFENBERGER BRUT-- Price: $13.75, Rating: 16.0

Produced and bottled by Scharffenberger Cellars, Ukiah, Calif. Vividly exciting wine of crisp, dry, appetizing taste. Great value. VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN-YELLOW LABEL-- Price: $23.95, Rating: 16.0

Imported by Clicquot Inc., New York, N.Y. Gentle nectar of obvious breed and finesse. Great name. Fine wine. PHILIPPONNAT BRUT--Price: $29.88, Rating: 15.5

Imported by Cuvaison Winery, Calistoga, Calif. From this small, prestigious Marne Valley house, a wine of fine breed and style. TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE BRUT “LA FRANCAISE”--Price: $24.95, Rating: 15.3

Imported by Kobrand Corp., New York, N.Y. Prestige wine with intriguing bouquet, graceful style, dry finish. MUMM’S CORDON ROUGE BRUT Price: $38.52, Rating: 15.3

Imported by Julius Wile Sons & Co., New York, N.Y. Good wine from the famous house; perky taste, singular bouquet. CHARBAUT & FILS CHAMPAGNE BRUT--Price: $23.85, Rating: 15.2

Imported by Wine Markets International Inc., Syosset, N.Y. Altogether charming wine, almost feminine in softness. Fine bead. VINTAGE BRUT (.5% to 1.5% sugar)

15 Entries Price, Rating

As with the above category, these are essentially dry wines, each house with its own style in taste-finish. Vintage years for France are celebrated and highly valued, though non-vintage Champagnes are prized for excellent blending.

GLORIA FERRER 1984 ROYAL CUVEE SONOMA COUNTY--Price: $16.26, Rating: 16.7

Produced and bottled by Freixenet Sonoma Caves, Windsor, Calif. Panelists unanimously voted this Pinot Noir/Chardonnay cuvee an outstanding wine. Tastes of subtle fruit, fine mousse. An excellent value. VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN BRUT GOLD LABEL 1982--Price: $41, Rating: 16.6

Imported by Clicquot Inc., New York, N.Y. Regal wine of traditional splendor, i.e., “Babette’s Feast” Champagne. TAITTINGER 1982 CHAMPAGNE BRUT--Price: $32.95, Rating: 16.5

Imported by Kobrand Corp., New York, N.Y. The bouquet alerts the connoisseur to this wine’s breed, crisp finesse. IRON HORSE 1984 SONOMA COUNTY-GREEN VALLEY--Price: $16.50, Rating: 16.4

Produced and bottled by Iron Horse Vineyards, Sebastopol, Calif. The presidential choice for summit toasting. Zesty “appleness.” Delightful. MUMM CORDON ROUGE 1982 CHAMPAGNE BRUT--Price: $38.52, Rating: 16.1

Imported by Seagram Classics Wine Co., New York, N.Y. Golden, toasty wine, of splendid bubble-mousse, dry finish. SPECIAL PRESTIGE BOTTLINGS

14 Entries, Price, Rating

Bubbles have tickle, but no taste. Here are the greatest sparkling wines, obviously all from La Champagne, each of incomparably fine style and quality of taste. Always pricey, exceptional wine for exceptional moments.

CHAMPAGNE A. SALON LE MESNIL 1979--Price: $100, Rating: 16.9+

Pearson & Hawkins, Importers, Santa Barbara, Calif. Singular Grand Cru status wine, of quiet lemony elegance, rare distinction . Very limited Cote des Blancs production. KRUG GRAND CUVEE BRUT CHAMPAGNE (NV)--Price: $58, Rating: 16.9+

Imported by Premiere Wine Merchants Inc., New York, N.Y. Classic, complex, multilayered wine of irresistible charm, regal taste, a cuvee of perhaps 40 to 50 wines. LAURENT PERRIER 1982 CUVEE GRAND SIECLE--Price: $69.95, Rating: 16.9

Imported by Carillon, Teaneck, N.J. Named for the Great Century of France, the wine has a haunting delicacy and sheer elegance; classic mousse. PERRIER-JOUET 1982 FLEUR DE CHAMPAGNE-SPECIAL RESERVE--Price: $73.62, Rating: 16.9

Imported by Seagram-Chateau & Estates Wine Co., New York, N.Y. Sparkling wine in the famous “flower bottle” is round, soft, elegant. MOET & CHANDON 1982 CUVEE DOM PERIGNON--Price: $81.81, Rating: 16.8

Imported by Schieffelin & Somerset Co. New York, N.Y. Round, full cuvee of toasty aspect; gentle, non-insistent effervescence. PIPER-HEIDSIECK 1979 CHAMPAGNE RARE--Price: $83.05. Rating: 16.8

Imported by Palace Brands Co. Farmington, Conn. Silvery pale, beguiling bouquet, fine bead, refreshing finish. VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN 1979 LA GRANDE DAME--Price: $65, Rating: 16.8

Imported by Clicquot Inc., New York, N.Y. Style is clean, without toastiness; direct, flawless perfection. TAITTINGER 1981 COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE BLANC DE BLANCS--Price: $79.95, Rating: 16.7

Imported by Kobrand Corp., New York, N.Y. Silky wine of evident breed in bouquet, Chardonnay cuvee in dry finesse. BRICOUT 1982 ELEGANCE DE BRICOUT CUVEE SPECIALE--Price: $50, Rating: 16.5

Imported by Racke U.S.A., Sonoma, Calif. Serenely smooth complexity, of Grand Cru status; truly fine Champagne. MUMM 1982 CUVEE RENE LALOU--Price: $61.62, Rating: 16.4

Imported by Seagram Classics Wine Co., New York, N.Y. Classic Champagne of direct dryness, fine bead; somewhat short in body. NATURAL (.0% sugar in dosage)

5 Entries, Price, Rating

In its evolution, Champagne, the original bubbly wine, began its life as a sweet dessert wine, for the czar’s table often even flavored with liqueurs. Through the centuries, with demand from England for a more dry wine, one-upmanship began, taking the wine from sec, or dry, to extra dry, then brut, and finally, without any sugar, to natural. It becomes the ultimate aperitif, as dry as a martini cocktail.

LAURENT PERRIER CHAMPAGNE ULTRA BRUT (NV)--Price: $37.95, Rating: 16.3

Imported by Laurent Perrier Inc., New York, N.Y. A wine of obvious Champagne breed, direct in taste; Chardonnay richness. KORBEL NATURAL CALIFORNIA CHAMPAGNE (NV)--Price: $12.95, Rating: 15.7

Produced and bottled by F. Korbel & Bros. Inc., Guerneville, Calif. Round, pleasant wine, fine bead, but definitely Californian in style and taste. PIPER-HEIDSIECK 1982 CHAMPAGNE BRUT SAUVAGE--Price: $42.15, Rating: 15.5

Imported by Palace Brands Co., Farmington, Conn. Classic Champagne nose and taste, full body, dry-but-not-biting finish. MIRASSOU 1983 MONTEREY CHAMPAGNE AU NATURAL--Price: $12.12, Rating: 15.2

Produced and bottled by Mirassou Vineyards, San Jose, Calif. Silvery pale, incisively dry with acidic bite in ultra-dry styling. CULBERTSON 1985 NATURAL CALIFORNIA CHAMPAGNE--Price: $19.25, Rating: 15.1

Produced and bottled by John Culbertson Winery, Fallbrook, Calif. Roundly pleasant wine with obvious fruitiness in California character. BLANC DE NOIRS (.5% to 1.5% sugar

5 Entries, Price, Rating

Pinot Noir, the black grape of La Champagne, dominates the cuvees , or blendings, of prestige selections. It lends a kind of richness and elegance, even perhaps a more luxurious taste; for after all, the base wine is more significant than the bubbles.

IRON HORSE 1985 BLANC DE NOIRS-WEDDING CUVEE--Price: $19, Rating: 16.0

Produced and bottled by Iron Horse Vineyards, Sebastopol, Calif. The opulent richness of Pinot Noir accounts for the splendor of this fine sparkling wine. DOMAINE CHANDON BLANC DE NOIRS BRUT (NV)--Price: $14.39, Rating: 15.7

Produced and bottled by Domaine Chandon, Yountville, Calif. A charming suggestion of rose petals in the truly Pinot Noir origins of this cuvee. KORBEL SONOMA BLANC DE NOIRS CHAMPAGNE (NV)--Price: $12.95, Rating: 15.6

Produced and bottled by F. Korbel & Bros. Inc., Guerneville, Calif. Many panelists gave this excellent sparkler top scores.

PAUL MASSON 1984 CENTENNIAL CUVEE BLANC DE NOIRS--Price: $9.99, Rating: 14.8

Produced and bottled by Paul Masson Vineyards, Gonzales, Calif. Uneven evaluation on this truly fine wine, a good renaissance for this label, now under new direction. Outstanding value. SCHRAMSBERG 1983 NAPA VALLEY BLANC DE NOIRS--Price: $19.85, Rating: 14.6

Produced and bottled by Schramsberg Vineyards, Calistoga, Calif. Once more, very uneven scoring by the panel, with highs for this tour-de-force golden bubbly; no hint of blush; fine bead. BLANC DE BLANCS (.5% to 1.5% sugar)

6 Entries Price, Rating

This category includes the dry sparkling wines made almost exclusively from white grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc--setting it apart for supposedly lighter styling. It is a proud subtitle on many of the finest French Champagnes.

CHATEAU ST. JEAN 1984 BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT--Price: $16, Rating: 16.3

Produced and bottled by Chateau St. Jean, Graton, Calif. Splendid base wine, with a slight fruit suggestion in bouquet; dry finesse. DEUTZ 1982 CHAMPAGNE BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT--Price: $33.50, Rating: 16.2

Imported by C & B Vintage Cellars, San Francisco. Brilliant Classic French Champagne, pale, invitingly dry; clean, appetizing taste. IRON HORSE 1984 SONOMA BLANC DE BLANCS-GREEN VALLEY--Price: $16.50, Rating: 16.1

Produced and bottled by Iron Horse Vineyards, Sebastopol, Calif. The fine bouquet of fine Chardonnay suggests ripe pears; elegant, refreshing. KORBEL BLANC DE BLANCS CALIFORNIA CHAMPAGNE (NV)--Price: $12.95, Rating: 15.4

Produced and bottled by F. Korbel & Bros. Inc., Guerneville, Calif. Lovely, clean wine, with French persona, pale golden hue; splendid mousse. SCHRAMSBERG 1984 BLANC DE BLANCS NAPA VALLEY CHAMPAGNE--Price: $17.95, Rating: 15.4

Produced and bottled by Schramsberg Vineyards, Calistoga, Calif. Truly fine sparkling wine, with classic bouquet, lightly golden color, fine bead. BEAULIEU VINEYARD 1982 NAPA CHAMPAGNE DE CHARDONNAY--Price: $14.95, Rating: 14.3

Produced and bottled by Beaulieu Vineyard, Rutherford, Calif. Undistinguished winey nose loses for this otherwise well-made bubbly. EXTRA DRY (1.5% to 2.5% sugar)

2 Entries, Price, Rating

To the layman, extra dry might seem misleading, as wines in this category contain more sugar and are thus sweeter than those in most other categories.

MOET & CHANDON WHITE STAR EXTRA DRY CHAMPAGNE (NV)--Price: $27.14, Rating: 15.3

Imported by Schieffelin & Co., New York, N.Y. Sweetness is not apparent; nor is much bouquet for this popular wine. G. H. MUMM & CO. CHAMPAGNE EXTRA DRY (NV)--Price: 25.87, Rating: 14.2

Imported by Seagram Classics Wine Co., New York, N.Y. In its sales history, Mumm’s Extra Dry has been a consistent best seller. Fair wine. VIN MOUSSEUX-SPARKLING WINES-SEKT

7 Entries, Price, Rating

These sparkling wines from areas outside the classical Champagne area, are essentially produced in the bottle-fermentation process but from grapes of other than the traditional varieties.

BOUVET SAPHIR BRUT (France)1985--Price: $10.95, Rating: 14.8

Imported by Kobrand Corp. Inc., New York, N.Y. Lacking the distinction of Champagne; an otherwise fairly good, toasty sparkler. VENEGAZZU 1982 BRUT-VENETO RESERVE (Italy)--Price: $17, Rating: 14.8

Imported by Loredan Gasparini, Wine Warehouse, Los Angeles. Pale, honey-golden wine; lively effervescence but with a bitter-dry finish. BOUVET SIGNATURE BRUT (NV) (France)--Price: $9.95, Rating: 14.5

Imported by Kobrand Corp. Inc., New York, N.Y. Adequately pleasant wine; clean, dry, straightforward bubbly. JEAN PHILIPPE 1985 BRUT BLANQUETTE DE LIMOUX (France)--Price: $9.75, Rating: 14.2

Imported by Wine Warehouse, Los Angeles. Good winey bouquet, good threading bubbles; fairly pleasant wine. FREIXENET CORDON NEGRO BRUT (Spain)--Price: $13.25, Rating: 13.5

Imported by Logret Import & Export, Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Disappointing in wine quality. Lacking sparkling wine distinction. HENKELL TROCKEN EXTRA DRY (Germany)--Price: $11.25, Rating: 12.8

Imported by Renfield Importers Ltd., New York, N.Y. Fine sparkle, but curious, almost minty taste; sweetish finish. FURST VON METTERNICH RIESLING SEKT-EXTRA DRY (German)--Price: $14.06, Rating: 12.6

Imported by Seagrams Chateau & Estates Wine Co., New York, N.Y. Appeared to suffer from improper storage, handling. This was a splendid sparkler when tasted in Germany. Following is an alphabetical list of other wines tasted:

Non-vintage brut: Bollinger Champagne Brut, $32.51; Geyser Peak Brut Champagne, $7.50; Korbel Brut, $9.99; Langlois Cremant de Loire Brut, $12; Maison Deutz California Brut Cuvee, $13.95; Parsons Creek Mendocino County Champagne Brut, $14.46; Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut, $24.87.

Vintage brut: S. Anderson 1984 Napa Valley Brut, $12; Bricout 1983 Carte Or, $21.25; Charbaut & Fils 1979 Champagne Brut, $23.85; Chateau St. Jean 1984 Sonoma County Brut, $12.37; Culbertson 1985 California Brut, $14; Jepson 1985 Mendocino County Brut, $16; Moet & Chandon 1982 Brut Imperial, $27.14; Mirassou 1983 Monterey County Brut, $12.12; Piper Sonoma 1984 Sonoma County Brut, $14.39; Wente Bros. 1983 Arroyo Seco Brut, $14.39.

Prestige bottlings: Charbaut & Fils 1979 Certificate Brut-Blanc de Blancs, $79.13; Heidsieck & Co. 1982 Diamant Bleu, $58; Louis Roederer NV Brut, $28.12; Schramsberg 1981 Napa Valley Reserve, $27.25.

All paper from Pavilion Papers, Pasadena. Page 45: From left, Lalique “St. Hubert” flute from Gump’s, Beverly Hills; Riedel “Ambassador White” champagne from Gump’s; Colony flute from The Pavilion at Tanner Market, Pasadena.; Baccarat “Harmony” flute from Geary’s, Beverly Hills.

Page 46: Sasaki “Lotus” flute and California Bronze plate from Lynne Deutch Limited, Beverly Hills. Puiforcat “Annecy” fork from Gump’s.

Page 47: Hand-painted charger by Naiva. Christian Dior “Gaudron Gold” plate and champagne saucer, Correia glass ornaments, from Geary’s. George Jensen “Bernadotte” fork from Gump’s.

Page 48: Baccarat “Merkur” and “Neptune” flutes from Gump’s. Glass dish from Tesoro.

Page 49: Top, blond wood charger from The Pavilion at Tanner Market. Square plate from Tesoro. Baccarat “Montaigne Optic” champagne saucer from Geary’s. Bottom, Swid Powell “White Stripe” buffet plate and Sasaki “Eclipse” glass from Geary’s. Candles from The Pavilion at Tanner Market.

Page 50: Lalique “Fontainebleu” saucer from Geary’s.

Page 52: Sasaki “Eclipse” flute from Geary’s.

Page 54: Oversized champagne flute from Tesoro.

Produced by Robin Tucker