brut

The Armand de Brignac Champagne Experience

Filed under: Wine

We were delighted when Armand de Brignac offered to send us one of their Prestige Cuvees (right).

Priced from $300 per bottle, these decadent champagnes come in three varieties: Champagne Rose, Champagne Blanc de Blanc, and the Brut Gold, which we tried. The bottles include pewter labels, and come in luxurious black cases. These would be an excellent gift for your Valentine; The Brut Gold for him, and the Rose for her (but we hope he or she will share it with you).

If you're not convinced, have a look at our gallery below to experience the excitement of opening the case and tasting the delicious champagne. We paired it with an appetizer of fresh strawberries, sweet pears, and tart apples, and an Organic Ceviche entree with scallops and ahi tuna.

We found the Brut Gold Champagne very delicate and subtle; a rosy scent with green apple and nutmeg. The flavor was not at all grassy, but earthy, with hints of white pepper and a smooth, long pomegranate finish. Because of it's shy complexity, we thought it would be excellently paired with a very mild cheese, and loved the way it was complimented by the pear and, eventually, the ceviche.

About half a glass and we were all saying how much we loved each other. Happy Valentine's Day indeed!

Gallery: The Armand de Brignac Champagne Experience

For more information and where to buy, visit armanddebrignac.com.

Tags: armand de brignac, blanc de blanc, BlancDeBlanc, brut, champagne, hostess gifts, HostessGifts, rose, rose champagne, RoseChampagne, valentines, valentines day, wine

Most Expensive Champagnes

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Not including hard to find exotics, Krug, Clos du Mesnil 1995 tops the Forbes most expensive champagne list at $750 a bottle. Only 12,624 of the bottles were produced. Coming in at second is Bollinger Blanc de Noirs Vielilles Vignes Francaises 1997 at $400 a pop. Despite coming from the Pinot Noir grape, it is a fine golden color. Dom Pérignon Rosé 1995 make is in the top 3 of course at $350. Aromas of strawberries and cream show Dom’s style of delicacy and finesse.