Champagne from Champagne really worth the price

It's interesting that wine choices for entertaining during the holiday season, with its focus on friends, family and traditions, always point like a compass to magnetic north -- in this case, Champagne.

Viewed through the lens of dreary economic times, consumers might well feel less like celebrating and more like commiserating. And I gave serious thought to forgoing the annual Champagne column in favor of cheaper bubbly.

Any good wine shop or wine department will offer you a wealth of fizz at affordable prices. Spanish cavas (see this week's Pick), Italian Proseccos, sparkling rieslings from Australia and affordable domestic brands such as Washington's own Domaine Ste. Michelle are all good options.

But as I have written many times before, Champagne that is grown and made in the Champagne region of France is unique and special. And if any wine deserves a place of honor at your table, this is the one.

The reason that French Champagne tastes different from other sparkers is really quite simple. It's grown on soils that are part of the Kimmeridgian Chain. This massive geological formation begins in England (the white cliffs of Dover), crosses the channel into northern France and continues on down through parts of the Loire Valley and Burgundy. It has particular importance for the wines of Champagne and Chablis.

Essentially, it's an ancient seabed, and gazillions of tiny creatures, who left their little skeletons behind, are the source of its grape-growing power. The minerality that is a hallmark of the wines can be attributed, most experts agree, to these chalky, ancient soils.

Producing Champagne is time- and labor-intensive, but beyond that, other economic forces have been driving prices higher. The growers hold the cards here, and they are pretty much all aces and kings. According to the official Champagne marketing Web site, there are almost 15,000 different vineyards, averaging just over 3 acres in size. The little guys control 90 percent of the total land under cultivation. And according to government rules and regulations, no more may be planted.

The big producers, whose famous brands (Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon, G.H. Mumm) are marketed globally, must purchase most of their grapes. So grape prices have been climbing, even as the Euro's strength makes other currencies weaker.

Even so, I continue to believe that a bottle or two of real Champagne is worth the price of admission. The good news is that you have more choices than ever before. In years gone by, I would have enthusiastically recommended the basic "Brut" bottlings from almost any of the major houses. But these days, those wines are increasingly thin and green tasting. The good stuff is going into the vintage wines, the reserves and special cuvées.

Right now, the 1996 and 2002 vintages are being hailed as the best of a long run of excellent harvests. Also good are the vintage wines of 1998; and 2003, just now appearing, looks to be a rather fat, full and flavorful vintage. The Millennium (2000) -- not so good, but you may find some better values here. Avoid the rare vintage-dated 2001 wines.

In the great years, it goes without saying, the many prestige cuvées are standouts. But you'll pay plenty for them. Let me call out some favorites, should money be no object: Bollinger 1996 RD and 1999 Grande Année, Philipponnat 1998 and 1999 Clos des Goisses, Louis Roederer 2002 Cristal, Pol Roger 1998 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, Perrier Jouët 2002 Fleur Rosé, Deutz 1999 Amour de Deutz and Krug 1998 Brut. Note that almost all of these producers offer very fine nonvintage bruts at much lower prices.

At somewhat more affordable levels are the outstanding Louis Roederer 2002 Blanc de Blancs ($80) and 2002 Vintage Brut ($80); Philipponnat 1999 Réserve ($70) as well as their NV Royale Réserve ($55); Champagne Mumm "Mumm de Cramant" ($70); and Duval-Leroy 1996 Vintage Brut ($60).

At the baseline, nonvintage Brut level, I would point you toward Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck, Delamotte, Deutz, Duval-Leroy, Henriot, Perrier Jouët, Piper-Heidsieck and Taittinger. Prices vary, but most hover around $35 to $45.

A welcome trend in recent years is the influx of so-called grower Champagnes. These bill themselves as the anti-conglomerates: small, family operations whose owners have elected to bottle their own grapes rather than selling them to the big houses. Quality varies widely, and they are not less expensive than comparable brut bottlings from the big brands. However, they do offer more diverse and specific flavors.

My favorite of the grower Champagnes I've tasted this season is the Michel Turgy NV Réserve Selection Brut Blanc de Blancs ($50). It's made from grapes grown in Grand Cru vineyards in Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger, one of Champagne's best communes. Grape Expectations is the local distributor.

The Michel Turgy has an especially expressive nose, with a beguiling mix of toast, cinnamon, vanilla and caramel. The fruit is beautifully rich and round, and the flavors are penetrating and luscious.

For a good grower rosé, try the nonvintage bottling from J. Dumangin Fils ($33). This small producer is from a premier cru village, Chigny-les-Roses, and is a favorite in Great Britain. New to Washington, J. Dumangin Fils wines are distributed by Chateau St. Martin.

Whatever fills your glass Thursday and in the weeks ahead, I'd like to offer a toast of appreciation for your companionship on this wonderful weekly wine journey and my wishes for a joyful holiday season.

Pick of the Week

Tarantas Cava Brut, $13. Still looking for that budget bubbly? Here's one that offers the extra attraction of being made from organically grown grapes -- the three standard Cava grape varieties (Macabeu, Xarel-lo and Parellada). It is produced by the classical méthode champenoise -- fermented in the bottle -- but finishes bone dry in the Cava style. The alcohol is listed at just 11.5 percent. It is available at all Whole Foods Markets at this price through the holidays.

* Paul Gregutt can be reached at wine@seattletimes.com.

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