more importantly), he prefers to use the best
Chardonnay grapes to blend in with Dom
Pérignon. A huge amount of Dom Pérignon
is produced; Chardonnay is the scarcest and
most expensive of the three main Cham-
pagne grape varieties. It makes up only 25
percent of the three varieties planted in
the region, and considerably less than that
amount comes from the best area, the Côte
des Blancs.
Recommended Wines
Blanc de blancs Champagnes are made as non-
vintage or vintage Champagnes. The non-vintage blanc de blancs
tend to be less expensive, and are generally lighter-bodied. Below is
a list of recommended wines, with specific origin (indicated in pa-
rentheses), and approximate retail prices. The
Under $50 category is the smallest group; good
blanc de blancs Champagnes tend to be more
expensive than other Champagnes. Some are
made by the established houses; some by small
grower-producers (also indicated). Grower
Champagnes are typically among the driest of
all Champagnes—although most houses, such
as Ayala, are producing much drier Cham-
pagnes today than in the past.
In general, the renowned vintage blanc de
blancs Champagnes, such as Krug Clos du Mes-
nil, Salon, Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, are at their peak when aged for 15
or more years. The best blanc de blancs Champagnes are among the
longest-lived of all Champagnes.
■
blanc de blancs selections
Under $50
Agrapart (
Grower, Avize) -
Mainly Grand Cru NV
Guy Charlemagne
(
Grower, Mesnil-sur-Oger) - NV,
under $50; Vintage, over $50
Gaston Chiquet
(
Grower, Dizy) - NV Blanc de
Blancs Grand Cru d’Ay
Delamotte
(
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger) - NV,
under $50; Vintage, over $50
Nicolas Feuillatte
(
Coopera-
tive) - Vintage, $45 to $54
Pierre Gimonnet
(
Grower, Cuis) - Premier Cru NV
Jean Milan
(
Grower, Oger)
-
Grand Cru NV, under $50;
Vintage, over $50
Pierre Peters
(
Grower, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger) -
NV Cuvée de Réserve
$50 to $100
Ayala
(
Aÿ) - 2004 Vintage,
$70 to $80
Billecart-Salmon
(
Mareuil-sur-Aÿ) - NV, $70-$75;
1999
Vintage, $125-$130
Deutz
(
Aÿ) - Vintage,
$80 to $90
Diebolt-Vallois
(
Grower, Cramant) - NV Brut
Prestige, $60; Vintage, $140
Henriot
(
Reims) - NV,
about $55
Larmandier-Bernier
(
Grower, Vertus) - 2005/06
Vieilles Vignes de Cramant, $70
G.H. Mumm
(
Reims) - NV
Mumm de Cramant, about $60
Bruno Paillard
(
Reims) - NV
Réserve Privée Grand Cru,
about $80
Philipponnat
(
Mareuil-sur-Aÿ)
- 2004
Grand Blanc, about $70
Over $100
Gosset
(
Epernay) - Célébris NV
Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut,
about $200
Charles Heidsieck
(
Reims)
- 1995
Blanc des Millénaires,
$175-$190
Krug
(
Reims) - 1998/2000
Clos du Mesnil, $740-$850
Perrier-Jouët
(
Epernay) -
2002
Fleur de Champagne
Blanc de Blancs, $300
Pol Roger
(
Epernay) - 1999
Blanc de Blancs, $108-$113
Ruinart
(
Reims) - 2002 Dom
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, $130-$150
Salon
(
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger) -
1999,
$275-$300
Taittinger
(
Reims) - 2000
Comtes de Champagne,
$120-$130