My favorite entry level grand marquee is Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve. This was the first Champagne that I enjoyed as a wine as opposed to being just a fun cork-pop. I still love it!
I believe that Jancis Robinson wrote a piece in the last year or two urging wine buffs to give Moet another look as she had been very impressed with the commitment to quality and investment in aging reserve wine that she had seen on a visit and tasting.
There is quite a wide selection of "supermarket" champagne for 15-20€, that can be bought in Aldi, Hofer, Lidl, Spar.. It would be really interesting to see a blind tasting of theese champagnes, concidering they usually are not bad, due to Champagnes strict regulations.
@@A1steakSo not true. As one comment above said, they can hardly ever be bad due to the strict regulations. I find they often lack the freshness that only champagne shows. So they are on the same level as good German Sekt. To me they are mostly above the average sparkling wine around the world.
@@AnarchoKapital exactly! I actually liked some of those! Less elegant and precise perhaps, but not bad. I would love to see an honest blind tasting and rating of champagnes in that category, by Konstantin.
Great timing. We tasted 8 champagnes blind yesterday evening, all the ones in this video included. Moët came out on top. Pol Roger was also well liked.
My theory is that some of these bottles are much better with some bottle aging. I typically age them for 2 years at least. You will see who can age more gracefully and take on more complexity. So, I wouldn't count out Bollinger just yet.
Totally agree with Pol Roger and Taittinger, my stablemates. Yes, the Moet is a surprise but I also read they have worked a lot to improve it, and it would appear that they have since you liked it. Veuve Cliquot, an offence to the pallete as usual 🙂. The Bolly is a shocker omg....
I used to drink Veuve Clicquot for being a clean, straight forward Champagne but seeing your impressions on the Moët & Chandon Imperial brut I think I'm going to try one. Other then that I'm a big fan of the Raumland wines.
Thanks for picking these universally available houses. My favorite is still Bollinger based on the levels of complexity. I think you should cellar these for one year and come back and compare them with the current NV offerings of the same houses in a year. Cheers!
The cork catch was amazing. A replay on that would make a great short! Your results did not match my preconceived notions and I’m excited to give some of those a try. Awesome
I am surprised KB was disappointed by Bollinger hearing he likes their Champagne. I guess this tasting shows how good Moët & Chandon does with their blending.
Fascinating! You should repeat this in a year to see how they compare from another NV vintage (you know what I mean) and how consistent they are. With champagne being a higher price point than most consumer wine I also feel some bottles sit around on shelves a long time, which will inevitably affect the flavour. Think some days also our own tastebuds simple act differently - one day I want only want Pinot, another I want Cabernet! Veuve always used to be my go to Champagne but lately have also found it a little one note and sharp. Pol Roger is my new textbook NV. Had a bottle of the Roederer 241 fairly recently and enjoyed it, but less than Pol Roger - more fresh green fruit and less buttery/rich. Edit - interesting comparing back with your champagne bottle sizes review, where you found a clear different in the flavour of Moet based on bottle size. Again makes me wonder how consistent ‘non-vintage’ champagne really is year-by-year, and how one can really compare side by side wines of a same age given none of the champagnes have age statements on them.
My 'go to' Champagnes are the Pol Roger (and Billecart-Salmon), the only issues I have had in over 40 years has been with Bollinger when 3 out of 6 bottles of their Grand-Annee I bought were corked. Very surprised at the Moet, I tend to find it quite 'green' in comparison to the Pol, maybe they have upped their game so will have to try a couple of bottles. Thanks for a great tasting.
Just an idea for an episode...how about a tour of your cellar? I've been watching hundreds of your videos in this cellar and I am curious : ) What is that marble sphere? The farmed artwork? And how about those bottles on the racks, what could they be? I can't be the only curious fan. : )
I've arranged two blind tastings of champagne. In both, Veuve Cliquot has finished last, losing even to "black horse" sparkling wines below 20€. Even their La Grand Dame lost out to bottles in the 50-60€ range despite costing nearly 200€ here in Finland.
I have a question. Or maybe two. What happens to all the wine you open for each video? Do you have lots of friends you invite around for a drink? Can I be your friend?
@@red8884 He may well not be but I have seen no evidence to the contrary. Even if he's not alone, do you really think a small TH-cam channel has a production team that drinks 6 bottles of wine in a single sitting? I don't think so.
Champagne available in supermarkets in Italy from 27 Eur up to max 45 Eur (on sales during Christmas/Eastern sales period), from favourite to less favourite: 1 Mumm Cordon Rouge (super easy to drink!) 2 Deutz (probably my best "complicated" wine) 3 Taittinger 4 Veuve Cliquot 5 Moet Chandon. Tried several others but I cannot rank them in the top 5.
Thanks for this excellent Blind Tasting. We really enjoy the Roederer series - 242, 243 and now 244. Not a bad value in the US for around $50usd. Seems like I should cellar some as I'm now into the 244's (based on the 2019 vintage). Have really enjoyed the Bollinger in the past but now at almost $70usd in the US we stick with the Roederer for our non vintage bubbles of choice.
Love this presenation! We drink as much champagne as we can and 'Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve' is a 'go to' favorite. This presentation was very interesting and worthwhile. Thank you!
Another wonderful concept, well executed. Except for the 2. Seriously, you and Leon have really hit a stride, wonderfully conceived and executed content. Keep it up!
I really like the Bolly but I think it needs 5-8 years on its side. No surprise in the Veuve but I hear they are producing better wine with that bottle but, the results are the results. I haven't had the Roederer 242 but will look for it. Thanks for a nice overview of Grand Marques.
Not sure if Laurent-Perrier is considered grande marques but has generally done well for me in the past. Outside of the big houses, I quite enjoy Egly-Ouriet, Krug, Vilmart, Varnier-Fanniere & Delamotte
Splendid tasting and presentation Konstantin. It has become very fashionable in my opinion to be down on Moët in recent years - possibly because of its huge production levels and maybe due to snobbiness that many of us are guilty of on occasion. From your description of No.7, I was sure it was going to be unveiled as Lanson! The fact it was Bollinger was music to my ears! I have always felt I was missing out by 'not getting it'. I don't really have a favourite Grand Marque although six bottles of Deutz did turn up on my doorstep today!
I think you nailed it. I knew most from your impressions (Taittinger, grapefruit and zingy…Moet lemon and frothy/creamy…Veuve dull and peachy). Moët is always underrated. A crowd pleaser for a reason. Hard for the Bollinger to go last. It’s so different.
Love this! I’m in your boat, Bollinger is my typical go to as well, so I’m shocked. And I’ll give Möet another shot. No surprise on the Roederer, they’re always solid!
Great experience once again, thank you for sharing it! I was also very surprised to have a Moët recently and… it was very very good indeed, was expecting something much more commercial.
Thanks, Konstantin. It took me decades to appreciate how Champagne truly is not just the wine of kings but the king of wines. Champagne is possibly my favorite wine and I pair it with everything, including roast beef. Maybe more than any other wine, Champagne appreciation is an acquired taste, so preferences may be especially subjective, which may explain why my impression of these brands differs from yours in a few respects, as my top three are Pol Roger, Bollinger, Roederer. Roederer: Brut Premier had been my favorite entry-level NV Champagne for many years (before I became a true Champagne afficionado), but then started getting boring and thin (to me). BUT the revamped wines that came in recent years have been more impressive. (Starting with their 241st anniversary, they give a different number to their wine each year (name it "Collection 24_" and aim to exploit the changing harvest conditions rather than keep a rigidly uniform house style; sounds like a necessary response to climate change). I need to pay more attention to this brand. I also need to literally pay more to buy it as prices have gone way up. Pol Roger: my favorite NV Champagne for the past 10-15 years. Very consistent, great structured acidity with enough depth to be interesting. Maybe my love of their vintage wines (especially Brut vintage) biases my attachment to the NV wine somewhat, but I don't think I'm wrong, especially considering it is at least CAD $20 cheaper than Roederer and Bollinger here. Taittinger: I tried hard to love this maison after visiting their cellars in 1981, but it has been consistently disappointing to me; had a half-bottle in the last year and was again disappointed; hard to see how it could rate higher than Pol Roger. Moet: meh; I guess I'll have to try it again; maybe something changed? I seriously doubt it. Veuve Cliquot: it seemed beautiful and powerful to me 20 years ago, but consistently unbalanced and uninteresting in recent years. Bollinger: Always liked it with it's seeming blanc de noir character, especially in recent iterations; price increase recently doesn't seem justified though.
Pondering this some more, it occurs to me that the appreciation of the subtleties of great Champagne is not for everyone (it's an acquired tastes as I noted above). As such, my journey into Champagne nirvana has been a somewhat lonely one. My wife complains about the lack of red wines on our table; family members who like big red wines have been underwhelmed by Champagnes that put me in a state of ecstasy. Bigger brands like Moet are probably not targeting Champagne snobs like me, but rather trying not to ruffle the palates of still wine drinkers who want bubbles on special occasions. Sorry plebes, your loss. ; )
Fantastic video, cool as a cucumber popping those corks and that catch on 6 😮 Pol Roger is one of my favourite NV Champagnes, but you really do have cellar it for a couple of years for it to show its full potential.
Veuve Clicquot N.V. becomes way better with aging. I have had Veuve Clicquot N.V. that was aged for 12-15 years (2010 as base vintage), which were so much more interesting, than the most recent releases.
Very interesting, definitely need to blind taste them as well because for now I have them ranked: 1. Pol Roger 2. Louis Roederer 3. Veuve 4. Moet 5. Taittinger 6. Bollinger Laurent Perrier and Perrier Jouet should probably also be included if we go mainstream Would also love to see it with their Rosé counterparts
Fascinating tasting. We skew toward Pol Roger and Bollinger. I never really thought of it, but I buy the Bollinger prestige cuvées, and shy away from the NV brut. If possible, please follow this video up with a Presitge cuvée tasting. I would love to see the results. Cheers!
Bollinger has always been my favorite NV. I will have to recreate this tasting for myself. Would love to see a video either blind comparing the base or tete de cuvée from California houses (la reve from Domaine Carneros, J Schram from Schramsberg) vs comparable champagne
Again a wonderful journey. Only a blind tasting will force us to drink without preference or prejudice. I still believe all these grand marques produce serious entry level champagne since these are the main profit of the company. Although they are all multi-vintage, different batches acts differently. For example, Louis Roederer collection 242 (2017 base) is better than 243 (2018). The cellar masters' work is to make every classic champagne stationary in every year. The date of disgorgement also matters. The batch numbers sometimes gives us clues if this bottle is an "old" one or not. If it is not "too" old, preserved and shipped properly, it may not be as fresh as those recently disgorged one, but gives more complexity due to maturation. (I wonder if the Master of Wine recognized the unique thin neck of wine No.7 while popping and guessing Bollinger or Charles Heidsieck with higher expectation?😉)
I haven't really been a fan of Veuve recently, Roger and Roederer are my go to for big brand Champagne. Palmer & co is a steal though at a similar price point
Wowww!!! Based on the tasting notes, especially the apple notes, I expected the Bollinger to be the Louis Roederer (although not to switch places so to say as I think Louis Roederer is of fantastic quality). Interesting…
great video, Konstantin 🙃 My favorite 'cheap' champagne is 'Pommery', but obviously there are better ones out there. Did you ever make a video about Amarone della Valpolicella ?
Great video, very interesting. For sure demonstrated the power of blind tastings. Thanks for sharing. No particular favorite champagne for me. Usually just budget sparkling California wine a few times a year.
I’m a little surprised by the Bollinger too. Veuve? No surprise. Big marketing for sure. I toured Taittinger about 15 years ago, but to be honest I really don’t see it on shelves here in States and so forget it exists. Nice to see the Imperial have a good showing since it is not outrageously expensive.
Konstantin, thanks for a very enjoyable tasting to observe. I’m a fan of champagne, both grower and grand marque, and you easily could do this same tasting with another 5-7 different grand marques. Charles Heidsieck, Pierre Peters, and Bruno Paillard NV’s are personal faves in the $50-$60 price point, though the CH has had a meaningful price increase of late. I didn’t hear anything about dosage…..at what level do you generally prefer?
My favorite would be Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, which in a blind tasting like this won me first place. I would easily agree that Moet is of high quality because they get to select the juice that goes into their brand. At any rate, I typically prefer to age my Champagne for an additional 2 or 3 years, even longer for bottles that could handle it. One bottle, Roederer Estate NV, (California sparkling), bottle aged for 11 years in my cellar came in #2 in a blind tasting against 10 bottles of mostly Champagne, (one Franciacorta and one Cava). People couldn't tell that it wasn't Champagne! It was a lot of fun.
Love this, great video again. My favourite is probably Mailly and Bruno Paillard (if they can be considered hallmark I dont know) but they are perfect every-day champagne according to me
Hello Konstantin, just a general question: do you wash or rinse your Wine glasses in a special way? After getting mine out of the dish washer they often have some weird notes like egg white e.g. Maybe you have some general tipps & tricks for the perfect wine tasting setting ? Thx
Really enjoyed this tasting and really surpricing results! For me the R de Ruinart Brut tops all of these, would have loved to see that in this line up!
I really like Louis Roederer NV as well, my top 3 NV entry level champagne from the Grand Marques are probably Louis Roederer, Taittinger, Nicolas Feuillatte
Didn't know the term Grand Marques, had to look it up and my favourite bottle of bubblies from those 24 (Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Canard-Duchêne, Deutz, Gosset, Charles Heidsieck, Heidsieck & Co Monopole, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Mercier, Moët & Chandon, GH Mumm, Joseph Perrier, Perrier-Jouët, Piper-Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Salon, Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot) when I was living in Paris was Deutz and still is. Veuve Cliquot is so, so, always a dissapointment at vernissages when that is their choice of plonk. Looking at this line up for me I would've guessed the Roederer scored the highest as well.
How much do you think proper (or improper) storage of these wines affects tasting? I've found a lot of variation between bottles of the same brand and it can be a little frustrating to really enjoy a bottle only to then buy it again and be disappointed by it (I've had this with Bollinger and Veuve quite a lot) Perhaps some had more bottle age due to not selling as quickly, making them more delicious, or some had simply just been in bad storage conditions? Would love to know your thoughts on this!
Excellent topic - I love champagne and good fizzy in general but there’s too much to select from…generally choosing millésime seems to work, with many entry level fizzes being similar…favorite ok-priced is Pol Winston and quite like Heidsieck as a cheaper option…have never had crystale as it seems a bit wanky / xs marketing? Some great fizz coming out of the U.S., Schramsberg and Caraccioli are 2 good examples
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That Moët was this well rated is crazy. The beauty of blind tasting indeed.
My favorite entry level grand marquee is Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve. This was the first Champagne that I enjoyed as a wine as opposed to being just a fun cork-pop. I still love it!
Agreed! The Bollinger special cuvee is another cracker in that price point 👍
I believe that Jancis Robinson wrote a piece in the last year or two urging wine buffs to give Moet another look as she had been very impressed with the commitment to quality and investment in aging reserve wine that she had seen on a visit and tasting.
Moet is consistently showing great on blind tasting, people hate it for being too commercial, but it is a very balanced Champagne
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Yes personally i prefer it over a Taittinger for example
There is quite a wide selection of "supermarket" champagne for 15-20€, that can be bought in Aldi, Hofer, Lidl, Spar.. It would be really interesting to see a blind tasting of theese champagnes, concidering they usually are not bad, due to Champagnes strict regulations.
Absolutely no problem to buy a cheaper supermarket champagne, important to look at the sugar content 😅.
Those are one step below piss water
@@A1steakSo not true. As one comment above said, they can hardly ever be bad due to the strict regulations. I find they often lack the freshness that only champagne shows. So they are on the same level as good German Sekt. To me they are mostly above the average sparkling wine around the world.
@@AnarchoKapital exactly! I actually liked some of those! Less elegant and precise perhaps, but not bad. I would love to see an honest blind tasting and rating of champagnes in that category, by Konstantin.
The Louis is my favourite as well 😊
Great timing. We tasted 8 champagnes blind yesterday evening, all the ones in this video included. Moët came out on top. Pol Roger was also well liked.
Also, the Bollinger did not do well.
My theory is that some of these bottles are much better with some bottle aging. I typically age them for 2 years at least. You will see who can age more gracefully and take on more complexity. So, I wouldn't count out Bollinger just yet.
I waited sooo long for this tasting!! Love champagne and your unbiased opinions on them! Thanks Konstantin!
Totally agree with Pol Roger and Taittinger, my stablemates. Yes, the Moet is a surprise but I also read they have worked a lot to improve it, and it would appear that they have since you liked it. Veuve Cliquot, an offence to the pallete as usual 🙂. The Bolly is a shocker omg....
I used to drink Veuve Clicquot for being a clean, straight forward Champagne but seeing your impressions on the Moët & Chandon Imperial brut I think I'm going to try one.
Other then that I'm a big fan of the Raumland wines.
Raumland is just amazing.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve stands out for me.
Like a smelly wet sock
Agreed! Too bad that wasn't included in the blind tasting.
Same!
It supposedly contains 40% of reserve wine. Not sure about now though. It's also my favorite NV.
@@ihsrosary The bottle shape would've given it away though.
Thanks for picking these universally available houses. My favorite is still Bollinger based on the levels of complexity. I think you should cellar these for one year and come back and compare them with the current NV offerings of the same houses in a year. Cheers!
That's exactly my sentiment. I'm surprised that Konstantin does not mention that. It's a bit unfair if you think about it.
Lol...I would never expect the bolinger was the worse one....one of the most realiable NV cuves.....❤❤
For me personally both their regular nv and the rosé lose against their competition because they are more pricey but don’t taste better
@@0xMatt8302 wich one would you sugest instead of? Tnx
The cork catch was amazing. A replay on that would make a great short! Your results did not match my preconceived notions and I’m excited to give some of those a try. Awesome
I am surprised KB was disappointed by Bollinger hearing he likes their Champagne. I guess this tasting shows how good Moët & Chandon does with their blending.
mind blown! THAT was a valuable test.
Konstantin out here doing champagne cork trick shots 🍾
Does it look like it was edited? I find it hard to believe that the falling cork/wire did not break the thin wall of the glass though.
Gosset Grand Reserve Brut is one of those ones that definitely deserve a try, maybe in another blind test , especially considering the price point
So happy the Louis R came out on top! Incredible producer and great value for an entry level Champagne. As always, very educational tasting.
Fascinating! You should repeat this in a year to see how they compare from another NV vintage (you know what I mean) and how consistent they are.
With champagne being a higher price point than most consumer wine I also feel some bottles sit around on shelves a long time, which will inevitably affect the flavour. Think some days also our own tastebuds simple act differently - one day I want only want Pinot, another I want Cabernet!
Veuve always used to be my go to Champagne but lately have also found it a little one note and sharp. Pol Roger is my new textbook NV. Had a bottle of the Roederer 241 fairly recently and enjoyed it, but less than Pol Roger - more fresh green fruit and less buttery/rich.
Edit - interesting comparing back with your champagne bottle sizes review, where you found a clear different in the flavour of Moet based on bottle size. Again makes me wonder how consistent ‘non-vintage’ champagne really is year-by-year, and how one can really compare side by side wines of a same age given none of the champagnes have age statements on them.
Champagnes & sparkling wines have become some of my favorite wines.
My 'go to' Champagnes are the Pol Roger (and Billecart-Salmon), the only issues I have had in over 40 years has been with Bollinger when 3 out of 6 bottles of their Grand-Annee I bought were corked. Very surprised at the Moet, I tend to find it quite 'green' in comparison to the Pol, maybe they have upped their game so will have to try a couple of bottles. Thanks for a great tasting.
Just an idea for an episode...how about a tour of your cellar? I've been watching hundreds of your videos in this cellar and I am curious : ) What is that marble sphere? The farmed artwork? And how about those bottles on the racks, what could they be? I can't be the only curious fan. : )
I've arranged two blind tastings of champagne. In both, Veuve Cliquot has finished last, losing even to "black horse" sparkling wines below 20€. Even their La Grand Dame lost out to bottles in the 50-60€ range despite costing nearly 200€ here in Finland.
I have a question. Or maybe two. What happens to all the wine you open for each video? Do you have lots of friends you invite around for a drink? Can I be your friend?
Spoiler alert... he isnt alone in the celler
@@red8884 He may well not be but I have seen no evidence to the contrary. Even if he's not alone, do you really think a small TH-cam channel has a production team that drinks 6 bottles of wine in a single sitting? I don't think so.
@@bugsygoo i'll drive
That's three questions.
I have a friend that runs a wine shop and I’ve gotten Many late night calls to come over to try left overs from tastings
Good friend to have
Champagne available in supermarkets in Italy from 27 Eur up to max 45 Eur (on sales during Christmas/Eastern sales period), from favourite to less favourite: 1 Mumm Cordon Rouge (super easy to drink!) 2 Deutz (probably my best "complicated" wine) 3 Taittinger 4 Veuve Cliquot 5 Moet Chandon. Tried several others but I cannot rank them in the top 5.
Very fun, my favorite grand marques has historically been Laurent Perrier
Thanks for this excellent Blind Tasting. We really enjoy the Roederer series - 242, 243 and now 244. Not a bad value in the US for around $50usd. Seems like I should cellar some as I'm now into the 244's (based on the 2019 vintage). Have really enjoyed the Bollinger in the past but now at almost $70usd in the US we stick with the Roederer for our non vintage bubbles of choice.
Love this presenation! We drink as much champagne as we can and 'Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve' is a 'go to' favorite.
This presentation was very interesting and worthwhile. Thank you!
Another wonderful concept, well executed. Except for the 2. Seriously, you and Leon have really hit a stride, wonderfully conceived and executed content. Keep it up!
I really like the Bolly but I think it needs 5-8 years on its side. No surprise in the Veuve but I hear they are producing better wine with that bottle but, the results are the results. I haven't had the Roederer 242 but will look for it. Thanks for a nice overview of Grand Marques.
Not sure if Laurent-Perrier is considered grande marques but has generally done well for me in the past. Outside of the big houses, I quite enjoy Egly-Ouriet, Krug, Vilmart, Varnier-Fanniere & Delamotte
Splendid tasting and presentation Konstantin.
It has become very fashionable in my opinion to be down on Moët in recent years - possibly because of its huge production levels and maybe due to snobbiness that many of us are guilty of on occasion.
From your description of No.7, I was sure it was going to be unveiled as Lanson! The fact it was Bollinger was music to my ears! I have always felt I was missing out by 'not getting it'.
I don't really have a favourite Grand Marque although six bottles of Deutz did turn up on my doorstep today!
I think you nailed it. I knew most from your impressions (Taittinger, grapefruit and zingy…Moet lemon and frothy/creamy…Veuve dull and peachy). Moët is always underrated. A crowd pleaser for a reason. Hard for the Bollinger to go last. It’s so different.
Love this! I’m in your boat, Bollinger is my typical go to as well, so I’m shocked. And I’ll give Möet another shot. No surprise on the Roederer, they’re always solid!
Quiet of a surprise as well!! 😂
Mine would be the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve of course 🥂🥂🍾🍾
Love the format. I would love to see something similar with other types of wine.
Great experience once again, thank you for sharing it! I was also very surprised to have a Moët recently and… it was very very good indeed, was expecting something much more commercial.
Perfect timing, Costco in US currently selling Piper Heidsieck for 19.97. Glad to be drinking along
Thanks, Konstantin. It took me decades to appreciate how Champagne truly is not just the wine of kings but the king of wines. Champagne is possibly my favorite wine and I pair it with everything, including roast beef. Maybe more than any other wine, Champagne appreciation is an acquired taste, so preferences may be especially subjective, which may explain why my impression of these brands differs from yours in a few respects, as my top three are Pol Roger, Bollinger, Roederer.
Roederer: Brut Premier had been my favorite entry-level NV Champagne for many years (before I became a true Champagne afficionado), but then started getting boring and thin (to me). BUT the revamped wines that came in recent years have been more impressive. (Starting with their 241st anniversary, they give a different number to their wine each year (name it "Collection 24_" and aim to exploit the changing harvest conditions rather than keep a rigidly uniform house style; sounds like a necessary response to climate change). I need to pay more attention to this brand. I also need to literally pay more to buy it as prices have gone way up.
Pol Roger: my favorite NV Champagne for the past 10-15 years. Very consistent, great structured acidity with enough depth to be interesting. Maybe my love of their vintage wines (especially Brut vintage) biases my attachment to the NV wine somewhat, but I don't think I'm wrong, especially considering it is at least CAD $20 cheaper than Roederer and Bollinger here.
Taittinger: I tried hard to love this maison after visiting their cellars in 1981, but it has been consistently disappointing to me; had a half-bottle in the last year and was again disappointed; hard to see how it could rate higher than Pol Roger.
Moet: meh; I guess I'll have to try it again; maybe something changed? I seriously doubt it.
Veuve Cliquot: it seemed beautiful and powerful to me 20 years ago, but consistently unbalanced and uninteresting in recent years.
Bollinger: Always liked it with it's seeming blanc de noir character, especially in recent iterations; price increase recently doesn't seem justified though.
Pondering this some more, it occurs to me that the appreciation of the subtleties of great Champagne is not for everyone (it's an acquired tastes as I noted above). As such, my journey into Champagne nirvana has been a somewhat lonely one. My wife complains about the lack of red wines on our table; family members who like big red wines have been underwhelmed by Champagnes that put me in a state of ecstasy. Bigger brands like Moet are probably not targeting Champagne snobs like me, but rather trying not to ruffle the palates of still wine drinkers who want bubbles on special occasions. Sorry plebes, your loss. ; )
This was a great teaching video. Well done!
Fantastic video, cool as a cucumber popping those corks and that catch on 6 😮
Pol Roger is one of my favourite NV Champagnes, but you really do have cellar it for a couple of years for it to show its full potential.
Like any other wine, vintages do matter alot even in the NV versions of Champagne.
Veuve Clicquot N.V. becomes way better with aging. I have had Veuve Clicquot N.V. that was aged for 12-15 years (2010 as base vintage), which were so much more interesting, than the most recent releases.
So fun! Loved it. Ive always enjoyed Gosset
Very interesting, definitely need to blind taste them as well because for now I have them ranked:
1. Pol Roger
2. Louis Roederer
3. Veuve
4. Moet
5. Taittinger
6. Bollinger
Laurent Perrier and Perrier Jouet should probably also be included if we go mainstream
Would also love to see it with their Rosé counterparts
Fascinating tasting. We skew toward Pol Roger and Bollinger. I never really thought of it, but I buy the Bollinger prestige cuvées, and shy away from the NV brut.
If possible, please follow this video up with a Presitge cuvée tasting. I would love to see the results. Cheers!
Quel surprise, one of the best recent videos I’d say. Thanks Constantin 👍🏻🥂
Bollinger has always been my favorite NV. I will have to recreate this tasting for myself.
Would love to see a video either blind comparing the base or tete de cuvée from California houses (la reve from Domaine Carneros, J Schram from Schramsberg) vs comparable champagne
Again a wonderful journey. Only a blind tasting will force us to drink without preference or prejudice.
I still believe all these grand marques produce serious entry level champagne since these are the main profit of the company.
Although they are all multi-vintage, different batches acts differently. For example, Louis Roederer collection 242 (2017 base) is better than 243 (2018). The cellar masters' work is to make every classic champagne stationary in every year.
The date of disgorgement also matters. The batch numbers sometimes gives us clues if this bottle is an "old" one or not. If it is not "too" old, preserved and shipped properly, it may not be as fresh as those recently disgorged one, but gives more complexity due to maturation.
(I wonder if the Master of Wine recognized the unique thin neck of wine No.7 while popping and guessing Bollinger or Charles Heidsieck with higher expectation?😉)
Great video, more champagne please!!!
Fascinating! My house Champagne is Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve. I find it precise and chiseled and consistently great. Cheers 🥂
Bollinger house style is so distinctive. It's one of those that should be easily identified in a blind line up.
I’ve had great experiences with most of these. I typically love the Bolli.
Fantastic! Thank you!
I haven't really been a fan of Veuve recently, Roger and Roederer are my go to for big brand Champagne. Palmer & co is a steal though at a similar price point
Wowww!!! Based on the tasting notes, especially the apple notes, I expected the Bollinger to be the Louis Roederer (although not to switch places so to say as I think Louis Roederer is of fantastic quality). Interesting…
What a fun video! Really cool comparisons, been looking for this kind of insight as I get more into sparkling 🥂
The most enjoyable Champagne i had was Louis Roederer as well, i had their Carte blanche
great video, Konstantin 🙃 My favorite 'cheap' champagne is 'Pommery', but obviously there are better ones out there. Did you ever make a video about Amarone della Valpolicella ?
Great content! Roederer is indeed a nice one!
My favorite so far is : yours #1 Pol Roger Reserve, then G.H. Martel - Prestige Brut, then Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee 1785 Brut
Great tasting, my fave is Charles Heidsieck and I will give Moet another try.
Great video, very interesting. For sure demonstrated the power of blind tastings. Thanks for sharing. No particular favorite champagne for me. Usually just budget sparkling California wine a few times a year.
Fascinating and honest ... very nice
I'm just waiting patiently for the day Konstantin opens a wine that's corked
Due to modern technology, the chance of a wine being corked is much lower than the previous decades.
That wineglass cork catch was amazing!!!!
Its fun seeing you be surprised by the results! 🍷🍷🍷
Great video! You saved me a lot of money! And congratulations with that "hole in one" !
That catch was awesome, my Man.
I’m a little surprised by the Bollinger too. Veuve? No surprise. Big marketing for sure. I toured Taittinger about 15 years ago, but to be honest I really don’t see it on shelves here in States and so forget it exists. Nice to see the Imperial have a good showing since it is not outrageously expensive.
"Popping Corks" LOL love your show especially Zgerman accent
I would like to see your toughts about Drappier champagne
Thanks for the vid 👍
Konstantin, thanks for a very enjoyable tasting to observe. I’m a fan of champagne, both grower and grand marque, and you easily could do this same tasting with another 5-7 different grand marques. Charles Heidsieck, Pierre Peters, and Bruno Paillard NV’s are personal faves in the $50-$60 price point, though the CH has had a meaningful price increase of late. I didn’t hear anything about dosage…..at what level do you generally prefer?
My favorite would be Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, which in a blind tasting like this won me first place. I would easily agree that Moet is of high quality because they get to select the juice that goes into their brand. At any rate, I typically prefer to age my Champagne for an additional 2 or 3 years, even longer for bottles that could handle it. One bottle, Roederer Estate NV, (California sparkling), bottle aged for 11 years in my cellar came in #2 in a blind tasting against 10 bottles of mostly Champagne, (one Franciacorta and one Cava). People couldn't tell that it wasn't Champagne! It was a lot of fun.
Excellent tasting! Thank you 🥂
Love this, great video again. My favourite is probably Mailly and Bruno Paillard (if they can be considered hallmark I dont know) but they are perfect every-day champagne according to me
Hello Konstantin,
just a general question: do you wash or rinse your Wine glasses in a special way? After getting mine out of the dish washer they often have some weird notes like egg white e.g.
Maybe you have some general tipps & tricks for the perfect wine tasting setting ?
Thx
@7:48 ah the miracles of fermentation
Really enjoyed this tasting and really surpricing results! For me the R de Ruinart Brut tops all of these, would have loved to see that in this line up!
I'm not a Champagne drinker but love watching Konstantin doing his superb blind tastings 👌
Very Enjoyable tasting KB...Thanks
Love this, hope to see part 2 😁
Thank you ! Where did you get your velvet bags Sir ?
Bollinger is my favorite one among these. Any chance the specific bottle might have been "faulty"?
Yes, last few times I tried Veuve C it was poor enough, not what it was in the 80s when it was great wine.
Great Video! 🍾
We like Ployez-Jaquemart-Extra Brut Rose, price/performance unmatched at $55.
Their Brut Extra Quality is at $40 a steal.
I really like Louis Roederer NV as well, my top 3 NV entry level champagne from the Grand Marques are probably Louis Roederer, Taittinger, Nicolas Feuillatte
Hey. Whatever happened to Moet White Star? I don’t see it anymore. It was priced below the Moet Brut
May I ask what glasses you used to taste? Those look like tulip flutes ; is there a brand you would recommend?
Agreed on the Bollinger. Received a Bollinger as a gift. I was exciting about tasting a Bollinger but it turned out not special.
My favorite entry level is Palmer brut reserve
Didn't know the term Grand Marques, had to look it up and my favourite bottle of bubblies from those 24 (Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Canard-Duchêne, Deutz, Gosset, Charles Heidsieck, Heidsieck & Co Monopole, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Mercier, Moët & Chandon, GH Mumm, Joseph Perrier, Perrier-Jouët, Piper-Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Salon, Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot) when I was living in Paris was Deutz and still is. Veuve Cliquot is so, so, always a dissapointment at vernissages when that is their choice of plonk. Looking at this line up for me I would've guessed the Roederer scored the highest as well.
deutz is my favorite too
I'm curious: What about a blind tasting Champagne/Cremont/Cava/Sekt/Prosecco? Would you be able to put them in the right region?
How much do you think proper (or improper) storage of these wines affects tasting? I've found a lot of variation between bottles of the same brand and it can be a little frustrating to really enjoy a bottle only to then buy it again and be disappointed by it (I've had this with Bollinger and Veuve quite a lot) Perhaps some had more bottle age due to not selling as quickly, making them more delicious, or some had simply just been in bad storage conditions? Would love to know your thoughts on this!
Very interesting video, Konstantin 👌🥂. I've tasted just a few, but my favorite champagne is "Un jour de 1911" from A.Clouet
Gonet-Medeville Brut Tradition is a wonderful wine at a very reasonable price.
Excellent topic - I love champagne and good fizzy in general but there’s too much to select from…generally choosing millésime seems to work, with many entry level fizzes being similar…favorite ok-priced is Pol Winston and quite like Heidsieck as a cheaper option…have never had crystale as it seems a bit wanky / xs marketing? Some great fizz coming out of the U.S., Schramsberg and Caraccioli are 2 good examples