25th anniversary choices - What would you drink - Champers?

[Finney]

Hi all,

My wife and I are spending 2 nights in Sydney and going to Balzac 1st night and then Claudes the next. As we have organised BYO, what would you take and one what night:

Champers
2000 Dom (Can only afford one of these on one night which one and which night?)
1998 Pol Roger Winston Churchill (Can only afford one of these on one night which one and which night?)

Champers - Other night
1998 Pol Roger
2000 Marguet Pere et Fils Grand Cru Brut Reserve Champagne
2002 Michel Henriet Grand Cru Cart d'Or
2000 Hardy's Arras

Thanks in advance

Finney

[griff]

I really like the pol roger 1998 so would go the Dom for the other?

cheers

Carl

[monghead]

Firstly, congratulations.

Why not the '98 Pol then the '98 Pol WC? Could then compare and contrast...

[TiggerK]

Dom on the official night, it's got that special 'we drank Dom' appeal for the big occasion.

Other night, have to go Pol 1998, WC or std, either one is great, but of course WC has the more intense appeal. But perhaps the WC saved for the 30th?? Either way, it's darn good champers

We had Std Pol 1998 on wife's 40th in Palm Cove, fantastic.

Either way, pay lots of attention, and let her talk lots! Can't go wrong.

Cheers
TiggerK

[Finney]

Hey...Sort of figured someone would say the 98 Pol and then the WC to compare...:>)))....Just could be much of the same....?

[ChrisV]

1998 Pol is a very different wine to 1998 Winston Churchill. WC is very pinot-dominant and rich.

Have you had Krug NV? I tend to think Dom is overpriced and would definitely choose Krug over that in that price bracket.

[Craig(NZ)]

ouch you just reminded me its my 15th next week.. better start planning

[Mike Hawkins]

1998 Pol is a very different wine to 1998 Winston Churchill. WC is very pinot-dominant and rich.

Have you had Krug NV? I tend to think Dom is overpriced and would definitely choose Krug over that in that price bracket.

I think in a good year - 82/85/88/90/95/96 - Dom is better than Krug MV (also, the Krug disgorgements in recent years have been less than stellar for my tastes). That having been said, I wouldn't categorise 2000 as a good year (sorry to say). Depending on the food, the malolactic fermentation the Dom went through could be a +ve or -ve.

Cheers

Mike

[Finney]

Have never tried Krug at all....OK, now in a quandry :>\\\\

Finney

[Christo]

agree, if you are prepared to spend the dosh on Dom... go MV Krug instead.
c

[TiggerK]

I've never had any of the grand marque champers, except for Dom 2000. I must say I wasn't impressed as much as I was expecting, maybe it just needs more time, or maybe it was just me. But give me 2 or 3 bottles of Pol 98, Lanson 96, Ruinart B de B or Mumm anyday over Dom.

Krug is possibly another matter, I want to try it ASAP.... Might think about an Xmas treat... Although Mike's comment was interesting...

Cheers

[bacchaebabe]

Finney! Congrats and where the hell have you been???

I've only had Krug once and was VERY impressed. I've got a few bottles squirrelled away now as a result of that one taste. If you're looking at buying something for the night, buy the Krug. If you already have the others, then go with what you've got.

[Finney]

Hey all,

Great you guys still remember me... ....I WOULD really like to catch up with you all!!!! Who is organising the next Sydney offline????? Mmmmm?

Been really busy with work, dogs and just returned from an overseas jaunt..to Euro....Friends took Julie and I down through Bourgogne after several years of insisting the elegance of these wines are far better than the Bordeaux region (Using that term/region very loosely!!!). I have to admit to finding the elegance of Bourgogne very enlightening! Hence coming back with a suitcase full of rouge and the odd blanc!...Have to say we stayed in this little pension and had dinner down stairs and the meal and wines were AWESOME!!!...Yes coming through Customs was a challenge! But all I can say is...declare declare declare. Which is what we did and both AQIS and Customs were GREAT! No breakage as I pack VERY carefully...Mind you checking in a suitcase that weighed 32kgs challenging...but we WON!

I was going to buy the champers in the upper end of the scale...Winston and Dom being the particular mention!!! I have found a few half bottles of the Krug though and am considering after comments doing 98 Pol (not WC) first night and then save the 1/2 bott of Krug for the second night at Claudes! That would mean the second night we would need a wee white to accomodate in between the champers and the red....I have a good selection of white but am leaning towards an Eileen Hardy 02 after the last time 4 of us had one and was blown away...Any thoughts?

Thanks all for the input and keep it coming...I am still in dilemma mode....

Cheers

Finney

[Wilma]

I am very much a Moet fan, but for normal everyday drinking, I love Deutz.

[smithy]

Ask yourself the question : Do you like fine lean perfumed bubbles or the big fat rich vegemitey yeasty ones.
Former go Dom/ Moet /Veuve etc
Latter Go Krug Bollinger. ( For the richer 'food" bubbles
I'm a superfine man myself so we like em lean and mean. I've had sensational Salon on occasion but the very best bubbles I've seen would be Dom D'Oenotheque which a Recently Disgorged or longer on yeast Dom....or maybe the Philliponat (Clos De ????)....
My advice would be don't scrimp on a 25th wedding anniversary.
You only get one!!!!
Cheers
Smithy

[dave vino]

Krug MV
'cheaper' options
Egly Ouriet Grand Cru Millesime
Philipponnat Clos de Goisses

[daz]

Not a real fan of any fizzy wines but given my preference for Australian wine, I shared a bottle of Freycinet Radenti 1999 with friends at the 70th birthday celebration of one of them earlier this year - it was purposely bought for the occasion. I thought it was a pretty damn fine wine, even with the bubbles. And it was about the same price as most NV frogfrightful.

Didn't get to try it but my Moet NV-swilling friend who I gave a bottle of BoF(Hardys) Arras 97 for her 50th birthday almost a year ago, told me that she was very impressed by it.

daz