Pop Bottles! The Complex Guide To Champagne Shopping11:45 am | Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Family, love, giving…blah, blah, blah. You, and we here at Complex, know what this season truly is all about. Drinking! Although being in the same house as your perpetually sleeping uncle and creepy aunt might force you into thinking up the most creatively potent cocktails around, you know that New Year’s means go time. And by that, we mean get the f outta the ‘burbs and to the nearest party. Wherever you end up, the staple drink will be champagne and we’re here to make sure you have all the details down. Get to testing, tasting, and toasting!

HOW TO READ A CHAMPAGNE LABEL:

1. VINTAGE vs. NON-VINTAGE: Bottles in our celebratory price-range are usually non-vintage, meaning they’re made with blended champagnes to achieve a specific taste. This way, Moët can make its champagne taste like Moët should, every time. If there’s not a year printed on the label, it’s likely non-vintage.

Vintage champagnes exhibit specific characteristics associated with respective years and harvests. They can be enjoyed whenever, but they often cost more so you might want to buy for drinking in the early hours instead of dousing the room when the ball drops.

2. SWEET vs. DRY: Most sparkling wines and champagnes in the United States fall under the Brut designation, as American tastes lean toward dryer champagnes. Sweeter wines are by no means bad, and can be amazing, so it’s really a preference thing.

If you like it a little sweeter, here’s the breakdown, from driest to sweetest: Extra Brut (rare in the US), Brut (most champagnes that you see), Extra Dry (misleadingly named, actually slightly sweet), Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux (rare in the US)

3. DESIGNATION: “Premier Cru” and “Grand Cru” refer to the grapes used, and classify the wine based on vineyard type. In theory, the best vineyards grow the best grapes, which in turn make the best champagne. Grand Cru vineyards are at the top of the scale and Premier Cru is just below, representing high-quality vineyards.

If there is no Cru designation, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not good; it just means that the wine bosses haven’t gone in there and certified the vineyard yet.

4. NM vs. RM: Grower champagnes come from small-house vinters who are bringing new taste profiles to the market. On the front label, look for the designation RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) which means that the grapes used are from a single grower. These give more of a return for your money on the quality/value meter.

As far as seeking out a good one, RM champagnes by Terry Theise are always bangers (his name will be on the back label). NM (Négociant-Manipulant) designates a larger house that purchases grapes from all over the Champagne region. There are more specifics, but that’s what Wikipedia is for, homie.

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CHAMPAGNE TASTING:
Complex saved you the dirty work and found some of the best picks.

VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN ROSÉ
COST: $60, veuveclicquot.com
COMPLEX SAYS: There are strong hints of strawberries in this bottle, with the red wine component counter-balancing the sweetness. We don’t get the rapper/rosé phenomenon, only that this type is more fruit-forward on the palate and gets extra points with the ladies. Oh, now we get it.

PERRIER-JOUET GRAND BRUT
COST: $45, perrier-jouet.com
COMPLEX SAYS: Although light, this champagne has intense flavors of apricot, lime, and baked apple. The sleeper of the bubbly staples; drink it ice cold.

MOET & CHANDON IMPÉRIAL
COST: $38, moet.com
COMPLEX SAYS: Floral with hints of apple, this champagne is sweet with just the right amount of dryness for that nice balance. For any type of party, and goes great with sushi.

AUBRY JOUY-LES-REIMS BRUT PREMIER CRU
COST: $40, champagne-aubry.com
COMPLEX SAYS: This small-batch grower’s champagne is dry and tart, with an almost bitter flavor in the first sip of bubbles. A great outside-the-box wine to experiment with.

CHARTOGNE-TAILLET-SAINTE-ANNE BRUT
COST: $40, discoverywines.com
COMPLEX SAYS: Another small-house champagne, this one can party with the best of them—pinpoint-sized bubbles, crisp, fresh flavor, and a “you don’t know” factor that will get you in the door. Notes of honey and citrus with a vanilla finish.

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THE BUBBLE BREAKDOWN:

1. CHAMPAGNE: Champagnes typically start as a blend of lower-alcohol still wines to which yeast and sugar are added and then sealed in the bottle. The ingredients go through a second fermentation process that creates additional alcohol and the trademark bubbles. Before it ships, the champagne is filtered of the yeast and finished with additional wine and sugar, determining the classification (Brut, Doux, etc.) and final taste profile.

2. PROSECCO: This sparkling awesomeness is named after a white grape from the Veneto region of northeast Italy. Prosecco gets its carbonation by fermenting in batches in large, sealed containers – slightly different from champagne, but pretty close. It is often sweetened to a higher level than Brut Champagne in the finishing stage, and does not age the way Champagne does. On average it’s less expensive than Champagne, and should be drank fairly soon after its creation. A cheaper wine is just that, so it does take a knee when you start comparing it to vintage champagnes on scales of depth and complexity. TRY: Bisson Prosecco (about $20)

3. CAVA: Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain that gets its bubbles the same way Champagne does (in-bottle fermentation). It has different characteristics than champagne, mainly because there are less strict aging requirements and the grapes used are different. In general, it’s the lowest on the quality and the price rung, but there are some great Cavas out there. TRY: Don Roman Brut (about $20)

4. SPARKLING WHITE WINE: Champagne is from France, so if you make it in California you have to call it something else. Sparkling white wines can come from anywhere in the world, but typically refer to those produced outside of Europe. The best are produced the same way Champagne is, using the same techniques and grapes. Unlike with Champagne there are no laws in place to assure a minimum degree of quality, so the variation between wines can be significant. Sparkling producers in California founded by Champagne houses often have the highest quality, but your best bet is to find a wine shop you trust and let them talk you through it. TRY: Mumm Napa 2005 Blanc de Blancs ($30)

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