Champagne Christmas Party

I invited some of the original Chicago Wine Mafia of to the house for a Christmas party. For the most part these are board members which my wife and I have been off lining with for the last 10 years or so. It was the first time many of them had a chance to see my recently completed wine cellar. I asked every couple to bring 1 bottle of champagne and an appetizer. I supplied the rest of the wine together with sub sandwiches, shrimp and crab claws. In all we had Blue Oval, Anwar and trigirl, RobA and wife, Jcubed, Mrs. Scubarex, Thelostverse and wife and R2D2. We started out with about 9 sparklers, then 2 whites, followed by 10 reds (5 2000 bordeaux, 2 Wyncrofts and a 3 bottle vertical of Ricasoli Caselfero). We finished with 3 dessert wines (a MI icewine, a sauternes and a SQN).

We also arranged a Christmas grab bag with $20-30 wines. Don't know about everyone else but I had a blast from what I can remember. I was definitely over served but I didn't have to drive so I didn't care. Really enjoyed seeing everyone. My notes on the sparklers are below:

• NV Schramsberg Vineyards Mirabelle Brut Rose 89 Points

  USA, California, North Coast

  Brought by R2D2. Pretty pink color. The fruitiest of the sparklers. Notes of raspberries and limes. Dry. Round texture. Abundantly fizzy. 89 points.

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• NV Bruno Giacosa Spumante Extra Brut 89 Points

  Italy, Lombardia, Lombardia Spumante

  Brought by Anwar. Much drier than I expected from a spumante with only a touch of sweetness. Solid bead with floral and yeasty flavors. 88-89 points.

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• NV R. & L. Legras Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  I bought this in 2007. 2nd time I have had this wine. The first was from a 375ml bottle and I was not impressed. This time I opened a magnum and this showed much better. Not nearly as austere as when I first had this. Much rounder. Fresh with a fine bead. Notes of roasted peanuts and citrus. long finish. 92 points.

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• NV Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  Brought by Scubarex's wife. 2nd time I had this wine last weekend. Very nice both times with consistent notes. 89-90 points.

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• NV Jacques Picard Champagne Brut Sélection 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Brought by Anwar. First wine I have had from this producer. Very interesting bottle. It showed some light red fruit flavors (primarily strawberry). Solid bead with a crisp finish. 91-92 points.

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• NV Michel Arnould & Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut 90 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  I believe this was brought by thelostverse. I've had this grower/producers GC Brut Reserve a few times before but not the regular GC Brut. Fruitier than most of the other champagnes at the party. A fine bubbly. Some slight bitterness on the finish. 90-91 points.

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• NV Maurice Vesselle Champagne Brut Cuvée Réservée 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Brought by Jcubed. I've always enjoyed the wines from this grower/producer and this wine was no exception. My only complaint was that this was a little too warm. This had a creamy texture with a nutty character. Notes of white fruit and flowers. 91 points.

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• NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Brought by RobA I think. 2nd time I have had this wine this month and they were very different bottles. The first was either old or suffered from storage issues. This bottle was far superior and much fresher. Notes of crisp apples, bread dough and toast. 92 points.

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• 1985 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Bought this at auction 21 years ago. Fully expected it to be dead but thought I would give it a try. Wow. Surprisingly fine. This had a low bead. Aromas of peanut brittle without any hint of sherrylike nuances. Notes of creme brulee and toast. A rather delicate style at this age. This was the first champagne finished which was a good thing because it probably would not have held together long once opened. Really enjoyed this and it was my favorite champagne of the night. This is an example of a champagne which improved with age as WS gave this an 86 on release. 93-94 points.

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VM