Duval Leroy n.v. brut, others

[VouvrayHead]

A tasting I hosted at the store I work at this weekend:

Segura Viudas brut Cava- awesome stuff for $6.99
Bright, fresh, a bit green... Great to toy with (Chambord, anyone?)

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic- $15.99 Really nice, rather soft, nice pear or other gentle fruitiness. a wee touch of grassiness in the background, but great for the money. Rivals Gruet blancs de noir for domestic bubbles.

Gruet Demi-Sec $13.99 Not as sweet as I thought it might be. OK, but not nearly as well-defined as their fabulous brut and blancs de noir.

Remy Pannier rose bubbles- $8.49 Rather insipid. too sweet and not enough acid. light strawberry. Sold a bunch anyway.

Duval Leroy n.v. brut- Well, just terrific for a $30 champagne. Rather soft, and touch of sweetness for brut, a gentle pear or apple fruit with really long and full finish. A lot of people tought it was similar, just better made, to the Domaine Chandon, and I can certainly see that.
Darn W.S. gave it a rather silly 94 pts. and #41 on their top 100 list, so I'm sure it'll be $45 next yeat. [img]http://wines.com/ubb/frown.gif[/img] oh well, great while it's $30! The only bubbly I'd prefer to it at that price is Schraamsberg vintage Blanc de Noir.

Cheers! I'm looking forward to New Year's Eve.