Annual Champagne Tasting at Wine Watch Progresso Plaza

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.”
Mark Twain

And Now our Biggest Event of the year at the store our ANNUAL CHAMPAGNE TASTING!!

This is one of our annual events and one of the most popular, the Champagne and Sparkling wine tasting at Progresso Plaza has become one of the hottest tickets events that we do all year. Not only will we have an incredible line-up of Champagne and Sparkling wines from your everyday non-vintage brut, rose brut, to tete de cuvee vintage Champagne, but we will also be sampling some great methode champenoise sparklers from California and Cava from Spain. There will be over 50 sparkling wines in all available to tasting and Wine Watch Wine Bar will be here serving up a few tasty treats to accompany the bubbles.  The fee for this tasting is $45 + tax. Can you think of a better way to start Saturday night? For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

Champagne and Sparkling Wine Tasting at Wine Watch
Saturday, November 25st
7:30pm

Florida Wine Company

Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne NV
Price: $42.75    Your Price: $37.62

(91 Points)  This creamy Champagne is bright and citrusy, offering an expressive and well-meshed mix of ripe blackberry, pastry dough and pickled ginger flavors. Racy finish. Disgorged October 2016. Drink now through 2021.  Wine Spectator

NV Lanson Rose Label Brut Champagne
Price: $57.75    Your Price: $50.82

This winery was started by the Delamotte Family. This is esentiually the same blend as the black label they own 120 hectares and like most of the bigger houses, they are #8 and they have three press houses, 1% more Pinot Noir but they use 6% red wines from Bouzy. Fresh strawberry and raspberry fruit on the tongue with pretty floral notes rose petal and more chalky mineral notes, a bigger wine with a bit of tannins at the end but lovely balance of fresh fruit and tongue tingly minerality through the finish. Finish 40+ this wine was disgorged in September 2013. Excellent +

VUEVE FOURNY VERTUS BLANC DE BLANCS NV
Price: $54.50       Sale $47.96          Case $556

VARNIER-FANNIERE  COTE DES BLANCS  BRUT GRAND CRU NV
Price: $73.25       Sale $64.46          Case $748

RENE GEOFFROY  VALLEE DE LAARNE  ROSE SAIGNEE NV 
Price: $75.50       Sale $66.44          Case $771

MARC HEBRART  VALLEE DE MARNE  CUVEE DE RESERVE NV 
Price: $56.75       Sale $49.94          Case $579

MOUSSE ET FILS  VALLEE DE MARNE  CUVEE NOIR RESERVE NV 
Price: $60.75       Sale $53.46          Case $620

Terroir

Champagne Lallier Millesime Brut 2008
Price: $75.00       Sale $66.00          Case $765
Without any reserve wine, without artifice, the 2008 Vintage properly reflects the2008 harvest. The 2008 Vintage arrived after the very mature 2005 vintage which is now part of the Memory Collection with older LALLIER Vintages. The 2008 Vintage is fresher, more mineral. Even after more than six years of ageing, this wine offers notably elegant aromas, still with citrus and white flesh fruits notes mixed with more mature and deeper notes such as honey, wax and light roasting notes.

Champagne Lallier Rose Brut NV   
Price: $59.00       Sale $51.92          Case $602
80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, the Lallier Rosé is almost all grand cru juice. Grand Cru grapes from the areas of Aÿ, Bouzy and Avize are blended with Premier Cru grapes from Mareuil sur Aÿ to create this delightful, yet intense champagne. A blend of 80% current vintage wine with 20% reserve wine, it sees 10 g/L dosage and is matured for 24 to 36 months in their cellars, after which it will rest five months between disgorgement and shipping. A brilliant yet pale salmon-pink color introduces charming aromas of wild strawberries and baguette. Racy yet balanced, this elegant champagne will delight the senses.

Grongnet Champagne Blanc de Blancs NV
Price: $54.25       Sale $47.74          Case $554
Cecile Grongnet is the fifth generation of the Grongnet family to run this operation and she does almost everything by herself. The Champagne house has been in the same location since 1885 when her great great grandfather started the business. They are located in the village of Etoges, which is in the middle of the Côte des Blancs region of Champagne. They are one of only 26 Champagne houses to be part of the “Special Club”, which is an exclusive club comprised of only the top Champagne houses elected by their peers. The cuvées that she produces all have a very low dosage and most undergo no malolatic fermentation.

Grongnet “Carpe Diem” Extra Brut Champagne NV
Price $68.25        Sale $60.06          Case $697

This is an ultra-rare example of a cuvee that has undergone ficelage: the ancient art of tying down the cork to the bottle with twine. Requiring great skill, even an expert can only complete about 50 bottles in an hour. The intricate knots are tied while still attached to the ball of twine; this process is then repeated twice forming a cross on the top of the cork. For this much effort, only the very best goes into the bottle! Carpe Diem Brut is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier 20%, Pinot Noir 10% which has been fermented and matured for three years in large oak foudres, before a further three or more years in the bottle. Dry, complex and full on the palate, it is multi-layered extravaganza of spice, savoury and exotic fruit flavours. Wonderfully textured and possessing and incredible length of palate, this is another terrific cuvée from Grongnet.

Guy Charlemagne Mesnillesime Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2005
Price: $94.25       Sale $82.94          Case $962
100% Chardonnay. Pale yellow with green hues in the glass. A persistent mousse with very fine bubbles. A powerful yet elegant nose dominated by acacia and honey that eventually shows notes of candied lemon, smoke and a blend of pepper. Unctuous, lightly oaked and complex on the palate. Candied fruit and citrus aromas pave the way to a fresh, vanilla finish.

George Laval Brut Nature 1er Cru "Cumieres" (2013 Base)
Price: $110.25    Sale $97.02          Case $1125

Southern Glaziers

Alex Gambal Cremant Les Bulles D’Alex
Price: $27.75       Sale $24.42          Case $284

The newest thing from our good friend Alex Gambal bubbles from Burgundy!

San Salvatore Joi Brut Rose Aglianico Campania 2011
Price: $46.25       Sale $40.70          Case $472

A delicate, tiny perlage with a nose of small red fruit, cherry, and black cherry. Hints of bread crust and almond. Soft but elegant with great minerality.

Philipponnat Brut Royale Reserve Champagne
Price: $62.25       Sale $54.78          Case $635

(91 Points) Firm and smoky, this tightly knit Champagne is dense and focused, showing a subtle mix of patisserie apple, toast, plum compote and mandarin orange peel flavors. This should open with some short-term cellaring. Disgorged November 2015. Best from 2017 through 2020. 3,000 cases made.  Wine Spectator

Pierre Peters "Cuvée de Réserve" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Price: $67.50       Sale $59.40          Case $689

(93 points) Vibrant, this elegant blanc de blancs is driven by a chalky underpinning, with flavors of poached pear, apple blossom and pickled ginger. (AN) (9/2017) Wine Spectator

Cava Avinyó Blanc de Noirs Reserva
Price: $33.00       Sale $29.04          Case $337

Vinification Traditional Catalan sparkling wine made using the méthode traditionnelle. 100% Pinot Noir. This Brut Nature Cava is aged 24 months before being disgorged. No dosage.

Tasting Notes With fine bubbles and the personality of a reserva, the wine is marked by red fruits and floral aromas. Fresh and balanced, it won't leave you indifferent

NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Champagne
Price: $33.75    Your Price: $28.69

(90 Points) "Chalky in texture and fresh, this version features a hint of smoky minerality underscoring the flavors of ripe pear, candied black currant and lemon meringue pie. Drink now through 2018." Wine Spectator

NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose Champagne
Price: $50.75    Your Price: $43.14

(91 Points) This mouthwatering rosé offers fruit-forward flavors of ripe raspberry and cherry, with fresh ginger and blood orange sorbet accents. Refreshing, lively and well-knit. Drink now through 2020. Wine Spectator

NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Demi-Sec Rose D'Luscious
Price: $78.75    Your Price: $69.30

The Demi-sec is aged in our cellars for at least 2 years, even though the legal minimum ageing requirement is only 15 months.Its dry and slightly sweet character is beautifully balanced on the palate. Several cru make up the blend.

2005 Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc De Blanc
Price: $56.25    Your Price: $49.50

Fresh apple and quince like fruit with notes of ginger spice and fresh brioche. Bright green apple jolly rancher like candy and fresh ginger spice, fine mousse on the tongue, a nice peppery spice coming out on the second day. Finish 45+ Excellent +

2002 Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes D'Or Brut Champagne
Price: $120.00    Your Price: $105.60

(93 points) Refined and focused, this sleek version offers ripe flavors of poached apple, ground anise, almond financier, cassis and candied lemon zest, carried by the fine, silky finish to a lightly smoky finish. Drink now through 2025. Wine Spectator (11/ 2013)

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Vintage Gold Label
Price: $78.75       Sale $69.30          Case $804.00

Its clear, brilliant, gold color lights up in the delicate tumult of fine bubbles produced by its persistent and remarkable effervescence. The nose is fresh, refined and elegant. Fragrances of citrus fruit and stone fruits (peach, apricot) appear first, which are then enriched by delicate, warm notes of sweet pastries, (almonds, Mirabelle plum tart): a subtle alliance of freshness and fullness. On the palate, the frank lively and pure attack moves into a powerful, structured palate, delicately chiseled from the minerality of Champagnes' chalky terroir. The generosity of the Pinot Noir's fruitiness resonates harmoniously with the freshness of the light candied citrus fruit aromas (lemon) which are embellished in the finish with delicate hints of toasted notes and dried fruit (apricots). Vintage 2008 is the perfect combination of power, freshness and finesse, and ends with an incredibly long finish.

2008 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rose Brut Champagne
Price: $90.00       Sale $79.20          Case $918

(93 Points) "Rich and smoky on first impression, yet this harmonious Champagne is elegant overall, with sleek acidity and a minerally underpinning deftly married to flavors of strawberry pâte de fruit, toast, mandarin orange peel and crystallized honey. Offers a lasting, vibrant finish. Disgorged March 2015. Drink now through 2028."  Wine Spectator

NV Ruinart Blanc De Blanc Brut Champagne
Price: $90.00       Sale $79.20          Case $918

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs embodies purity of the Chardonnay grapes from which it is made exclusively. Made primarily with Premiers Crus from the Cote des Blancs and Montagne de Reims terroirs, it is intensely aromatic. The nose is powerfully reminiscent of fresh fruits with dominant notes of citrus and exotic fruits, followed by a touch of jasmine, white peaches and pink peppercorns. The palate is both precise and clean as the wine delivers a radiant balance between roundness and smoothness.maturity: 2008-2011.

Ruinart is Champagne's oldest house, with a history that dates back to 1729. The wines are quite well-known around the world, but less so in the US, where the estate is making an effort to re-establish its presence. Today the wines are made under the guidance of Chef de Caves Frederic Panaiotis, who clearly has an outsize passion for these Champagnes as well as the house's rich heritage. Although Ruinart is best known for their vintage Blanc de Blancs, the Rose is perhaps even more fascinating, particularly after a few years in bottle, which in important vintages allows for the Pinot Noir to speak with great eloquence. The Ruinart wines tend to be medium in body and are made with levels of dosage that are closer to the high end of the spectrum. Although the back labels show codes which can be tracked to disgorgement dates, it would be nice to see Ruinart provide disgorgement dates for its wines. Wine Advocate # 180, Dec 2008

NV Ruinart Rose Brut Champagne
Price: $95.75       Sale $84.26          Case $977

(92 points) Light orange. Sharply focused red berry and tangerine scents are complicated by suggestions of allspice and cinnamon, with a hint of smokiness in the background. Sappy and minerally on the palate, offering fresh strawberry and blood orange flavors lifted by juicy acidity. Packs a serious punch but carries no excess weight and finishes stony and very long, with echoing red berry character. (JR) (1/2015) Vinous

NV Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley
Price: $22.75    Your Price: $20.02

(89 Points) Rich and youthful, with delicate aromas of green apple and lime that lead to full flavors of baked pear and toasty anise, laced with cinnamon. The finish is clean and crisp, with a hint of mineral. Drink now. 80,000 cases made. “T Wine Spectator Issue: Nov 30, 2011

Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier NV
Price: $45.00    Your Price: $39.60

A blend of probably 2013 vintage 70% for the base wines and then 30% of the reserve wines blended into the cuvee, Jean Baptiste has been the Chef Du Cave for over 20 years, pretty floral nuance and almond , 60% of the production of Cristal is organic but only 70% of the juice is estate in this cuvee, Louis Roederer one of the largest proponents of organic farming in France, Lemon and pear fruit with smooth creamy texture and chalky like mineral notes and that distinct mineral. Finish 45 Excellent

2011 Louis Roederer Rose Brut Champagne NV
Price: $75.00    Your Price: $66.00

The Roederer Estate Brut Rose is full and round with smooth flavors and fine persistent bubbles. The extra measure of Chardonnay contributes elegance and austerity, which balance nicely with the delicate fruitiness of the Pinot Noir.

NV Chateau de Bligny Grande Reserve Brut Champagne
Price: $36.00    Sale Price: $25.00

Blend:  50% Chardonnay, 50 % Pinot noir
Vineyards:  Vines are known to have been planted in Bligny since the 12th Century. The current vineyards cover twenty hectares. All the plots that were well-reputed in the past have been replanted, including the former vineyards of the Sainte Euladie Priory founded centuries ago, the “Bernardin” vineyards that once belonged to the monks of the famous Cistercian abbey of Clairvaux, and the “Val-l’Ermite”.
Tasting notes:  Pale golden colour with a delightful string of bubbles. A subtle nose with flat peach and stone fruit aromas and hints of lemon in the background. Fresh and lively on the palate with persistent Mirabelle plum and apricot aromas.

NV Chateau de Bligny Rose Grande Reserve Brut Champagne
Price: $45.00    Sale Price: $29.00

Blend:  45% Pinot noir, 40% Chardonnay, 15% Vin rouge
Vineyards:  Vines are known to have been planted in Bligny since the 12th Century. The current vineyards cover twenty hectares. All the plots that were well-reputed in the past have been replanted, including the former vineyards of the Sainte Euladie Priory founded centuries ago, the “Bernardin” vineyards that once belonged to the monks of the famous Cistercian abbey of Clairvaux, and the “Val-l’Ermite”.
Tasting notes:  A sustained salmon-pink colour. An elegant, delicate nose, with red berry and spicy aromas. Fruity and complex on the palate: initially fleshy, followed by fresh aromas such as mint.

Republic National

Champagne Duval Leroy Brut NV
Price: $45.00    Your Price: $39.60

It is in this product that one can feel the unique power and character which marks out a top-of-the-range champagne. Consistency, expertise and a creative spirit ensure a success which needs no further demonstration. The Maison Duval-Leroy revels in the art of blending Pinots and Chardonnays. Enriched with around fifteen crus and generous quantity of reserve wines, Duval-Leroy Brut confirms its complexity and is recognised for its consistency.  Providing a perfect balance  between finesse and power, it draws out flavours of dark chocolate, cinnamon and roasted yellow figs, expressing its subtle, melt-in-the-mouth vinosity.

NV Taittinger Brut La Francaise Champagne
Price: $52.50    Your Price: $46.20

(90 points) Smoke and toast accents lace crushed raspberry, candied lemon zest and apple blossom notes in this firm, aperitif-style Champagne. Lively. (AN, Web-2016) Wine Spectator

NV Taittinger Prestige Rose Brut Champagne
Price: $82.50    Your Price: $72.60
Quantity in Stock: 2

A blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, this is a succulently fruity, supple and aromatic Champagne with fine bubbles and a crisp, refreshing finish of extended length.  Taittinger Cuvée Prestige Rosé is intense cherry-pink in color with extremely fine, persistent pinpoint bubbles rising in delicate strands to the surface of the wine. Its classic, aromatic Pinot fragrance of red raspberries and strawberries is offset by elegant, subtle floral and earth nuances. On the palate, the ripe, full berry flavors are vibrant yet refined, delicately balanced by a fresh acidity which carries into a crisp, refreshing finish of persistent length.

2009 Taittinger Millesime Brut Champagne
Price: $93.00    Your Price: $81.84
Quantity in Stock: 3

Taittinger Brut Millésimé is produced from selected Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes grown in vineyards in several of the finest microclimates of the Champagne region. It is produced only in vintage years when the harvest yields fruit of excellence equal to Taittinger’s rigorous standards of quality. The Chardonnay grapes are harvested from the Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs and the Pinot Noir comes from the Grands Crus of Montagne de Reims and the edge of Vallée de la Marne. Following harvest, the grapes are pressed immediately in press houses located among the vineyards, yielding a first pressing which is the only juice used for this wine. At the winery, fermentation takes place under temperature-controlled conditions. Blending occurs after the primary fermentation, and thereafter the final cuvée undergoes the secondary fermentation in the bottle in Taittinger’s cool cellars. Aged for five years on the lees, the wine acquires complexity and the fine, pinpoint bubbles characteristic of its sparkle.

Breakthru

NV Gosset Grande Rose Brut
Price: $75.00    Your Price: $66.00

(90 points) Complex aromas and flavors of yeast, apple and dried flowers mark this effusive, fresh rosé. Nice weight and balance, with everything in the right proportion. Drink now. –BS  Wine Spectator

NV Gosset Grande Reserve Brut Champagne
Price: $49.75    Your Price: $43.78

This is the flagship of the house and the longest established wine in the house, about 40% of the production, the Brut Excellence is only 35% of the production. This is always a blend of 3 excellent vintages and is aged for 4-5 years on the lees, a beautiful nose with complex array of whtie flowers, almonds and fresh toaty notes, vanilla creme, hazelnut, nice complexity on the nose. A brigth and fresh wine with green apple and pear fruit a nice hand of that nutty and yeasty nuance from the nose through the finish. Finish 50+ about 7 grams per liter Most Excellent

Menu

American Stugeon Caviar filled Phylo Cups
Smoked Mozzarella and wild Mushroom spring roll with Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce
Thai Peanut Chicken Skewers
Beef Sliders with Gruyere and Truffle Mushroom Aioli on Brioche Bun
Strawberry BBQ Pulled Pork Mini Tacos with Juniper Berry Sour Cream
Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche Champagne Cocktail

The fee for this tasting is $45 + tax. Can you think of a better way to start Saturday night? For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com