After years of enjoying a wide selection of different champagnes it occured to me "Which were the most memorable 10 bottles of my life?" They were as follows:

1) Louis Roederer Cristal 1966 ; 2) Krug Extra Dry 1943 ; 3) Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie 1985 ; 4) Delamotte Blanc de Blanc 1990 ; 5) Krug Clos de Mesnil 1986 ; 6) Alain Robert Blanc de Blanc 1982; 7) Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1988 ; 8) Bollinger Extra Brut R.D. 1981 ; 9) Krug Grande Cuvee NV ; 10) Mumm's Extra Dry NV (this was my very first bottle many years ago)... Among the next 10 there would be Dom Perignon, Salon, Gosset, Philliponat, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, de Venoge, more Bollinger and of course Krug. Please share what would your top 10 bottles be, just out of curiosity.

PS: How could I have forgotten the bottles of 1959 and 1966 Drappier Carte D'Or? I must be getting old. Or the 12.9% alcohol kick from the 1961 Dom Perignon... The next time I'll reminisce about my 25 most memorable bottles.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: captain cancun,

You've had some nice bubbly in your time. I'm curious to know how old those wines were when you drank them. For example, did you drink the 1943 in 1950 or in 2009?

I've been fortunate to taste a number of vintage prestige cuvees over the years, but the best I've had this year was the NV Krug at a wonderful offline in Orange County in September.

I've been fortunate to taste a number of vintage prestige cuvees over the years, but the best I've had this year was the NV Krug at a wonderful offline in Orange County in September. [/QUOTE]

It was wonderful, so say the least!

In my life might be tough, a top 5 from the last year or so I can do.

1)Krug 88
2)Krug 90
3)Dom Perignon 90 Oenotheque
4)Dom Perignon 96 Rose
5)Pol Roger 96 Brut

So many outstanding Champagnes, but if I must limit to the 'Top 10' bottles that have shown the best at one time or another they would be:

1982 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses
1988 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs
1988 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut
1990 Krug Champagne Brut
1990 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé (from magnum)
1996 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut
1990 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut
1995 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne
1990 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires
1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie


My top 3 Producers for Champagne would be:
Krug
Salon
Philipponnat (Clos des Goisses)

The 1943 Krug was enjoyed in 2002, and the 1966 Cristal in 2001. As for the other bottles they were all enjoyed over the last 5 years... All were in great shape upon uncorking; oh by the way the Delamotte was sabered by a girl who I had just met 2 hours earlier... at 4AM on a Sunday morning in late 1999. Talk about a lasting first impression!

I'm still filling out my Top 10, but the bottles that particularly appealed to me were:

1996 Taittinger Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Comtes de Champagne
1990 Charles Heidsieck Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Blanc des Millénaires
1995 Charles Heidsieck Brut Blanc des Millénaires
NV Taittinger Brut Champagne Prélude

A 1990 Krug was quite fascinating, if not to my taste.

1973 Bollinger Tradition RD
1996 Dom Perignon Rose
1988 Krug

Too difficult to order the rest

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Board-O,

1981 Champagne Charlie
1995 Krug

1. 1985 Heidsieck "Charlie" (wish I'd been to the "Charlie" taste off Berno)
2. 1986 Krug Clos du Mesnil
3. Other stuff.

Curious, has anybody tasted any newer "Charlie" vintages? Are they even out there?