It was our 4th wedding anniversary so I needed some classy Champagne to celebrate.  You can never go wrong with Veuve Clicquot and its iconic yellow label (that curiously looks more orange to me).  We went with the half bottle because we were also opening a 15 year old bottle of Cabernet.  I love half bottles of Champagne because it’s the perfect amount for two people to share before dinner!

Veuve Clicquot might be the most popular higher-end Champagne in the United States, and for good reason.  It’s a perfect expression of what Champagne should be- dry, nutty and with lots of tiny tongue tingling (say that 3 times fast) bubbles.

You can easily pay $100 at restaurants, $60 at the grocery store and $50 at wine superstores for Veuve Yellow Label.  LA Wine Co. has it for $36.95 for full bottles, $21.95 for half and $89.95 for magnums, which is unheard of pricing.  Get it while you can because this pricing probably won’t last.

Buy Here: Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label $36.95, 375ml $21.95, 1.5L $89.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“A nice crisp structure focuses the graphite, honey and citrus flavors. This is rich, but remains smooth and elegant, with a lingering aftertaste of honey and pastry. Drink now.” (WS)

Congratulations to Morgan G. from Chicago, IL, who has been selected as the winner of our 250 subscriber promotion!  Yesterday, when we reached 250 subscribers, we picked a random Nickel and Dime Wine fan using Random.org’s random number generator.  Random.org picked lucky number 13 and, as our 13th subscriber, Morgan wins a $50 gift card to LA Wine Company!

Interestingly, Random.org uses atmospheric conditions to generate their “randomness”, which they claim to be much more statistically correct than typical random number generator algorithms.  It’s used for many drawings and contests with much higher profiles than ours, so it’s good enough for me!

So what will Morgan choose?  Does anyone have a suggestion for her?  If so, let her know in the “comments” section below.  Here are a few different ways I could spend $50:

1 bottle of Cliff Lede Stag’s Leap 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

10 half bottles of Qupe Cellars 2007 Syrah

1 bottle of each of the three Gloria Ferrer offerings plus a bottle of the above

2 bottles of Chateau Caronne Ste. 2005 Gemme Bordeaux

Keep watching for more promotions and giveaways from Nickel and Dime Wine and LA Wine Company.  And thanks for subscribing!

I’ve been in love with this wine since I first had it last year at the winery in Carneros.  The winery itself is straight out of Champagne France and the wine follows suit.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as it’s made by Taittinger, one of the biggest Champagne houses in France.  If you can make it to Napa, spend the morning here- the surroundings are spectacular and the sparkling wine makes a perfect start to a day of wine tasting.

The Chardonnay used in this wine contributes a richness and the Pinot Noir a complexity that suggests it will age very well.  It’s dry, smooth and full and really shows off the uniqueness of the Carneros appellation.  The finish has a nice tartness and a distinct taste of orange peel.  Really nice.

Sparkling wine tends to be consumed in the U.S. only for celebration, as we are today.  But I’m committed to drinking it more often.  Call it a celebration of the everyday.  So who’s with me?

L.A. Wine Co. once again has the lowest price in the country according to Google Shopping.  Here’s the plan: Buy 6 bottles and drink one a year for the next 6 years and see how it ages.  I think April 24th, 2016 will be the best!

Wine Spectator 91 points

“Festive and vibrant, but rich and complex, with bright aromas of fresh cherry and lemon that lead to luscious flavors of raspberry, yeasty pear and crisp mineral. Drink now. 33,000 cases made.”

Domaine Carneros Brut by Taittinger 2006- $19.95

A couple of weeks ago I posted a review of the 2001 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee.  At the time, the lowest price in the country was $21.99 .  Well, LA Wine Company just listed it on their website for $18.95.  At that price, this aged sparkling wine is amazing and is worth buying by the case (or at least the half case).  Again, it was rated 93 points from Wine Spectator and the same from Wine Enthusiast.  It was also number 55 on Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 of 2008.

2001 Gloria Ferrer Brut Royal Cuvee- LA Wine Company $18.95

We hosted brunch for some great friends yesterday, and since I’ve been on such a sparkling wine kick lately, I figured this was the perfect chance to review Gloria Ferrer’s other non-vintage offering- the Blanc de Noirs.  Made from 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, this wine pours with a hint of pink, though it isn’t as pink as a typical Rose sparkling wine.

The Pinot flavors shine through, with a slightly mineral nose, along with the typical clean citrus scents of Gloria Ferrer sparkling wines.  It has a fresh taste- a bit lighter than the Brut offering- but with nice round flavors infused by the Pinot Noir grapes.  Gloria Ferrer uses 5-7% cold soaked Pinot juice in this bottling and, besides adding the pinkish color, this comes through in a slightly bitter (in a good way) finish.

This is the perfect brunch wine because it’s light without being watery or weak and the tiny, plentiful bubbles wake up the taste buds (along with the rest of the senses) to get the day started off right.

I hate to sound like a broken record here, but LA Wine Company once again within a few pennies of the lowest price in the country at $12.95 for the full bottle and $6.99 for the 375ml.

Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wines- 87 points

“90% Pinot Noir; 10% Chardonnay. Over the last half decade, this lightly pink wine has been our choice among its price point peers and it has done well again this time out. It strikes us a bit lighter in style and depth while retaining its attractive blend of creamy and quietly fruity elements, and its foamy yet insistent mousse is well-fit to its fairly straightforward, cherry-infused flavors. It can serve well as either a stand-alone aperitif or as a companion to light finger foods.” (CG)

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs 375ml- LA Wine Company $6.99

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs 750 ml- LA Wine Company $12.95

Every great night begins with some great bubbly and last night was no exception.  After last weekend’s 2001 Gloria Ferrer ‘Royal Cuvee’, I decided to go for its less expensive label mate, the NV Brut.  For those new to sparkling wine, most top notch producers make vintage wine for aging and non vintage wine to be consumed within a year or two of release.  I have now tasted both versions from Gloria Ferrer and I can officially say this Gloria lady makes great, sophisticated sparkling wines that are possibly unmatched values.  Why would you ever buy grocery store Corbel when you can buy this for under $13?

The wine itself starts with nice citrus and apple on the nose but less toasty oak than the more expensive version.  This too is very dry with a light but not thin texture.  You certainly don’t get any of that Welch’s sweetness that comes through on many comparably priced California sparklers.  The finish is very nice- clean and tart. Textbook. (more…)

I haven’t been a big fan of the 2006’s from Napa.  In fact,  so far, the BV Tapestry has been the only one that I really liked, especially compared to prior (and future) years.  But this is a serious exception and Internet Wines have taken exception to its normally serious price.

Sterling’s SVR Reserve is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot.  I decanted for a couple of hours and was rewarded with a big oaky, complex nose.  This is a full bodied wine with tons of dark fruit, that I’m confident will only improve with age.  The SVR (does that stand for Stevie Ray Vaughn?) is a mouthcoating wine that reminds me of some of the high end valley wines like Groth and George de Latour.  Buy a few.  Try one now and hold onto a few bottles for at least 3 more years and it should develop nicely.

After my first bottle, I bought four more of this wine locally for $28 and still feel like I got a great deal (after shipping it’s about a wash anyway).  I recently drank an ‘06 Chateau Montelena at a restaurant (and had ample opportunity to taste it as our table of six went through six bottles), and this blows it away. (more…)

Last night I had the pleasure of celebrating a special occasion with this awesome bottle of sparkling wine from Carneros.  Gloria Ferrer is usually known for their Sonoma wines, but this vintage reserve bottling uses Napa grapes, to great effect.  Unlike many California sparklers, this wine is nuanced and very dry, much like a Champagne.  With 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay, you get some of the smokey and nutty flavors of the Pinot coming through as well.

For me, it’s fun to drink vintage sparkling wine, not just because of complexity gained during the 7-8 years in the bottle, but because I like to think about all the effort that went into creating it.   If you haven’t read up on the complicated process of making champagne and other sparkling wine, it’s worth a read.  It will make your wine drinking experience more enjoyable.

If you’re thinking about trying this wine, you don’t have to take my word for it.  It got 93 points from Wine Spectator.

Wine Spectator 93 Points
This sparkling wine is fresh and vibrant, yet with a core of rich, luscious fruit. Aromas of Asian pear, rose water and lemon curd lead to layered flavors of fresh ginger, pippin apple and cinnamon that finish on a showy note. Drink now through 2013. 6,500 cases made.

I bought this from LA Wine Company of only $18.99, but unfortunately, they are sold out.  But it can be found at Beltramo’s Wine and Spirits for $21.99, which is still a great deal.  I’ve also heard their N/V bottling is very good this year.  Look for that in a later post.  Cheers!

Gloria Ferrer Brut ‘Royal Cuvee’ 2001- $21.99

Tonight I start my weekly dead soldiers post.  Sundays or Mondays I will be summarizing the prior week in wine with my “dead soliders” post.  I’ve already blogged about a couple of these wines, and the other two are likely to show up in later posts so we will leave it at this:  3 under $10 wines (Avalon, Monte Antico and San Simeon) and a $50 wine (Faust).

It’s not every week that I drink a $50 wine, but wow- this is a great one.  If you can still find the 2005 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley at under $50, get a few bottles.  It’s made by Quintessa and shows as such.  Avalon Cabernet is a great go-to wine that is widely available at groceries and wine stores.  And the other two have already been reviewed.

For my first post I want to bring to my loyal readers’ attention a great deal for a major Napa producer.  I brought this wine to Chapeau! in San Francisco ($20 corkage) and although it’s very young now, it shows great potential.  It’s complexity is currently hidden by strong tannins right, but give it three or four years and it’s going to be very good.  It’s dense, big and fruity.

BV Tapestry sells for $45+ at the grocery but right now, CityWineCellar.com has it for $24.99.  That’s a crazy price.  Pick up a few bottles, put it away for a while, and you will be rewarded.

2006 BV Tapestry- City Wine Cellars $24.99 + shipping

93 Points – Robert Parker

“The 2006 Proprietary Red Wine Tapestry Reserve (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) is the finest example of this cuvee I have ever tasted. Flowery, licorice-infused, cassis notes intermixed with forest floor and lead pencil shavings are followed by a layered, impressively built wine with real opulence, lots of red and black fruits, low acidity, and lush tannin. It should drink well for 15+ years…”