Vintage champagne ~ so worth it. 2003 Schramsberg blanc de noir ~ beautiful nose, yeast nicely toasted, fresh bubbles, long finish.
Stefan and I opened this on New Years Eve just before dinner. It paired beautifully with the Boucherondin (French goat cheese) appetizer as well as our Thanksgiving-leftovers-inspired dinner of turkey pot pie with mashed potato topping.
It is still available at retail for around $25 a bottle. Why the price is so low is an issue only a retailer can understand. http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1025692
We switched to the Napa (Oakville) Cabernet known as Paradigm for the remainder of the evening. This glossy and oh-so smooth wine was too easy to drink. Soft on the nose, smooth on the finish and a middle full of fruit and flavor with just a hint of oak in the background. A second treat for a special night. http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1045156, about $60/bottle
New Year's Day, we enjoyed the Scramsberg yet again with a little cassis syrup ~ the bubbles had softened a bit making our Kir Royales an unassuming partner to bagels with salmon, cream cheese and scrambled eggs.Labels: champagne, paradigm cabernet sauvignon, schramsberg blanc de noir 2003