This was my first time watching this channel, I liked and subscribed. During the last 6 months, I have enjoyed 6 extraordinary bottles of champagne, five of the 2008 vintage and one 2007 as follows: 2007 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé, 2008 Bollinger La Grande Année Brut, 2008 Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage Rare, 2008 Dom Pérignon Brut, 2008 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut, and saving the best for last, the 2008 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. I scored the Piper a 98, the Bolly a 99, the Taittinger Rosé a 99, the Dom a 99, and both the Cristal and Comtes de Champagne a perfect 100. I have been enjoying fine (and some not so fine) champagne since 1982, when I was given my first bottle of Dom Pérignon. Thanks for an informative and well done presentation!
That’s really great to hear that! I found a 2014 bottle in my town. My lady and I celebrate 6 years together next week. Will be popping it open that day. Cheers!
I am just starting my wine journey and your videos have been essential in guiding me to wonderful wines and keeping me open minded about wines from all over the world. Please keep making great videos! I hope to visit Germany at some point and see all the wonderful vineyards there. Happy New Year!
Fortunately, I bought 8 2008s of this beauty when it cost me a mere $200/bottle. I have 6 left and will enjoy every drop, one bottle at a time. Thanks for the detailed comparison and review. Happy holidays!
Haha geil! Beneidenswerter Start in den Tag! Der letzte 2008er Champagner den ich hatte war so oxidativ, außer leblosen Haselnüssen konnte ich nix rausschmecken 😅
My brother often brings Champagne when we have family get-togethers. A tasty companion to the hors d'oeuvre we serve, and a great way to get the party started. His go-to Champagne, Taittinger, is maybe not Roederer quality, but still quite nice.
2008 on Dom Pérignon. Tasted similar like you described the 2008 Cristal with the creaminess 😋 Maybe you can do a video about great entry level champagne one time? Between some common brands and some unknown ones. Would love to see something like that 😍 And thanks for this great video!
My cherry on top was the 1998 Rosé Dom Perignon I tasted a few years ago. I seem to have a sweet tooth for NV Bolinger😊. 2012 Tattinger Comtes de Champaign that was just released was pretty round and creamy with 10 years on the lees.
Crystal always reminds me of Lucozade (did you have that as a boy when you were ill???) with the cellophane wrapper, probably got their idea from that? ...love the channel , keep it up thanks
I love that in the rare occasions they make blind tastings between the top Cuvées and the top Murganheiras sparkling the humble Portuguese always wins. Champagne is the most Veblen good of all alcoholic beverages.
I agree with your review. LR Cristal vintage 2008 is one of very best champagnes I ever tasted. 100/100 from me. The LRL 2009 was really lackluster in comparison. I haven’t tried 2012 or 2013 yet. Other favorite champagne vintages: 1988-1990 (hard to get by now), 1995 and 1998 (underrated compared to 1996 imo), 2002, 2004 (also underrated imo), 2008 and 2012.
Agree on the 1990 vintage. I was lucky to have tasted a bottle of 1990 Dom Perignon a few years back. It was the best tasting experience I've ever had. I hope to replicate this experience with the 2008 vintage that I will cellar for at least another decade
Just yesterday received a 2013 vintage as a gift. I was very pleased to see this video pop up in my feed! Looking forward to drinking it. Can I ask the make of that ice bucket in the background?
Cristal is definitely one of the best Champagne in the world. Moreover, as you said, it is also Organically and Byodinamically made that for me is a plus. Great video as usual!!!
I'm pretty new to the wine world, and I'm looking forward to trying my first vintage champagne which will be the Andre Clouet "Dream vintage" 2008. Great video as always!
Wow, pretty good start to your day. I can't even imagine how good it got from there! I would definitely go for the '08. Just for those roasted hazelnuts.
Thanks for another nice video. Hope to see more of them. I´m a champagne lover and a good friend of Richard Juhlin. My most memorable champagne is Selosse rosé. I was on a blind tasting yesterday and was happy to find two of them as well as one Initial! The rosé deg 2010 was amazing but the rosé deg 2012 was a bit less creamy. Albeit I was a happy guy! My contributing to the tasing was a bottle of 2008 Vilmart & Cie Coeur de Cuvée wich one of us, not me, took if for a Selosse Exquise!!!
For me one mind changing experience was the Dom Perignon 2000... It was completely different than all other vintages of Dom Perignon I've ever tasted (and of course much better) Besides the "well known", I really enjoy the champagne of Henry Goutorbe and Guy de Chassey. I have also a favor for the "special club" champagnes, even though I haven't tasted them all, yet. Would be a nice topic for a champagne "special" on your channel... ;) Thanks for this channel, I really enjoy watching your videos and trying the wines from your shop! :)
Had a bottle of 1993 La Grande Dame, and it was quite amazing. It's barely effervescent at this stage, but the texture was rich and almost viscous, but still surprisingly fresh! The finish is ultra long and luxurious. Simply sublime! Question: should Champagne be stored upright for the long-haul, (as in 30 years)?
Wait a minute, did you actually open two vintage Cristals in the morning, have a few sniffs and a sip, and then leave the bottles open for a few hours just to learn what would happen!?
Great tasting Thanks Herr Baum! Had an eve with Pol Roger Winston Churchill, Dom Perignon & Cristal 2008 about a year ago, Cristal was the one! Any idea how the Cristal Rose 2008 compares with the 2008?
Wonderful video. What a morning! I have two answers to your question and it’s a very personal thing. Bollinger is my favourite Grand Marque and their 02 was a special moment for me and it was a pleasure to serve for a good price at the Restaurant. Now, it’s not a vintage champagne per se, but Jacquesson was the first champagne that got me really excited about the winemaking side of Champagne. 736 was the first Cuvee I had by them, so I’ve fond memories. Not Champagne, but Nyetimber’s 2004 vintage was excellent upon release, and there are some 09s in their cellar that they release to special accounts. Dermot Sugrue is currently making the best sparkling wine in the country, and his 2010 was outstanding
Good vintage Champagne introduction/explainer -- not too shabby! ...my only reaction here is, and it is completely conceptual and kind of silly, that such fine wines should be drunk from finer stemware. Tasting is one thing (as perhaps you want a glass you use regularly for comparison reasons), but I would definitely be pouring this into some handmade crystal (perhaps a Riedel Superleggero..?) in addition to my trusted tasting stem. Such a hard life, eh? Skål !
Love it!!! Im drinking Agrapart Mineral or avizoise, both 2009 and really great stuff too. What are your experiences with more older champagnes? I have 86 cristal, 85 DP, 98 clos du mesnil, have you have any experiencies with those? Cant wait to see the nye video, something says me it will be maaaaasssiveee!!!! Cheeers mate!
Konstantin how long would you say the 2008 will maintain it's 100 pts before it's starts to go downhill and get ever so slightly out of balance between it's fruit, freshness, elegance and tertiary aspects?
I love the evolution on vintage Champagne and the way they develop over the years so I’m sure it would be worth to have a case each of these babies and pop a cork every other year to see how they evolve. I loved Bollinger Vielles Vignes Française 1996, Salon 2002, Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaire 1996 but too many to mention. Great content Konstantin, keep it up! 🍾
I just found this video even though it is a couple of years old. This is an interesting comparison, Konstantin. Coincidentally, I have a single bottle of the 2008 and the 2013. Cristal. My 75th birthday and our 50th wedding anniversary are going to be celebrated in the next year, so one or both of these will probably be opened. Konstantin, if you had the interest I would love to see you compare 2008 and 2012 Dom Perignon in the same way. Those two vintages were both highly rated for Dom. I wonder if they would score anywhere near the Cristal in your evaluation. Cheers.
Another great video. Im lucky enough to have a white and rosé 2012 Cristal and Im really looking forward to trying them. Maybe I'll put them up against a Sir Winston Churchill 2012 for fun.
Currently 2008 Pol Roger which has most of the fine features you describe in the Cristal. Years ago I bought 1982 Salon after attending a tasting tutored by Jancis Robinson who described it as ‘nervy’ which description was spot on. Also brilliant and one whose memory lingers. You don’t mention the gangster reputation Cristal has!
Just attended a tasting where 2013 Cristal was the finest, followed closely by P. Heidsieck Rare 2008. That said I bought the 2014 L. Roederer Rose. Always among my favorites, including 1995, 1996 and others. Just love the roses from Roederer. Funny, Cumieres, from which they select their pinot noir is only premier cru. The ratings for grand and premiere cru need to be revisited. The tasting included 5 prestige and over 20 others, some of which were surprisingly beautiful. Let me know if you want a copy of the list, which includes tasting notes, prices and ratings. Oh my! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
My favorite champagne…. The first I ever had was the 96….. many moons ago…. Had the 12 too. ….need to see if I can find some 08s. Thank you and happy holidays!
I’ve only have a few. So far 2012 Bollinger Grand Année has been at the top. If you like roasted marshmallows and Graham crackers with rich caramel and oxidized barrel aged notes with some sweetness and racing acid check out Taittinger 2014.
My favorite bubbly is "Rotkäppchen Sekt". In warmer vintages it can rival brands like "Roederer Crystal" or "Pol Roger" and even their "Sir Winston Churchill edition".
Stocked up on Bollinger La Grande Annee 2008. Unfortunately the 2008 Cristal that I saw was not only a returned bottle, but also standing vertically on display so I passed. Now these bubbles are getting more and more pricey.
One other comment, if I may. I also attended a tasting where the Roederer rep poured their brut, vintage brut, vintage rose, vintage blanc de blanc and Cristal. It was a tight race. The rep poured it in a different order, with the last two being Cristal and then the Vintage brut. Finesse and then power.
I‘m drinking Champagne Bouché Blanc de Noirs which my sister bought for me at the winery for 18€. To be honest, I‘d rather prefer a tasting of say 10 affordable Sagioveses or Haut Medocs for that matter.
Good question! I don’t think that Konstantin mentioned any of the typical malolactic descriptors (butter, dairy, cream, etc.), so they probably weren’t super clear or strong, but the lower acidity on the 2008 definitely comes from the malo. So, maybe the more rounded, less intense sourness was the defining factor, due to malo?
Maybe - The long time on the lees and the freshness of the vintage certainly also helped! Difficult to limit this to one factor, especially because only a small part of the wine went through MLF.
My all time favorite is 1988 Dom Perignon Rose. Visited Moët & Chandon and carried 2 home (way back before 9/11 when you could still carry bottles on to the aircraft). I unfortunately opened them way too early, but they were incredible nonetheless. Cheers 🥂
Lieblings Vintage Champagne: 2002 JP Gaudinat "Les Elitistes". 13 Jahre Hefelager. Der macht einfach Lust und Laune😊. Leider gibt es nur ca 370 Flaschen
Maybe this is a stupid question but is it really not a problem to let champagne sit for a few hours? I can imagine that the flavour gets rounder, but wouldn't we lose most of the co2 at some point?
Yes, we would. The bottles were in the fridge during that period but the glasses just sat there. It is interesting to taste the wines with less CO2 - but they are not loosing all CO2 - and at a higher temperature as the falvor profile changes.
I would like to see what you think about the Dom Pérignon 2003 P2.I was able to try it recently at a tasting. The presenter talked about the uniqueness of the vintage because of 2003 being a particularly hot year. It was a huge hit. We tried a 2010 vintage earlier in the tasting but the 2003 was something else.
Super interesting video. I love and admire Roederer for what they do in Champagne in terms of vineyard ownership and farming approach. However I’d love them to go lower on the dosage, I always think this kind of quality level deserves to be Extra Brut - what do you think about this ? Also on the differences is it related as well to the fact that the 2008 just got more time in bottle and the 2013 is still pretty much a baby?
Great video! Could you please make a video on which red wines you think are worth aging? I really like the Dieter Meier Malo Tinto (2012) for example. But I have no idea whether it's a waste to keep this one for 10/20 years.
Comparing super-premium wines is just such a luxury, man! Did they send you free samples? Just send them an email: Master of wine here, please send me these two wines at your earliest convenience, haha.
Hey Konstantin! My favorite vintage was 1996 and at that time I was drinking a lot of Bollinger La Grande Annee which I remembered having a real cashew taste and I still enjoy eating and serving cashew nuts and parmesan cheese with some vintage champagnes. I have one question, I have heard that Champagne was made popular around the world by a salesman nick-named "Champagne Charlie". At what temperature was Champagne enjoyed in the early days compared to how we enjoy it today? Tonight I am enjoying a domestic sparkling Croser Late Disgorged NV. Cheers!
I worked in the Reims office for a few months with the CFO and CEO of the time. The one advantage of the job was the amount of champagne we got to taste.
I have the 2013 but haven't tasted it. Had the 2009 out of a magnum last NYE and it was indeed something else. That being said, I'd probably rather spend a similar amount of money on an NV Krug grand cuvee next time. Maybe my palete isn't trained enough yet, but I like the vintage veuve 2008/2012 more than pretty much any other prestige cuvee out there that I've had. Except of course the 09 Cristal :)
Got to say 1996 Cristal, 1996 VCP LGD, 1996 Boiilinger GA and RD, Bollinger GA97,99 both good too. Got to say I tend to like old/aged champagne , really didn't like Cristals when they are less than 20 years in the bottle.
The best I’ve ever had was Dom Perignon 2008. Here are my notes: Smell: funky fermentation, yeasty, musky, alluring. More fragrant than other champagne I’ve had. Taste: rich, creamy, oaky, musty Finish: fruity and acidic Overall: concentrated fragrance and taste. A complex taste experience.
Nice to hear that you had such a perfect start to your day. As mentioned before my experiences with Roederer Cristal have not been that good (maybe I just had a bad bottle) but anyway I made a podcast episode about it, so I there is anybody here who wants to learn more about the history of Roederer Cristal you can have a look here (sry in German only): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pG6N6v-wN8c.html To answer your question it just depends on my mood: If I want to drink a blanc de blanc I usually drink Comtes de Champagne of Taittinger, if not I prefer Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill
Hello Konstantin, you showed us a graph of price vs quality in one of your other videos. Do you know the price threshold in USD for a 750ml red and white wine bottle where the quality is at its highest but the price is at the lowest? Basically at what price point does paying more no longer increases quality for both white and red wines in general. Thanks!
It depends on the origin of the wine. In Europe, it would be around the 20 Euro mark when the quality does not increase significantly if you pay more. That does not mean that a wine that costs 30 EUR is not better than a wine that costs 20 EUR, but a point on the 100 point scale gets more and more expensive. I would guess that it would be around the 30-40 $ mark in the USA. In regions like Champagne, Napa, Burgundy the dynamics are different though.
Hey Konstantin! So, I am just wondering, do you pop such bottles really just for a video or would you usually use them for some other purpose anyways and it just comes in handy to make a video out of it aswell? :)
whoa i didn't know about the history of this. Roederer also sounds like a German name, I'll have to look it up, i don't know how I've missed this video!
Really appreciate your videos! A question, does the 2008, being 5 years older have an unfair advantage over the 13? Also how do you feel be in five years and will it warrant a higher score?
How does the 2013 compare to the 2012? I know people say they're too different to compare but those are the two available for me to buy locally and I would like to know which I should buy.
You should try and research Branson B champagne and cognac. He use to be a exclusive weed dealer in harlem NY had o ly the best pot and the rappers would go there to buy. But he was in love with champagne, wine etc and came out with his own brand. I think 50 cent the rapper own a piece of the brand. But the story is legendary and I heard his champagne and cognac is not too shabby you should really look it up check it out.
Konstantin, if possible can you tell me the dimensions of the cork? I am new to bottling with natural cork in my sparkling wines. Im interested in the overall length and also the width of the head at its wides point. Thanks. (In mm)
Nice experience! I have tasted 2008 a couple of times in the restraunt I work in ($350 tax included) -it's super vibrant , heady and smooth now. And this delicate white chocolate tone I love so much... It works well in Lehnmann Grand Blanc glasses.
Pewdiepie gets on his webcam in PJs at zero cost to make millions off every video, while Konstantin dishes out $650 just on wine for one video coz that's the life of passion!
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine Actuallly speaks to the general public's gravitation to trash content. But hey, as long as we have each other. Merry Christmas to you and yours, good man.
