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Champagne Bag Vol. 2

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EN

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Boris Buliga

A few bottles of Champagne to make our life happier.


Welcome to the second edition of the Champagne Bag, a part of our 'Mixed Bag' wine tasting series. Some may say that the concept is mundane. After all, it's hard to imagine a more effortless tasting session. Just take a few random Champagne bottles and call it a wine tasting, right? However, I have a few reasons to justify it.

Firstly, the mixed selection format is intentionally designed to be flexible, allowing me to tailor the wine selection to the tastes and interests of the attendees, while also introducing an element of surprise with the inclusion of unconventional choices. Secondly, I'm particularly fond of organizing tastings in response to individual requests. This session, for instance, was inspired by a guest who revealed she had never experienced Champagne before. Thirdly, considering the aspects of cost and quality, it makes sense to have a more concentrated wine tasting with fewer participants and fewer bottles, allowing more space for everyone and a deeper focus on each bottle.

So, what wines are we tasting today? We have a mainstream bottle, a solid entry-level bottle, a bottle of excellent rosé wine, and a bottle that has been aged on lees for an extended period. Although we're not extensively touring the regions, this setup allows us to appreciate the differences vividly without needing a vast amount of experience. And to make things even more interesting, some house elves have tossed in a bottle of Crémant. That's the situation!

And an important note – all proceeds from today's event will be donated to the Dead russian Foundation to support our friends on the front.

WinePlace
wavg
sdev
fav
price
volume
QPR
🏅 6th3.95130.05502
3,400 UAH
0.75 L
0.6561
🏅 4th4.15000.01730
2,923 UAH
0.75 L
1.0317
🏅 5th4.00790.07451
885 UAH
0.75 L
2.7443
🥉 3rd4.15920.06561
3,032 UAH
0.75 L
1.0088
🥇 1st4.38610.01605
5,900 UAH
0.75 L
0.7393
🥈 2nd4.18680.04600
3,097 UAH
0.75 L
1.0307

Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label NV

Region
France » Champagne AOC
Type
white traditional sparkling, brut
Vintage
NV
Disgorged
N/A
On lees
>36 months
Grapes
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier
Alcohol
12
Sugar
9
Price
3400 UAH
Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label NV

This wine secured the 🏅 6th place in our wine tasting lineup.

At a glance

  • Grapes are sourced from 50-60 crus.
  • Up to 45% of wines are reserve wines.
  • The blend consists of Pinot Noir (50%), Chardonnay (30%) and Meunier (20%).
  • At least 3 years on lees.

Jacquesson Cuvée 745 Grand Vin (2017) NV

Region
France » Champagne AOC
Type
white traditional sparkling, extra brut
Producer
Jacquesson
Vintage
NV, based on 2017
Disgorged
2022-03
On lees
36 months
Grapes
Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Alcohol
12.5
Sugar
0.75
Price
2923 UAH
Find at
Jacquesson Cuvée 745 Grand Vin (2017) NV

This wine secured the 🏅 4th place in our wine tasting lineup.

At a glance

  • Based on 2017 vintage.
  • Two thirds of grapes are sourced from Aÿ, Dizy and Hautvillers; the other third is sourced from Avize and Oiry.
  • Élevage on the lees in oak casks.
  • 3 years on lees.

Domaine des Ronces Crémant du Jura L20/01 NV

Region
France » Bourgogne-Franche-Comté » Crémant du Jura AOC
Type
white traditional sparkling, brut nature
Vintage
NV
Disgorged
N/A
On lees
N/A
Grapes
Chardonnay
Alcohol
12
Sugar
unknown
Price
885 UAH
Domaine des Ronces Crémant du Jura L20/01 NV

This wine secured the 🏅 5th place in our wine tasting lineup.

Benoît Lahaye Rosé de Macération a Bouzy (d2023) NV

Region
France » Champagne AOC » Montagne de Reims » Bouzy
Type
rose traditional sparkling, extra brut
Vintage
NV
Disgorged
2023-11
On lees
N/A
Grapes
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
12.5
Sugar
2.3
Price
3032 UAH
Benoît Lahaye Rosé de Macération a Bouzy (d2023) NV

This wine secured the 🥉 3rd place in our wine tasting lineup.

At a glance

  • 100% Pinot Noir from Les Juliennes, Bouzy.
  • Nearly 50-year-old vines are located in 'white soils' (chalk and limestone).
  • Whole cluster maceration for 2 to 3 days, followed by direct pressing.

Egly-Ouriet Vieillissement Prolongé V.P. (d2023) NV

Region
France » Champagne AOC » Montagne de Reims
Type
white traditional sparkling, extra brut
Producer
Egly-Ouriet
Vintage
NV, based on 2015
Disgorged
2023-07
On lees
84 months
Grapes
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Alcohol
12.5
Sugar
3
Price
5900 UAH
Egly-Ouriet Vieillissement Prolongé V.P. (d2023) NV

This wine secured the 🥇 1st place in our wine tasting lineup.

At a glance

  • Pinot Noir-dominated blend, complemented by Chardonnay.
  • Grapes are sourced from vineyards in Ambonnay, Verzenay and Bouzy.
  • Nearly 50-year-old vines are rooted in chalk and limestone soils.
  • Fermentation on older French oak barrels.
  • 7 years on lees.

Jacquesson Cuvée 746 Grand Vin (2018) NV

Region
France » Champagne AOC
Type
white traditional sparkling, extra brut
Producer
Jacquesson
Vintage
NV, based on 2018
Disgorged
2022-11
On lees
36 months
Grapes
Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Alcohol
12.5
Sugar
2
Price
3097 UAH
Find at
Jacquesson Cuvée 746 Grand Vin (2018) NV

This wine secured the 🥈 2nd place in our wine tasting lineup.

At a glance

  • Based on 2017 vintage.
  • 68% of grapes are sourced from Aÿ, Dizy and Hautvillers; the other grapes are sourced from Avize and Oiry.
  • Élevage on the lees in oak casks.
  • 3 years on lees.

Raw scores

WineDmytro KhBoris BElvira KOleksandr RKaryna YaAnna LYaryna TDmytro DIvietta K
4.303.803.904.054.404.604.254.104.10
4.004.204.104.103.904.003.904.204.30
3.703.903.904.204.454.503.854.304.30
3.804.204.104.203.804.703.954.104.20
4.304.404.404.204.474.554.154.404.50
4.404.204.203.904.204.653.954.104.30