In December, I attended my first Wine Media Guild lunheon as a full-fledged member, having ben voted in by the membership a few days prior. I graciously thank Marisa D’Vari, Robert Simonsen and Louisa Hargrave for their sponsorship, which is greatly appreciated. The luncheon’s theme was Vintage Champagne and we had the good fortune to hear from Ed McCarthy, one of the noted experts on the subject. Formerly an English teacher, Ed is now the author and co-author of numerous wine books, including, “Champagne for Dummies.” He explained that his defining wine moment was with Krug Champagne, when he discovered that, “Champagne is more than just bubbles.”

We began by warming up our palates with two non-vintage Champagnes, before moving on to the main event. Vintages represented were 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003 as were a wide range of producers, both large and small. Vintage Champagnes are those Champagnes made in especially good years (aka vintages), when the grapes stand on their own and communicate something special. Conversely, non-vintage (NV) Champagnes are the product of a blend of wines from different years, which provides consistency from year to year. Accordingly, once you determine your preference for a particular producer’s house style, you know you can rely on the wines to deliver the same qualities every time you taste it.

The sole 1995 wine was from Henriot, its Cuvee des Enchanteleurs Brut. Ed described it as big, sturdy and full-bodied and added that this was a Champagne house to watch as they are making wonderful wines. He also noted that while 1995 was a good year with ageability, it wasn’t as good as 1996. Although he described the 2000 vintage  as good, but not great, it was the 2002 vintage that Ed really advocated. He explained that it was a much maligned vintage, but to him, it is the best vintage since 1996 and thus the one to buy now to hold. The 2003 vintage was the year of the heat wave that swept through Europe, resulting in extremely ripe grapes with much lower acidity than usual. However, this does not mean that some producers didn’t make good wines in 2003. As an example, Ed pointed out the Louis Roederer Brut 2003.

All in all, there were 19 vintage Champagnes, most of which I enjoyed greatly. However, at an average price of $100.00, these wines will seldom if ever find their way into my cellar. Fortunately, price did not necessarily dictate preferences.

The least expensive wine on the table was the Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc de Blancs 1999 at $40.00, but its lower price was not reflected in the glass. The wine was dry with ripe, lemon fruit and full-bodied with a creamy mousse. Blanc de Blancs refers to the fact that the wine is produced exclusively from white grapes (Chardonnay), while Blanc de Noirs are produced from one or a blend of the other two permitted grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, both of which are red grapes. Nicolas Feuillatte is a cooperative (in fact, the region’s largest), rather than a privately owned Champagne house, with the grapes purchased from its grower-members.

The big ticket item of the day was the Perrier-Jouet “Fleur de Champagne” Blanc de Clancs 2000 at $300.00, but this turned out to be the most controversial wine at the event. When I first tasted it, I found the nose to be unpleasant and several people wondered aloud whether it might be corked. However, once seated for lunch, Ed was quick to point out that there was nothing wrong with the wine, but admitted that it is idiosyncratic, which would account for the mixed reception. He described it as very citric and very lemony.

Regardless of cost or preference, I felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to taste these wonderful wines and to learn from Ed.