Champagne Choices

[JL87]

1 hour ago, markeb said:

 

The wine is NV Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay Brut. Thibaut-Janisson is the winery, near Monticello/Charlottesville. Our local wine shop brought it in for a weekend tasting a couple of months ago. It's a little overpriced, like all Virginia wines, but it was surprisingly good, especially for a pure chardonnay based Brut (Pinot Noir isn't a real thing here, although the winery does have a Blanc de Noirs that is supposed to be 60% Virginia fruit; now I'm going to have to search for Virginia Pinot Noirs out of curiosity).

Technically a blanc de noirs sparkling wine is made from red or "black" grapes. In Champagne that would mean Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Who knows what you might get in Virginia!  Could be any red grape I guess. I've actually had some good Virginia wines in past. I'll try to find some of the Thibaut-Janisson. 

 

The only Champagne I've seen on Celebrity covered by the BP recently is Montaudon. It's perfectly fine unless you're very picky and willing to spend more money.

[markeb]

11 minutes ago, JL87 said:

Technically a blanc de noirs sparkling wine is made from red or "black" grapes. In Champagne that would mean Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Who knows what you might get in Virginia!  Could be any red grape I guess. I've actually had some good Virginia wines in past. I'll try to find some of the Thibaut-Janisson. 

 

 

Couldn't remember Pinot Meunier. The Blanc de Noirs from Thibaut-Janisson specifically lists Pinot Noir, and 60% of it from Virginia (the rest from the Finger Lakes). I've never seen a Pinot Noir (or Pinot Meunier) in Virginia, so now I'm going to have to look.

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

Couldn't remember Pinot Meunier. The Blanc de Noirs from Thibaut-Janisson specifically lists Pinot Noir, and 60% of it from Virginia (the rest from the Finger Lakes). I've never seen a Pinot Noir (or Pinot Meunier) in Virginia, so now I'm going to have to look.

We know, you said you'd go look two hours ago.  Please let us know the fruits of your labor.

[markeb]

22 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

We know, you said you'd go look two hours ago.  Please let us know the fruits of your labor.

 

So a quick search says lists 14 wineries with Pinot Noir, but only about half of them show one. A couple have actually won awards, and one sounds very interesting, but is typically overpriced for Virginia. Like in Burgundy/Russian River/Willamette Valley range ($52/bottle). Several don't list the source of their fruit online, so without going to the winery and asking, you're forced to assume it's Virginia fruit...

 

Post pandemic research project!

[LGW59]

8 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

So a quick search says lists 14 wineries with Pinot Noir, but only about half of them show one. A couple have actually won awards, and one sounds very interesting, but is typically overpriced for Virginia. Like in Burgundy/Russian River/Willamette Valley range ($52/bottle). Several don't list the source of their fruit online, so without going to the winery and asking, you're forced to assume it's Virginia fruit...

 

Post pandemic research project!

Indeed, sounds like it is worth a tasting expedition to decide.  $52/bottle while not outrageous, def warrants a "free" decision

[tnt10]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions....

As far as the vast selection (and price points) on board, we were on a RCL cruise a couple of years ago, and selected a Caymus Vinyards Private Reserve, (on a recommendation), and ended up sending bottles #1 AND #2 back.  Both were corked!!

We ended up with a wonderful Chilean red  costing a fraction of the Caymus.  (approx $35 vs $200).  Was told later, (and have have researched since), that cruise ships are notorious for the mishandling of fine wines..... too bad.

 

[zitsky]

21 minutes ago, tnt10 said:

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions....

As far as the vast selection (and price points) on board, we were on a RCL cruise a couple of years ago, and selected a Caymus Vinyards Private Reserve, (on a recommendation), and ended up sending bottles #1 AND #2 back.  Both were corked!!

We ended up with a wonderful Chilean red  costing a fraction of the Caymus.  (approx $35 vs $200).  Was told later, (and have have researched since), that cruise ships are notorious for the mishandling of fine wines..... too bad.

 

 

I haven't had much experience with corked wines.  Did they taste a bit "off" or like vinegar perhaps?  What was the reaction when you sent back #2?

[tnt10]

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

I haven't had much experience with corked wines.  Did they taste a bit "off" or like vinegar perhaps?  What was the reaction when you sent back #2?

The Matre’d also tasted it, agreed it too was corked, handed me the wine menu, and said, “Order anything you would like-on the house.”  In fact, there was no charge for the SR dinner for both myself and guest.  He was obviously quite embarrassed.

[Gonzo70]

15 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

I haven't had much experience with corked wines.  Did they taste a bit "off" or like vinegar perhaps?  What was the reaction when you sent back #2?

Corked wine has a musty smell, like wet cardboard or a moldy basement. The taste is dull with no-to-minimal fruit flavor. It is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but a wine can be slightly corked and most will not even notice to extremely corked where the smell is very off-putting, or anywhere in between. Vinegary wine is caused by too much oxygen being exposed to the wine, generally either a cork that doesn’t sufficiently seal off the wine or a wine that has been left open too long. 

[Gonzo70]

18 hours ago, JL87 said:

Technically a blanc de noirs sparkling wine is made from red or "black" grapes. In Champagne that would mean Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Who knows what you might get in Virginia!  Could be any red grape I guess. I've actually had some good Virginia wines in past. I'll try to find some of the Thibaut-Janisson. 

 

The only Champagne I've seen on Celebrity covered by the BP recently is Montaudon. It's perfectly fine unless you're very picky and willing to spend more money.

A blanc de noir from Champagne could also be made from the lesser known Fromenteau grape. 

[JL87]

42 minutes ago, Gonzo70 said:

A blanc de noir from Champagne could also be made from the lesser known Fromenteau grape. 

I don't think that would qualify as blanc de noirs as Fromenteau is basically Pinot Gris. I think the only two black grapes allowed in Champagne are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

[ExArkie]

19 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Couldn't remember Pinot Meunier. The Blanc de Noirs from Thibaut-Janisson specifically lists Pinot Noir, and 60% of it from Virginia (the rest from the Finger Lakes). I've never seen a Pinot Noir (or Pinot Meunier) in Virginia, so now I'm going to have to look.

The one with which I am familiar is Ankida Ridge Vineyards, near Amherst, VA, (just north of Lynchburg). Until recently, my wife's aunt lived in Virginia's Nelson County (which actually has a few rather nice wineries and a really good distillery) and we drove by this place a few times before stopping.

 

Most Virginia wineries uprooted pinot noir a dozen or so years ago because they were consistently producing astringent, lifeless plonk. These folks are in the mountains and take advantage of the better conditions for growing pinot noir. 

 

 

[markeb]

7 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

The one with which I am familiar is Ankida Ridge Vineyards, near Amherst, VA, (just north of Lynchburg). Until recently, my wife's aunt lived in Virginia's Nelson County (which actually has a few rather nice wineries and a really good distillery) and we drove by this place a few times before stopping.

 

Most Virginia wineries uprooted pinot noir a dozen or so years ago because they were consistently producing astringent, lifeless plonk. These folks are in the mountains and take advantage of the better conditions for growing pinot noir. 

 

 

That’s the one I found that’s pretty highly rated. 3 hour drive from NoVA, though, and it looks like it’s probably winery only, or ship in state. 
 

Most of the Loudon County wineries are Bordeaux grapes, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, etc. Pinot Noir doesn’t do well here at all, but I can see it doing better more in the cooler foothills. Probably worth a try once we’re getting out again.  

[Gonzo70]

2 hours ago, JL87 said:

I don't think that would qualify as blanc de noirs as Fromenteau is basically Pinot Gris. I think the only two black grapes allowed in Champagne are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Fromenteau grapes are grey/rose colored, so closer to red/black grapes than white grapes, but a bit of a hybrid. They are one of seven grapes in the Champagne region permitted to be used to make Champagne.