Sticker shock

M

MLipton

Mark Lipton
So, last week I was tasked by Jean with buying a selection of wines for a shindig she was throwing (to which I was not invited — long story). In our little burgh, the only halfway decent purveyor of wines has pricing that is routinely 10% above the prices seen elsewhere (via wine-searcher). One of the must-haves was a bottle of Champagne, so off to that section I go. Holy shit! Veuve-fucking Cliquot for $77 a pop? White Star for $75? Even Taittinger Brut Reserve, which I distinctly recall purchasing 4-5 years ago for $25 a bottle (as the Brut La Francaise), now retailing for $77. Granted, these prices are above the national average, but still is this tariffs at work or just general inflationary pressure? Yeesh.

Mark Lipton
(Springing for more Bereche now)
 
Just looked at Calvert Woodley's site and the have Veuve (on sale) for $62.99 from a hypothetical price of $76.99. Sadly, the folks at Vivino do not appear to have kept calculating their index.
 
FWIW, here is Winebid's historical estimates for a 750 of Veuve:
veuvechart.jpg
 
At those prices for Champagne, I'd look for Roederer's Anderson Valley l"Ermitage bottling - excellent and around those prices you are quoting for mass market NV Champagne.
 
Yes, there may not be oceans of the stuff, but enough good grower champagne in the $50-70 range in Nyc for me to think it's not just tariffs?
 
Drank some Laurent-Perrier NV Champagne "Cuvee Rose" tonight. Very ripe but expressive nose, a bit too sweet on the palate for its own good, but it was served with pastry, cake and ice cream and did its job well enough. (And the hostess normally pours Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label so it's all good.)
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Drank some Laurent-Perrier NV Champagne "Cuvee Rose" tonight. Very ripe but expressive nose, a bit too sweet on the palate for its own good, but it was served with pastry, cake and ice cream and did its job well enough. (And the hostess normally pours Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label so it's all good.)
Click to expand...

unfortunate. my recent experience with l-p, including la cuvee and multiple iterations of grand siecle going back to early 90s blends, is very much an exception to my pattern of barely liking anything with significant dosage these days unless it's old enough. the wines have a richness and a complexity out of the blocks to match the dosage.

[edited] that was clearly poorly worded. obviously even the current "iterations" release has some age with 2012 being the youngest component. what i meant to say is that la cuvee comes out emulating that kind of balance nicely despite the r.s.
 
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