Champagne Tasting

Last week I attended a Champagne tasting at Crush Wine & Spirits in Manhattan. It was an exclusive tasting of the just released Veuve Clicquot 2002 Vintage. There were over 500 people that RSVP'd!! Crush made the wise decision to require everyone to pick a 30 minute time slot to attend between 6 and 8pm. The ususal yuppie, well dressed, crowd was there. I was meeting a friend (we chose the 6:30 to 7:00pm slot) and while I was waiting for her to arrive I wanted to check out Crush's selection of Pinot Noirs, especially the Burgundies. Crush has the fine distinction of winning the "Best New Wine Shop" in 2005 from Food & Wine and "Best of New York" editor's pick in New York magazines, so I was curious as to how it stacked up to my favorite wine shops. Being a Burgundy/Pinot Noir lover, I find that it is a good barometer for evaluating a wine shop. They have an impressive selection and, if you can find the price tag, their prices seem rather reasonable. The 2000 (not a great vintage, but not a dog either) Échezeaux, from a fabulous producer, Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils, is only $79. Ok, this is a pricey wine, but a great value and ready for drinking today or in the next couple of years. My complaint is that I couldn't find the price and had to ask someone who originally told me it was $49.

My reply was, "No, it's not."

He said, "Yes, it is....well maybe it is $49 or $59."

Once again I said, "No, it's not. But, if you are right it is an incredible bargain for an Échezeaux."

He returned from checking and told me, "You were right, it is $79."

This is still a really good price for a terrific Pinot Noir from a reliable producer. Because my friend arrived, I did not get to browse their selection further. I will have to return and look when the place is not so crowded. One complaint from me would be that it was hard to find the pirces of their wines. A shopper should not have to constantly ask how much the bottles are. They should be well marked and easy to peruse without difficulty. When I asked the Crush employee I had been speaking with why it was so hard to find the prices, he made a lame excuse about too much inventory. This is unfortunate, I told him, because it shouldn't be that way no matter how much inventory they have.

As for the Veuve Clicquot 2002, it was medium-bodied and well balanced with citrus, toast notes and a hint of spice. It is decently priced between $65 and $76 (only the pre-released price of $59.69 was published). I am surprised by the blend, though, of 60% pinot noir 7% pinot meunier and 33% Chardonnay. There is not even the slightest hint of pink in the wine despite the 67% to 33% red to white grape ratio. I love rosé Brut Champagnes and would have appreciated that hint of pink in the wine, however, it was what I would describe as highly drinkable and would pair nicely with many foods from salads to tapas to roasted chicken. There were many Crush employees happily pouring the tasting portions and repeat tastings as well. They seemed amiable, unpretentious and reasonably knowledgeable. One of my favorite aspects of the shop is the good selection of wine books for sale near the entrance. More wine shops should do this. I had heard that Crush provides tastings with wine education and the selection of books speaks to this as being more than a gimmick. Crush Wine & Spirits is located at 153 E. 57th Street between Lexington Ave. and 3rd Ave. in New York City and can be found at www.crushwineco.com. All in all I would rank this as a 7.5 out of 10, which is high praise given how strongly I feel about the price tag situation. I will go back and that too is notable. Thank you Lisa, for inviting me to join you.