N.V. Pierre Peters Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

I opened this to start off Christmas Eve just the right way. If you like good Blanc de Blancs Champagne, you will like Pierre Peters. This bottle was pure dynamite. Fresh, bubbly, citrus flavors and aromas, and a hint of doughy brioche. Of all the grower BdBs, this is by far the one that has been the most reliable and the most tasty in my experience. There has only been one really average disgorgement in the last few years. The remaining ones have all been stellar in my experience.

N.V. Philippe Gonet Champagne 3210 Extra Brut (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

I my opinion, a sensational Champagne. Non-dosage, this is as dry as a bone yet has amazingly vibrant and tasty citrus fruit laced with minerality and enormous flavor. Long finish. There's nothing not to love about this one.

N.V. Philippe Gonet Champagne 3210 Extra Brut (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

Good stuff. Very clean, lean, and mineral-driven. Lemon fruit and limestone chalkiness. Good bead and mousse. Very enjoyable, but needs food. On the stern side when consumed on its own. 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from Le Mesnil.

N.V. Pierre Peters Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

Opened last night to accompany sushi. Teriffic Champagne. Lean, mean, and very minerally. Apple peel and citrus flavors, medium mousse and lively bead. Zingy acidity, but nice fullness and palate presence. Immense QPR at around $37. Lot code L.CBSA02US.

Lobster Fest Chez Pelz With a Quartet of Fine Wines

Lobster is in season right now, and our local grocery store had Maine lobster on sale for a laughable price, so I decided to invite friends over for dinner to cook up some lobster and enjoy it with some good wine. So I ventured out 30 minutes before dinner and got a hold of 6 nice lobsters and prepared them three ways.

With Appetizers

- Sheep's Cheese Puffs (Thanks Shannon and Dave - delicious)
- Lobster Salad

• N.V. Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne
  Lovely Champagne. Started the evening with this gem. Elegant, finesse Champagne that shows a certain airy-ness. Super fine mousse, apple, blanched almonds, brioche, and raw dough. Only thing that detracts ever so slightly from its greatness is that is seems very sweet on the finish, so I wonder what the dosage levels of this wine are. But I am not complaining.

• N.V. Pierre Peters Champagne Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne
  L012007. Best bottle yet. Diametrically opposed in style to the Selosse we enjoyed 30 minutes earlier. Seemingly big and brawny with lemon zest and massive minerality. Fresh and structured and with lots of bubbles. This particular bottle is showing the first signs of mellowing out though as the fruit is sweeter than I remember it, and the wine isn't as angry as it used to be. Quite good and in its price class, this has to be one of the leaders for folks like me who like their Champagne super-low dosage.

With Main Courses

- Lobster in the Rough
- Lobster Broiled

• 2004 Vincent Girardin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
  As usual, this was very reliable. Fairly ripe, it shows apple, a touch of lemon rind, limestone rock, and some buttered popcorn. The oak stands out just a touch. I might be wrong, but this seems ready to drink and I'm not sure I'd want to hold these too long...I don't know if this has enough acidity to go the distance.

With Dessert

- Chocolate cream pie (Thanks Shannon and Dave)

• 2004 Eddie Feraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  This wine continues to impress me. It's all about the wonderful Grenache fruit. In my opinion, this is a clean version (less bretty) of Pegau. Similarly traditional texture and fruit profile. Dark plum and blackberry fruit with some meat juice, provencal herbs, and licorice. Doesn't get much better than this for cuvee tradition in CdP.

2000 Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Blanc de Blancs (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

• 2000 Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne (6/8/2009)
  Had this with ahi sashimi at home last night. My third or fourth bottle, and I am concerned at how this wine has been progressively showing tired and over the hill. Creamier than I remember it two years ago and lacks the zing I used to get in this bottling. Some of the bubbles are lost, too, and it has a slightly flat and fat tactile expression. Decent apple fruit and a touch of lemon...some crushed limestone...Not holding up well and in need of consumption...already past peak, and this is no longer nearly as good as it used to be. Shame.

N.V. Launois Pere et Fils Champagne "Cuvée Reserve" Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

With sushi tonight at Austin's Tomo Dachi. As usual, a very reliable NV Champagne that is so fresh and zingy that it goes as well with Sushi as any Champagne I've ever had. Great tart apple and driness. Bead and mousse are fine. Lovely to drink and it drinks so nicely right now that I will likely drink my last bottle of this fairly soon...

2000 Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Blanc de Blancs (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

With appetizer of Valentine Day dinner. Fresh and zingy, but maybe a touch oxdized/madeirized. Still pretty tasty, rich and creamy, but this wine was more evolved than other bottles I've had. Good, but not great.

N.V. Pierre Peters Champagne Blanc de Blancs (France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne)

Great bottle. Amazingly sweet fruit and doughy nose. Have had this once before and remember a much leaner. tighter wine. Disgorgement date of 1/2007, so this may be the batch that's been reported as so-so. My experience wsa anything but so-so. Extraordinary precision and focus and some very nice lemon verbena notes. Certainly steely character, but also sweet fruit to the midpalate and a lengthy finish. Couldn't ask for more, at least at this price point.