Aubry Brut 1er Cru NV, Jouy-les-Reims ($34.99) - Why buy mass-produced Champagne when for the same price you can have hand-crafted Premier Cru and even Grand Cru Champagnes? Aubry is a family owned Champagne producer whose 16 hectares of vineyards have been in the same family for 5 generations. Made from 80% red grapes, it has a yeasty/toasty nose, finesse, and a lengthy finish. This cuvée is a blend of the 1999, 2000, and 2001 vintages. Wine Spectator 90: “Offers fruit confit, graphite and citrus aromas and flavors marched to a full-bodied, bracing structure. Very fresh and focused, it ends with a long finish.”

Gaston-Chiquet Brut Tradition 1er Cru, NV ($32.99) - Gaston-Chiquet is located in the Premier Cru village of Dizy between Épernay and Reims in the Vallée de la Marne. The Chiquet family first planted vines here in 1746. With holdings in Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, and Hautvillers, the firm is now under the ownership of Nicolas and Antoine Chiquet. Premier Cru Champagnes must must use grapes only from villages rated 90 or higher. This knock-out Champagne is drier than most, but the balance and the fruit compensate for the reduced sugar. It is also one of the first Champagnes to carry a disgorgement date (in this case, “Dégorgé le 27/08/2002”). This allows the consumer to know how fresh the bottle is. Most Champagnes are ready to drink upon release and will hold for a few years. The best Champagnes will improve for 2-5 years.

Gaston Chiquet Reserve NV ($49.99) - Parker 93: "From two outstanding vintages (95 & 96).  A blend of 1/3 Pinot Noir, Meunier, & Chardonnay. Intricate aromas. Concentrated, impressively deep, rich & powerful, coats the palate with loads of spiced white fruits & toasty almonds."

Chartogne Taillet 1999 ($49.99) - Parker 93: "Gorgeous aroma (pears, almonds & flowers) bursts from the glass. Concentrated, rich, muscular. Fresh & packed with minerals. Long, fruit-filled finish."

Guy Larmandier Blanc de Blancs Cramant Grand Cru, NV ($55.99) - Only 25,000 bottles of this wine are made annually from sites in the top-rated Cramant village. Hand-harvested and aged at least three years on the lees, this cuvée is 100% Chardonnay. Because the quality of the fruit is so superior, the cuvées shipped to the U. S. receive virtually no “dosage.” Thus Guy Larmandier Champagnes are exceedingly dry, delicate, and fine. Stephen Tanzer 91: “Light gold shot through with green. Understated, elegant aromas of pear, tangerine, and kiwi complemented by notes of lees, green cardamom, and mustard seed. Chalky, spicy, and firm with concentrated citrus and quince flavors that cling tenaciously. An intensely mineral, concentrated Champagne that shows the structure and flavor of top-drawer, old-school Chablis.”

Agrapart L’Avizoise Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, 1996 ($59.99) - Only 6500 bottles of this spectacular wine were made from a parcel of 50-year old vines in a vintage that may be the best of the decade. It was especially strong for Chardonnay-based wines from the Cote de Blancs. Twenty percent of the cuvée was aged in wood. One-third of the cuvée underwent malo-lactic fermentation, and it was aged almost six years before bottling. In comparison to the NV, this is bigger in all its dimensions especially its body, yeast characteristics, focus, and minerality. It will easily compete with the $100 Champagnes out there. A riveting Champagne and a bargain!!!

Gosset Grande Reserve Brut ($64.95) – Parker 90: "Grosset has fashioned a Grand Reserve Brut offering pleasant, yeasty bread notes inter-mixed with spicy pears, apple skins, & grapefruit. Medium-bodied, crisp, & impressively-endowed, it should be consumed now-2010."

Krug Grand Reserve NV ($169) – Parker 93: "The most consistent Krug wine I have been tasting lately. This is a big, boldly styled Champagne with smoky, earthy, pear, apple, and spicy aromas as well as flavors, loads of effervescence, and fine body and depth."

Good Imitations
Sumarroca Cava Brut Reserva ($11.99) - We’ve been waiting for the wines of Sumarroca since my wife and I visited this Spanish winery 2 years ago. Located in Penedès, just west of Barcelona, the original Molí Coloma estate in Subirats was purchased in 1983 by Nuria and Carles Sumarroca. Albert, their son, has also developed a passion for quality wines. Like their Chardonnay, Sumarroca’s sparkling wine is made only from free-run juice. The weight of the grapes on top will gently press the grapes below releasing only 20% of the potential juice. This is the cleanest, purest juice that can be obtained. Sumarroca uses 30% Macabau, 30% Xerello, 30% Paraleda, and 10% Chardonnay. The DO authorities discourage Chardonnay, but the stubborn Sumarrocas believe it to have the greatest potential and are actually increasing its percentage each year. Mass-produced Cava, like Freixenet, must only be aged on the yeast for 9 months. Cava Reserva requires a minimum of two years on the yeast. Sumarroca Brut Reserva gets a full three years! A value sparkler.

Jaillance Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé, NV ($16.99) - This unusual sparkling rosé is made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot grapes grown in Bordeaux! The bouquet is both interesting and pleasant, the palate is quite dry with good fruit, and the effervescence is greater than that of most Crémants. This won’t compete with a rosé Champagne, but it’s a good value.

Icardi Brachetto Piemonte “Suri Viga,” 2003 ($17.99) - A little less sparkling and a little less expensive than the delicious Banfi Brachetto, this is none-the-less a lovely dessert sparkler with a dark rosé color and lovely aromatics.

Perrone Bigaro ($18.69) - What’s a Perrone? What’s a Bigaro? I have no idea, but this is one truly delicious dessert sparkler from Italy. This blend of Moscato (white) and Brachetto (red) grapes is low in alcohol, lightly sparkling, and boasts a creamy texture that is positively enchanting. Give it a try with fruit, cheese, or dessert, and you’ll be hooked. Guaranteed!

Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee, 2000 ($22.99) - Wine Enthusiast: 93 "Royal Cuvée has turned into one of the  most consistent buys in an upscale California bubbly, mainly due to the elegance that always marks the wine. The 2000, which is a classic blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, shows the smoothness and complexity that mark fine sparkling wine, with subtle citrus, peach, raspberry, brioche and smoky vanilla flavors."