The Femme Fatale
The seductive siren likes her rosés, blanc de blancs and iconic “female” Champagnes.
Wine Lover $
Presented in an 18th-century-style rounded bottle, Ruinart Rosé ($80), from the oldest Champagne house, dating back to 1729, exudes perfumed aromas of raspberry, lychee and wild strawberry. With its pink and gold label and lively effervescence, it’s a cuvée for fiery seduction.
Wine Connoisseur $$
Made from the finest Côte des Blancs Chardonnay and aged for 10 years, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2005 ($170) is voluptuous and expressive with notes of pastry and pink grapefruit. This family-owned house makes this elegant wine only in exceptional years.
Wine Collector $$$
Coppery-pink-hued with sensuous flavors of white peach, red currant, cherry and cinnamon, Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé 2004 ($265), made from predominantly Pinot Noir Grand Crus, is named after the legendary Madame Clicquot. A complex wine with delicate bubbles, it’s for highly romantic occasions.
The Master of the Universe
Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV ($73), with flavors of baked apples, walnuts and smoke, is the ultimate masculine Champagne. Pinot Noir comprises 60 percent of the blend. In his roles from Live and Let Die to Quantum of Solace, James Bond requested his Bollinger chilled.
Mention Krug to the cognoscenti and you hear gasps of excitement. Krug Grande Cuvée ($179), the masterfully blended multi-vintage comprising more than 120 wines, has a symphony of aromas (hazelnut, marzipan, almond), a lively effervesce and crisp acidity. With a rich mouth-feel, it feels at once mature and youthful.
Odette Pol-Roger’s and Churchill’s friendship led to this homage, Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill 2002 ($209), blended with a predominance of Grand Crus Pinot Noir. This robust, structured cuvée has hints of gingerbread and smoke and a long savory finish. The family still keeps its exact formula a secret.
The Sensualist
She prefers bottles with inspiring motifs and savors a poetic tension in the blend.
Released as a special holiday edition, X’Ploration by Nicolas Feuillatte ($36) comes in a gold or black bottle illustrated with airplanes, compasses and maps. This Brut Reserve Champagne has fresh flavors of apple, pear and peach with persistent bubbles…and maybe just a touch of wanderlust.
Known for its exquisite texture—densely structured and buoyantly rounded—Dom Pérignon Vintage 2006 ($159) has complex aromas of cocoa, almond and dried flowers, vibrant effervescence and an undeniable sexiness. Winemaker Richard Geoffroy strives for a poetic tension in the blend.
An exquisite, limited-edition bottle designed with pale pink flowers painted onto the glass and a hummingbird seen within, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé 2005 ($300) exudes sweeping sensuality with its luminescent salmon hue and lush aromas of white peach, orange marmalade, and strawberries and cream.
The Figure Conscious
With zero or low sugar added to blend, the calorie conscious can drink more than a glass.
Made by one of France’s first cooperatives, Collet Extra Brut ($53), combining Chardonnay, has grapefruit, Mirabelle plum and apple flavors. With the low added liqueur d’expédition, about a third of the dosage of Brut, it is beautifully balanced with a nice acidity.
Having no dosage, Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut ($75) exhibits refined purity and enticing aromas of honeysuckle, citrus and white flowers. Made from very ripe grapes from 15 crus and aged for four years, the wine has beautiful floral and mineral notes and leaves a clean long finish on the palate.
Launched as a collectible designed and co-created by Philippe Starck, Louis Roederer Brut Nature 2006 ($89), from biodynamic grapes and with zero dosage, constitutes the purest expression of the terroir. The exceptional 2006 Pinot Noir grapes inspired this creation by the glitzy house of Roederer.
The Bon Vivant
A real spendthrift, he’s likely to order bigger format bottles to entertain and live the dream.
Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2006 ($60) is a riot of flavors from ripe peach, nectarine and mango to botanical notes of anise, bergamot and honeysuckle. The handsome bottle sports a black-and-gold necktie and “2006” in large numerals on the label and is ideal for serious revelry.
With a golden tiara (created by a Parisian jeweler) gracing the bottle, Piper-Heidsieck Rare 2002 ($175) has notes of mango, kiwi, kumquat, ginger plus hints of minerality, meringue and almond. From 70 percent Chardonnay blending 17 crus aged for seven years, it tastes as rare and exotic as its design.
The world’s largest (30 liters) Champagne bottle is crafted by hand at this family-owned estate dating from 1763. Armand de Brignac “Ace of Spades” Midas ($200,000) is known for its powerful fruit and floral notes, its depth and focused textural tension (750ml bottle at $300).