Carpene Malvolti nv Sparkling Kerner Brut

Very pale yellow, many streams of small bubbles.

Smell of honeysuckle and of ripe peaches.

Off-dry to slightly sweet flavor of ripe apples, ripe peaches. Occasionally it seems thin and tastes of nothing so much as club soda.

Good-to-very good light-bodied bottle of fizz. My first experience with Kerner. $23.36.

Carpene Malvolti nv Rose Carpene Cuvee Brut

Deep orange pink. Long-lasting streams of small bubbles.

Strawberry smell.

Off-dry berry flavor, lingering dry finish.

Very good light-to-medium-bodied bottle. Good to bring to a party: simple fun!. $19.47.

Szigeti nv Gruner Veltliner Brut

Pale straw color, many vigorous long-lasting streams of tiny bubbles.

Yeasty bread-dough smell, green apple, citrus.

Off-dry to dry green apple flavor, lemon, white pepper.

Very good, if simple, light-bodied bottle. $17.52.

Schramsberg 2007 Blanc de Blancs

Deep straw color, many long-lasting streams of pin-point bubbles.

Citrus smell, pineapple, freshly-risen bread dough, hint of cloves.

Flavor of tart apple turnover with cinnamon, chewy pastry.

Very good medium-bodied New World sparkler, a bit sweeter than the advertised Brut, $22.91

Cesarini Sforza 2002 Trento "Tridentum"

Restrained long-lasting streams of tiny-to-small bubbles.

Apple smell, toast.

Dry apple and pear flavors, touch of cherry by the end.

Good fruit-forward medium-bodied Champenoise 80% Chardonnay / 20% Pinot Noir Italian fizz @ $24.99 / bottle. (It's not your father's Spumante!)

Rolet non-vintage Cremant du Jura Brut Coeur de Chardonnay

Extremely pale straw color, many vigorous long-lasting streams of pinpoint bubbles.

Fresh apple smell, wild-flowers.

Off-dry apple flavor, some bitterness in the long finish, particularly as the wine warms in the glass.

Adequate medium-bodied bottle for $33.33: cold, wet, and fizzy. The bubbles were the best part. Meh. I won't buy this again.

Marc Hebrart non-vintage Brut Selection Premier Cru Champagne

Disgorged 7/30/2007.

Extremely pale color, many streams of pinpoint bubbles.

Freshly-risen bread dough smell, wildflowers, a bit of peach.

Taste of pear, peaches, toast. A classic austere style.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $42.05.

H. Billiot Fils non-vintage Grand Cru Brut Reserve Champagne

Pale straw color with many streams of tiny bubbles, vigorous almost to a fault.

Smells of apple, pear, and peach.

Dry tastes of apple, berries, cherry pie, and peach pie. Toast.

Excellent full-bodied bottle for $50.40. I've long loved Pinot-heavy Champagne, this wine reminds me of the special virtues of such a cuvee.

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils non-vintage Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuis 1er Cru

Extremely pale color, lots of streams of small vigorous bubbles.

Smells of Pepperidge Farm Toasting White, toasted, and apple, fresh flowers, grapefruit.

Flavor of Pepperidge Farm remembering apple and pear, honey texture in the finish.

Dandy-fine bottle for $28.80 / 375ml. Some days Chardonnay that sparkles seems best.

Ruinart non-vintage Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

Moderate golden color, long-lasting streams of small bubbles.

Buttery apple smell, perhaps it's just the power of suggestion, but this all-Chardonnay Champagne smells just like a still Chardonnay does.

As with the smell, the flavor unhesitantly proclaims this as Chardonnay.

Good bottle for$31.60 / 375ml, if the Champagne name wasn't itself a valuable marketing tool, I'd suggest "Sparkling Chardonnay".

Chandon non-vintage California Brut Classic

Pale straw color, somewhat sluggish streams of medium-sized bubbles.

Grapefruit smell with home-made bread rising.

Tart grapefruit flavor, granny smith apple, fruit seems to hide any oak/toast.

Good bottle for $12.70 / 375ml, enough less expensive than a better wine to make up for it, I think. I'm imagining this as the sparkler for friends at a large wedding reception, while family gets real Champagne.

Egly-Ouriet non-vintage Brut Tradition Grand Cru Champagne

Pale golden color, long-lasting streams of pin-point bubbles.

Melon and citrus smells.

Pear flavor, oaky toasty character in the background.

Good bottle for $67.50. It occurs to me that in 2002 Richard Juhlin published '4000 Champagnes' and in his 2008 'Champagne Guide' he claims to have enjoyed 6500. Perhaps it's time I consolidated what I've learned I most enjoy rather than keep trying to find one better bottle. But not right away, maybe later.

A. Margaine non-vintage Brut Premeir Cru Champagne

Medium-pale straw color, long-lasting streams of very small vigorous bubbles.

Very restrained smell, apple and orange as it warms.

Green apple taste, orange, buttered toast if you go looking for it.

Very good bottle for $43.20, idiosyncratic in a good way, does your champagne land butter-side up or down?

Schramsberg 2005 North Coast Brut Blanc de Blancs

Cork a little reluctant to leave the bottle, took a lot of twisting of the champagne star! I shall buy a champagne key and see if that works better.

Very pale straw color, greenish tint, vigorous long-lasting cloud of tiny bubbles.

Some stink on opening (like the ghost of Nixon) that blows off almost immediately (again like the ghost of Nixon) with the bottle's initial exhalation. Thereafter apples, melons, sugar-cane, grapefruit and river-washed stones.

Tastes of apple, mouth-puckering lemon, toasted Arnold's white.

Very good bottle for $14.73 / 375ml, a reminder that Champagne isn't the only area that can make very good fizz.

PS: Champagne key FTW!!1!

Perrier-Jouet non-vintage Champagne Grand Brut

Extremely pale golden/amber color, tiny vigorous bubbles.

Fresh apple smell, fresh-baked yeasty toasty bread. Pepperidge Farm remembers!

Dry apple and toast flavor, a sandwich not to dismissed out of hand!

Damned good bottle for $23.39 / 375ml, lightweight but sincere Champagne.

Chartogne-Taillet non-vintage Brut Champagne Sainte-Anne

Pale straw color, long-lasting streams of tiny very vigorous bubbles.

Smell of ripe apples and toast.

Big ripe (maybe slightly over-ripe) apple flavor, Bartlett pear, cherry, toasted almonds, creamy texture.

$41.40 is an outstanding price for a bottle of very good real Champagne. My love for Bollinger Special Cuvee isn't diminished, but I must reconsider its status as "my everyday Champagne".

Update: The problem of posting out of order - now Paul Laurent non-vintage Brut Deluxe Champagne Cuvee des Fondateur at about $30 / 750ml, is certainly my everyday Champagne.

A. Margaine non-vintage Brut Rose Champagne

Very pale pink color, delicate. Many tiny bubbles.

Freshly-toasted bread, citrus and berries smell.

Apple and citrus flavors with a few blackberries, generous with the fruit, seems just a little sweeter than I expect from a Brut.

I recognize that pink Champagne is a bit of an affectation, but I'll try any Terry Theise Estate Selection, and have not yet been disappointed by that policy. Despite Jancis Robinson dismissing this wine and it getting a poor rating in Richard Juhlin's book, I enjoyed this $49.05 bottle. As I write this it's a Formula 1 weekend, and that calls for fizzy wine, more, it's Monza this weekend, and that calls for Champagne!

(Ah! It's clear (even if only to F1 fans, who know Monza was in September, that sometimes there's a delay between writing a post and publishing it.)

Nicolas Feuillatte non-vintage Brut Reserve Particuliere

Pale straw color with vigorous small bubbles.

Sweet apple pie smell, cinnamon, hints of menthol.

Off-dry apple pie flavor, drying to a thin flavor at the end.

An adequate half-bottle for $20.80 / 375ml, technically correct wine that is lacking in excitement or conviction. I won't buy more of this.

Paul Laurent non-vintage Brut Deluxe Champagne Cuvee des Fondateur

Pale golden/amber color, long-lasting streams of small bubbles.

Ripe peach smell, apples, hints of melons.

Peaches and apples, melons and figs. The taste of toast creeps up as the glass warms.

Excellent bottle for $29.25: I may have found a new everyday Champagne.

More than ever before, I think I get the point of 'farmer champagne': this is, first, wine. It behaves like wine before it behaves like Champagne. I greatly approve.

(Interestingly, while it's not advertised as such, the Richard Juhlin Champagne Guide says this is a Blanc de Noirs; 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier).

Update: Paul Laurent themselves say 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.

Graceland Cellars non-vintage California "Champagne" Brut All Shook Up

Pale golden color, big vigorous short-lived bubbles.

Bready apple smell, hint of cinnamon.

Apple and cinnamon raisin bread dough.

Adequate bottle for $15.99. I won't buy this again.