BIG Champagne Surprises! Grand Marques Blind Tasting

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

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[@noahcap]

My favorite entry level grand marquee is Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve. This was the first Champagne that I enjoyed as a wine as opposed to being just a fun cork-pop. I still love it!

[@danielsaddyful]

Agreed! The Bollinger special cuvee is another cracker in that price point 👍

[@loghorizon45]

That Moët was this well rated is crazy. The beauty of blind tasting indeed.

[@theskilled99]

I believe that Jancis Robinson wrote a piece in the last year or two urging wine buffs to give Moet another look as she had been very impressed with the commitment to quality and investment in aging reserve wine that she had seen on a visit and tasting.

[@olisauv]

Moet is consistently showing great on blind tasting, people hate it for being too commercial, but it is a very balanced Champagne

[@ВасильевичФёдор]

Соглашаться❤

[@0xMatt8302]

Yes personally i prefer it over a Taittinger for example

[@Kefirpir]

There is quite a wide selection of "supermarket" champagne for 15-20€, that can be bought in Aldi, Hofer, Lidl, Spar.. It would be really interesting to see a blind tasting of theese champagnes, concidering they usually are not bad, due to Champagnes strict regulations.

[@henkdeklapsteen6787]

Absolutely no problem to buy a cheaper supermarket champagne, important to look at the sugar content 😅.

[@A1steak]

Those are one step below piss water

[@AnarchoKapital]

@@A1steakSo not true. As one comment above said, they can hardly ever be bad due to the strict regulations. I find they often lack the freshness that only champagne shows. So they are on the same level as good German Sekt. To me they are mostly above the average sparkling wine around the world.

[@Kefirpir]

@@AnarchoKapital exactly! I actually liked some of those! Less elegant and precise perhaps, but not bad. I would love to see an honest blind tasting and rating of champagnes in that category, by Konstantin.

[@nicomeier8098]

I used to drink Veuve Clicquot for being a clean, straight forward Champagne but seeing your impressions on the Moët & Chandon Imperial brut I think I'm going to try one. Other then that I'm a big fan of the Raumland wines.

[@N3g13]

Raumland is just amazing.

[@anha1962]

Great timing. We tasted 8 champagnes blind yesterday evening, all the ones in this video included. Moët came out on top. Pol Roger was also well liked.

[@anha1962]

Also, the Bollinger did not do well.

[@Birdylockso]

My theory is that some of these bottles are much better with some bottle aging. I typically age them for 2 years at least. You will see who can age more gracefully and take on more complexity. So, I wouldn't count out Bollinger just yet.

[@rodrigootavio534]

I would like to see your toughts about Drappier champagne Thanks for the vid 👍

[@user-je2mr7it7b]

I waited sooo long for this tasting!! Love champagne and your unbiased opinions on them! Thanks Konstantin!

[@annaralas6998]

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve stands out for me.

[@kleinster99]

Like a smelly wet sock

[@ihsrosary]

Agreed! Too bad that wasn't included in the blind tasting.

[@Feelinggrapeofficial_]

Same!

[@Birdylockso]

It supposedly contains 40% of reserve wine. Not sure about now though. It's also my favorite NV.

[@Birdylockso]

@@ihsrosary The bottle shape would've given it away though.

[@craigmetcalfe1749]

Thanks for picking these universally available houses. My favorite is still Bollinger based on the levels of complexity. I think you should cellar these for one year and come back and compare them with the current NV offerings of the same houses in a year. Cheers!

[@Birdylockso]

That's exactly my sentiment. I'm surprised that Konstantin does not mention that. It's a bit unfair if you think about it.

[@robertotrotta9073]

Gosset Grand Reserve Brut is one of those ones that definitely deserve a try, maybe in another blind test , especially considering the price point

[@ChantelleGous]

So happy the Louis R came out on top! Incredible producer and great value for an entry level Champagne. As always, very educational tasting.

[@treyporter7611]

The cork catch was amazing. A replay on that would make a great short! Your results did not match my preconceived notions and I’m excited to give some of those a try. Awesome

[@ArnorroKid]

Konstantin out here doing champagne cork trick shots 🍾

[@Birdylockso]

Does it look like it was edited? I find it hard to believe that the falling cork/wire did not break the thin wall of the glass though.

[@bluejesper]

Totally agree with Pol Roger and Taittinger, my stablemates. Yes, the Moet is a surprise but I also read they have worked a lot to improve it, and it would appear that they have since you liked it. Veuve Cliquot, an offence to the pallete as usual 🙂. The Bolly is a shocker omg....

[@dublodave7860]

My 'go to' Champagnes are the Pol Roger (and Billecart-Salmon), the only issues I have had in over 40 years has been with Bollinger when 3 out of 6 bottles of their Grand-Annee I bought were corked. Very surprised at the Moet, I tend to find it quite 'green' in comparison to the Pol, maybe they have upped their game so will have to try a couple of bottles. Thanks for a great tasting.

[@andrewkerr9750]

The Louis is my favourite as well 😊

[@bonwatcher]

I am surprised KB was disappointed by Bollinger hearing he likes their Champagne. I guess this tasting shows how good Moët & Chandon does with their blending.

[@kapitelzweiwine]

Just an idea for an episode...how about a tour of your cellar? I've been watching hundreds of your videos in this cellar and I am curious : ) What is that marble sphere? The farmed artwork? And how about those bottles on the racks, what could they be? I can't be the only curious fan. : )

[@markcjohnson1977]

I really like the Bolly but I think it needs 5-8 years on its side. No surprise in the Veuve but I hear they are producing better wine with that bottle but, the results are the results. I haven't had the Roederer 242 but will look for it. Thanks for a nice overview of Grand Marques.

[@jasperdittmar8714]

Love the format. I would love to see something similar with other types of wine.

[@tommilind6099]

I've arranged two blind tastings of champagne. In both, Veuve Cliquot has finished last, losing even to "black horse" sparkling wines below 20€. Even their La Grand Dame lost out to bottles in the 50-60€ range despite costing nearly 200€ here in Finland.

[@marcelog.2916]

Lol...I would never expect the bolinger was the worse one....one of the most realiable NV cuves.....❤❤

[@0xMatt8302]

For me personally both their regular nv and the rosé lose against their competition because they are more pricey but don’t taste better

[@marcelog.2916]

@@0xMatt8302 wich one would you sugest instead of? Tnx

[@jkoller]

Fascinating tasting. We skew toward Pol Roger and Bollinger. I never really thought of it, but I buy the Bollinger prestige cuvées, and shy away from the NV brut. If possible, please follow this video up with a Presitge cuvée tasting. I would love to see the results. Cheers!

[@unbelievableproductions]

Champagnes & sparkling wines have become some of my favorite wines.

[@nickyes783]

Fascinating! You should repeat this in a year to see how they compare from another NV vintage (you know what I mean) and how consistent they are. With champagne being a higher price point than most consumer wine I also feel some bottles sit around on shelves a long time, which will inevitably affect the flavour. Think some days also our own tastebuds simple act differently - one day I want only want Pinot, another I want Cabernet! Veuve always used to be my go to Champagne but lately have also found it a little one note and sharp. Pol Roger is my new textbook NV. Had a bottle of the Roederer 241 fairly recently and enjoyed it, but less than Pol Roger - more fresh green fruit and less buttery/rich. Edit - interesting comparing back with your champagne bottle sizes review, where you found a clear different in the flavour of Moet based on bottle size. Again makes me wonder how consistent ‘non-vintage’ champagne really is year-by-year, and how one can really compare side by side wines of a same age given none of the champagnes have age statements on them.

[@georgeliapis47]

Great experience once again, thank you for sharing it! I was also very surprised to have a Moët recently and… it was very very good indeed, was expecting something much more commercial.

[@enthusiastic_amateur]

Not sure if Laurent-Perrier is considered grande marques but has generally done well for me in the past. Outside of the big houses, I quite enjoy Egly-Ouriet, Krug, Vilmart, Varnier-Fanniere & Delamotte

[@bugsygoo]

I have a question. Or maybe two. What happens to all the wine you open for each video? Do you have lots of friends you invite around for a drink? Can I be your friend?

[@red8884]

Spoiler alert... he isnt alone in the celler

[@bugsygoo]

@@red8884 He may well not be but I have seen no evidence to the contrary. Even if he's not alone, do you really think a small KZbin channel has a production team that drinks 6 bottles of wine in a single sitting? I don't think so.

[@red8884]

@@bugsygoo i'll drive

[@mullokh]

That's three questions.

[@seank997]

I have a friend that runs a wine shop and I’ve gotten Many late night calls to come over to try left overs from tastings Good friend to have

[@veroman007]

mind blown! THAT was a valuable test.

[@baggrabb]

Another wonderful concept, well executed. Except for the 2. Seriously, you and Leon have really hit a stride, wonderfully conceived and executed content. Keep it up!

[@gregg6173]

Love this presenation! We drink as much champagne as we can and 'Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve' is a 'go to' favorite. This presentation was very interesting and worthwhile. Thank you!

[@fabiocastagna6214]

Champagne available in supermarkets in Italy from 27 Eur up to max 45 Eur (on sales during Christmas/Eastern sales period), from favourite to less favourite: 1 Mumm Cordon Rouge (super easy to drink!) 2 Deutz (probably my best "complicated" wine) 3 Taittinger 4 Veuve Cliquot 5 Moet Chandon. Tried several others but I cannot rank them in the top 5.

[@visforvino]

Love this! I’m in your boat, Bollinger is my typical go to as well, so I’m shocked. And I’ll give Möet another shot. No surprise on the Roederer, they’re always solid!

[@jeffsmith7355]

Thanks for this excellent Blind Tasting. We really enjoy the Roederer series - 242, 243 and now 244. Not a bad value in the US for around $50usd. Seems like I should cellar some as I'm now into the 244's (based on the 2019 vintage). Have really enjoyed the Bollinger in the past but now at almost $70usd in the US we stick with the Roederer for our non vintage bubbles of choice.

[@jahanmiremami1441]

Bollinger has always been my favorite NV. I will have to recreate this tasting for myself. Would love to see a video either blind comparing the base or tete de cuvée from California houses (la reve from Domaine Carneros, J Schram from Schramsberg) vs comparable champagne

[@Jorendb89]

Really enjoyed this tasting and really surpricing results! For me the R de Ruinart Brut tops all of these, would have loved to see that in this line up!

[@Tennisisreallyfun]

Wowww!!! Based on the tasting notes, especially the apple notes, I expected the Bollinger to be the Louis Roederer (although not to switch places so to say as I think Louis Roederer is of fantastic quality). Interesting…

[@flippingoofed1318]

Perfect timing, Costco in US currently selling Piper Heidsieck for 19.97. Glad to be drinking along

[@fernandofreire4062]

This was a great teaching video. Well done!

[@ClaudioIrving]

Very fun, my favorite grand marques has historically been Laurent Perrier

[@alistaircorbishley5881]

Fantastic video, cool as a cucumber popping those corks and that catch on 6 😮 Pol Roger is one of my favourite NV Champagnes, but you really do have cellar it for a couple of years for it to show its full potential.

[@briand2614]

I’m a little surprised by the Bollinger too. Veuve? No surprise. Big marketing for sure. I toured Taittinger about 15 years ago, but to be honest I really don’t see it on shelves here in States and so forget it exists. Nice to see the Imperial have a good showing since it is not outrageously expensive.

[@robdielemans9189]

Didn't know the term Grand Marques, had to look it up and my favourite bottle of bubblies from those 24 (Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Canard-Duchêne, Deutz, Gosset, Charles Heidsieck, Heidsieck & Co Monopole, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Mercier, Moët & Chandon, GH Mumm, Joseph Perrier, Perrier-Jouët, Piper-Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Salon, Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot) when I was living in Paris was Deutz and still is. Veuve Cliquot is so, so, always a dissapointment at vernissages when that is their choice of plonk. Looking at this line up for me I would've guessed the Roederer scored the highest as well.

[@user-xr3ry9wu4y]

deutz is my favorite too

[@ajparsons66]

Splendid tasting and presentation Konstantin. It has become very fashionable in my opinion to be down on Moët in recent years - possibly because of its huge production levels and maybe due to snobbiness that many of us are guilty of on occasion. From your description of No.7, I was sure it was going to be unveiled as Lanson! The fact it was Bollinger was music to my ears! I have always felt I was missing out by 'not getting it'. I don't really have a favourite Grand Marque although six bottles of Deutz did turn up on my doorstep today!

[@ricknelsteel]

Yes, last few times I tried Veuve C it was poor enough, not what it was in the 80s when it was great wine.

[@itsmederek1]

I haven't really been a fan of Veuve recently, Roger and Roederer are my go to for big brand Champagne. Palmer & co is a steal though at a similar price point

[@BurtGordon-o2u]

I think you nailed it. I knew most from your impressions (Taittinger, grapefruit and zingy…Moet lemon and frothy/creamy…Veuve dull and peachy). Moët is always underrated. A crowd pleaser for a reason. Hard for the Bollinger to go last. It’s so different.

[@factfoundation6965]

My favorite entry level is Palmer brut reserve

[@liliyaboshnakova8924]

Thank you ! Where did you get your velvet bags Sir ?

[@MrStoyan5]

Like any other wine, vintages do matter alot even in the NV versions of Champagne.

[@laszlokovacs972]

Great content! Roederer is indeed a nice one!

[@MarkGibsonrmarkgibson]

Great tasting, my fave is Charles Heidsieck and I will give Moet another try.

[@hucksenteh8295]

The most enjoyable Champagne i had was Louis Roederer as well, i had their Carte blanche

[@juliusallin7140]

Veuve Clicquot N.V. becomes way better with aging. I have had Veuve Clicquot N.V. that was aged for 12-15 years (2010 as base vintage), which were so much more interesting, than the most recent releases.

[@viniciusmagnoni6492]

What about Laurent Perrier?

[@atamo4323]

Agreed on the Bollinger. Received a Bollinger as a gift. I was exciting about tasting a Bollinger but it turned out not special.

[@Insel_im_Meer]

I have found that in some regions there are sparkling wines under $50 that are on a par with vintage champagnes that cost 4 times as much.

[@robdielemans9189]

Find the flatter parts of Champagne where they grow Chardonnay. With climate change the ones on slopes have to harvest the grapes at an early time not giving the grape to grow to its full potential. On the flatter parts this grape can grow 1-2 months longer than on the slopes resulting in amazing blanc de blancs for under € 40 ,-.

[@jcbd9415]

which ones? just curious, might wanna pick up some to try!

[@patrickdemarcevol]

Have you tried Haton? My favourite, Extra brut being the best to my taste. Not too expensive (around 36€) , only available in wine shops, no supermarket stuff.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

No

[@patrickdemarcevol]

​@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWineLove the stern answer! Anyway, you should 😀

[@hampusknutsson6066]

I'm just waiting patiently for the day Konstantin opens a wine that's corked

[@Birdylockso]

Due to modern technology, the chance of a wine being corked is much lower than the previous decades.

[@CathyGautama]

May I ask what glasses you used to taste? Those look like tulip flutes ; is there a brand you would recommend?

[@melsialiaj]

Bollinger is my favorite one among these. Any chance the specific bottle might have been "faulty"?

[@searcherholic3473]

Ive always found Veuve ticks the boxes for biscuity slurpy fizz

[@dmedly8456]

Is it possible for you to do the equivalent video/tasting with Growers around a similar price point? I believe they would ‘smash’ the GMs on points!

[@Matt_Bykowski]

Great video, very interesting. For sure demonstrated the power of blind tastings. Thanks for sharing. No particular favorite champagne for me. Usually just budget sparkling California wine a few times a year.

[@anthonybechara86]

Quiet of a surprise as well!! 😂 Mine would be the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve of course 🥂🥂🍾🍾

[@dchevron77]

I'm a huge fan of billecart salmon! Probably have it once a month as a splurge and a vintage 2 to 3 times a year.

[@michaelmatthews5485]

Me too....but not once a month!

[@jimhayd7857]

Hey. Whatever happened to Moet White Star? I don’t see it anymore. It was priced below the Moet Brut

[@koensteeland9057]

Fascinating and honest ... very nice

[@jakopete1]

Great video! You saved me a lot of money! And congratulations with that "hole in one" !

[@dwithee8357]

Konstantin, thanks for a very enjoyable tasting to observe. I’m a fan of champagne, both grower and grand marque, and you easily could do this same tasting with another 5-7 different grand marques. Charles Heidsieck, Pierre Peters, and Bruno Paillard NV’s are personal faves in the $50-$60 price point, though the CH has had a meaningful price increase of late. I didn’t hear anything about dosage…..at what level do you generally prefer?

[@patfrat666]

That catch was awesome, my Man.

[@octo_contra]

@7:48 ah the miracles of fermentation

[@0xMatt8302]

Very interesting, definitely need to blind taste them as well because for now I have them ranked: 1. Pol Roger 2. Louis Roederer 3. Veuve 4. Moet 5. Taittinger 6. Bollinger Laurent Perrier and Perrier Jouet should probably also be included if we go mainstream Would also love to see it with their Rosé counterparts

[@cleigh113]

So fun! Loved it. Ive always enjoyed Gosset

[@johanasp3830]

Great video, more champagne please!!!

[@ast7204]

Hello Konstantin, just a general question: do you wash or rinse your Wine glasses in a special way? After getting mine out of the dish washer they often have some weird notes like egg white e.g. Maybe you have some general tipps & tricks for the perfect wine tasting setting ? Thx

[@andreasnordansjo5752]

Love this, great video again. My favourite is probably Mailly and Bruno Paillard (if they can be considered hallmark I dont know) but they are perfect every-day champagne according to me

[@stanleovart]

My favorite so far is : yours #1 Pol Roger Reserve, then G.H. Martel - Prestige Brut, then Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee 1785 Brut

[@lindqvistelias]

Loved the 242, but found the 241 to be bit more diluted. Surprised me as i think they’re trying to make them consistant across the ”NV vintages”

[@PeterRoselli]

We like Ployez-Jaquemart-Extra Brut Rose, price/performance unmatched at $55. Their Brut Extra Quality is at $40 a steal.

[@coolf3ndy]

Love this, hope to see part 2 😁

[@rickwezenaar]

great video, Konstantin 🙃 My favorite 'cheap' champagne is 'Pommery', but obviously there are better ones out there. Did you ever make a video about Amarone della Valpolicella ?

[@whitelightning2291]

What a fun video! Really cool comparisons, been looking for this kind of insight as I get more into sparkling 🥂

[@KhangTran-mr3zf]

Bollinger house style is so distinctive. It's one of those that should be easily identified in a blind line up.

[@andrewwebster15]

I’ve had great experiences with most of these. I typically love the Bolli.

[@vincenttam8642]

I really like Louis Roederer NV as well, my top 3 NV entry level champagne from the Grand Marques are probably Louis Roederer, Taittinger, Nicolas Feuillatte

[@Birdylockso]

My favorite would be Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, which in a blind tasting like this won me first place. I would easily agree that Moet is of high quality because they get to select the juice that goes into their brand. At any rate, I typically prefer to age my Champagne for an additional 2 or 3 years, even longer for bottles that could handle it. One bottle, Roederer Estate NV, (California sparkling), bottle aged for 11 years in my cellar came in #2 in a blind tasting against 10 bottles of mostly Champagne, (one Franciacorta and one Cava). People couldn't tell that it wasn't Champagne! It was a lot of fun.

[@ruaridhbakke1118]

How much do you think proper (or improper) storage of these wines affects tasting? I've found a lot of variation between bottles of the same brand and it can be a little frustrating to really enjoy a bottle only to then buy it again and be disappointed by it (I've had this with Bollinger and Veuve quite a lot) Perhaps some had more bottle age due to not selling as quickly, making them more delicious, or some had simply just been in bad storage conditions? Would love to know your thoughts on this!

[@stkjjke]

I'm curious: What about a blind tasting Champagne/Cremont/Cava/Sekt/Prosecco? Would you be able to put them in the right region?

[@tpings33]

Gonet-Medeville Brut Tradition is a wonderful wine at a very reasonable price.

[@Alfalfa_Male]

Just drank a bottle of Lous Roederer collection 243 and it was pretty damn delicious

[@shaunsandow2073]

Excellent topic - I love champagne and good fizzy in general but there’s too much to select from…generally choosing millésime seems to work, with many entry level fizzes being similar…favorite ok-priced is Pol Winston and quite like Heidsieck as a cheaper option…have never had crystale as it seems a bit wanky / xs marketing? Some great fizz coming out of the U.S., Schramsberg and Caraccioli are 2 good examples

[@juurviljasupp]

I'm disappointed Piper Heidsieck red label wasn't in the mix!!! That's my family's general Grand Marques go-to. I would have been curious how it sussed out.

[@swjmbj]

We only drink champagne on special occasions and when we do we like those with bread / yeast notes. For everyday drinking give me a French cremant, Spanish cava, Italian prosecco or our local Tasmanian sparklings made in the champagne style and Victorian King Valley Prosecco. So much choice!

[@joesantamaria5874]

Love Tassie wines, esp coal valley Pinots.

[@MDL-lw9my]

Fascinating! My house Champagne is Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve. I find it precise and chiseled and consistently great. Cheers 🥂

[@friedrichhartmann3539]

Ich liebe Pommery, die produzieren auch ein Blanc de Blanc Apanage Cuvée Darüber ein Video wäre mal toll!

[@larsio72]

Fantastic! Thank you!