Saturday Night - Do you remember… - Part 1

… the 21st night of September? Thought I’d kick off this Blog article with some upbeat Earth, Wind and Fire lyrics. OK, our Mick and Amy Saturday night dinner was actually last night which was the 29^th of September but at least I got the month right.

 

It has been a busy month for all of us as Mick and Amy have been spending a lot of the month either at the hospital for Amy’s Dad (who is doing better) and/or the vet due to their new kitten breaking its leg (who is also doing better). Kathy has been down and out with a back injury for the last couple of weeks. This is why the Blog has been a touch quiet this month. Last night’s dinner was very much a last minute type of deal, so we kept it simple and just ordered in Sushi. I also picked up a Dairy Queen Ice Cream cake for dessert, my thinking was if the night didn’t happen, the cake was frozen and would keep until next weekend or whenever we happened to next get together.

The great thing about Sushi is that means it’s Champagne time as they pair well together. I had two Champagnes that had been chilling in the fridge for months and I was looking for an excuse to crack them. The first was a Moët and Chandon Champagne who also produce a Champagne called Dom Pérignon which you may have heard of. The Moët and Chandon is about a third of the price of Dom. The second Champagne was a Pol Roger Reserve which was also $60 a bottle, so with both them being at the same price point it makes for a good comparison.

 

I will start with the Moët and Chandon and review the Pol Roger in part 2.

The colour to the Moët and Chandon was a pale yellow with a green tint to it. Nosing the wine, you’ll find roses, citrus, yeast and a touch of peach lurking in the background. Tasting the wine is a real treat; light, crisp and refreshing with a bit of creaminess to take the edge off the dryness. Flavours of lime and vanilla run the length of this wine. Very nicely balanced; it was almost too dry but doesn’t cross the line in being too sharp/harsh. On its own this Champagne was stellar but with the sushi, it became lost and couldn’t stand up to all the different flavours. Mick said that he wouldn’t use with this food but on a nice day on back deck, this wine would be one you could easily kill a bottle or two without even trying.

 

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick –92, Mark - 90, Kathy – 89, Amy – 90, Overall – 90.25.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

 

MOET & CHANDON BRUT IMPERIAL

LCBO 453084

750 mL bottle

Price: $ 60.65

Made in: Region Not Specified, France

By: Moet & Chandon S.A.

Style: Medium-bodied & Flavourful

Wine, Champagne

12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Varietal: Sparkling (Champagne)

Sugar Content: 13 g/L

Tasting Note -Straw/gold colour with with a greenish tinge and a fine mousse; forward floral, mineral, toasty, brioche, and yeasty aromas; dry with citrus, delicate bread dough and apple flavours; light creamy mouthfeel with crisp citrus acidity and a clean finish.

Serving Suggestion - Apéritif; shellfish especially oysters; creamy cheese; seafood; quiche.

The 90.25 rating puts this up in the Top Ten Sparkling, etc. group which is where it should be. I like the Roederer better as it is a bit bigger and works better with food but I will be grabbing another bottle of the Moët and Chandon as it will be nice change of pace in the future.

 

Click here for Part 2