And last year when we were writing our Champagne Day post, we also found October 19th was a day it was celebrated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, in true Bubbly Side of Life fashion, we\u2019re going to celebrate all week long because there is ALWAYS a reason to celebrate as you well know! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know it\u2019s my mission to share with you accessible and affordable sparkling wines that you can enjoy any time for any occasion. And Tannins did an amazing job gathering 4 bottles of champagne that meet that criteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tannins Wine Bar<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe partnered with Tannins Wine Bar in Elmhurst, IL<\/a><\/strong> to do this Champagne Day tasting. The owners of Tannins hand-picked these 4 bottles of champagne specifically for this tasting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Tannins](\"https:\/\/bubblysideoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/IMG_4460-2-2-1024x981.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAnd this is one of the things I love about Tannins\u2026they know wine and they know bubbly! If you\u2019re looking for a bottle for a celebration, go visit them! They\u2019ll help you select the perfect one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here was our champagne line-up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Champagne Henriot Brut Ros\u00e9<\/li>
- Taittinger Brut La Fracaise<\/li>
- Champagne Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut<\/li>
- Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Keep on reading to see which bottle was our favorite (and if we agreed on one) and our thoughts on each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Champagne Day Tasting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFirst up, Champagne Henriot Brut Ros\u00e9<\/strong> and it was the only ros\u00e9 we tasted. And it was quite good. In fact, if you\u2019re looking for a good brut ros\u00e9 champagne for the warmer months or a beach vacation, make sure to save this one. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThis brut ros\u00e9 is 40% chardonnay, 50% pinot noir and 10% pinot meunier. We tasted strawberry, red fruits and raspberry. It was the perfect fruity, well-balanced ros\u00e9 that you can enjoy on its own on the perfect summer day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle retails at $70.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Celebrating](\"https:\/\/bubblysideoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG_4466-2-489x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNext, we tasted Taittinger Brut La Fracaise <\/strong>which is a blend of chardonnay (40%), pinot noir and pinot meunier. This bottle ages on its lees (dead yeast cells which from the 2nd fermentation) for almost 4 years. And if you have ever gone bubbly tasting with me, you know this is a question I ask all the time and typically I enjoy a sparkling wine that sits on its lees for a long period of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe bubbles on this bottle are crazy good! It was so bubbly, which you know I love. The tiny, continuous bubbles in this bottle will not disappoint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This brut La Francaise is very creamy with hints of vanilla and flavors of fresh fruit and honey and would definitely pair well with a cheese plate and can easily stand alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle retails at $55 and you can often find it on sale for under $50 making it a more affordable champagne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Champagne](\"https:\/\/bubblysideoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG_4468-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMoving on we\u2019re tasting the champagne with our favorite story, Champagne Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe name Canard Duchene comes from barrel maker Victor Canard and winemaker L\u00e9onie Duch\u00eane who met in 1860 and fell in love. 8 years after they met, they created their first champagne. Canard-Duch\u00eane is still family run to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can we take a moment here and appreciate the fact that in the 1800s, L\u00e9onie Duch\u00eane was a successful female winemaker! Kind of unheard of during that time. Cheers to that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle of brut is 40% pinot noir, 40% pinot meunier and 20% chardonnay and you definitely taste the pinot noir. Definitely fruit forward pairing well with light dishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can find this bottle for under $40, so it\u2019s definitely a good one to celebrate Champagne Day with (or any occasion for that matter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/bubblysideoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG_4475-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nLast up for the Champagne Day tasting is Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAs we popped this bottle we were commenting on how none of the previous bottles had a strong brioche taste to them and then we took a sip. And compared to the others, we could really taste the brioche on this one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a special cuv\u00e9e meaning it\u2019s a blend of wines from various vintages. This bottle is 60% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay and 15% pinot meunier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You definitely taste the pinot noir with flavors of black cherry and currant and I already mentioned that we could definitely taste the brioche on this one. You could easily pair this with a charcuterie board or do as we did, enjoy it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle retails at $80 and you can find it on sale for $70. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/bubblysideoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG_4476-733x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhich Champagne Was Our Favorite?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter tasting all 4 of these champagnes (multiple times), we ranked our favorites. Now, we did leave out the ros\u00e9 in our ranking because it was the only ros\u00e9 we tasted. So, comparing the other 3 brut champagnes, my favorite was Taittinger Brut La Fracaise, followed by Champagne Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut and then Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve been around a while, you know that I always invite others to taste with me because we all have different tastes and I love to hear everyone\u2019s thoughts and opinions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, Kimi was with me for this tasting and while we always can find a bottle of bubbly to share, we almost always have different favorites when doing a tasting like this. And this one was no different. Kimi\u2019s favorite was Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage followed by Taittinger Brut La Fracaise and then Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now it\u2019s fair to say we did enjoy all of these for different reasons, so you can\u2019t go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which champagne is your favorite? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWant more?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs I mentioned, we celebrated Champagne Day all week long last year as well. And we had some champagne experts tell us all about their favorites. Take a look at The Best Champagne You Want to POP to Celebrate<\/a><\/strong> blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAnd this is one of the things I love about Tannins\u2026they know wine and they know bubbly! If you\u2019re looking for a bottle for a celebration, go visit them! They\u2019ll help you select the perfect one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here was our champagne line-up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Champagne Henriot Brut Ros\u00e9<\/li>
- Taittinger Brut La Fracaise<\/li>
- Champagne Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut<\/li>
- Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Keep on reading to see which bottle was our favorite (and if we agreed on one) and our thoughts on each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\nChampagne Day Tasting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
First up, Champagne Henriot Brut Ros\u00e9<\/strong> and it was the only ros\u00e9 we tasted. And it was quite good. In fact, if you\u2019re looking for a good brut ros\u00e9 champagne for the warmer months or a beach vacation, make sure to save this one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This brut ros\u00e9 is 40% chardonnay, 50% pinot noir and 10% pinot meunier. We tasted strawberry, red fruits and raspberry. It was the perfect fruity, well-balanced ros\u00e9 that you can enjoy on its own on the perfect summer day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle retails at $70.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNext, we tasted Taittinger Brut La Fracaise <\/strong>which is a blend of chardonnay (40%), pinot noir and pinot meunier. This bottle ages on its lees (dead yeast cells which from the 2nd fermentation) for almost 4 years. And if you have ever gone bubbly tasting with me, you know this is a question I ask all the time and typically I enjoy a sparkling wine that sits on its lees for a long period of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bubbles on this bottle are crazy good! It was so bubbly, which you know I love. The tiny, continuous bubbles in this bottle will not disappoint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This brut La Francaise is very creamy with hints of vanilla and flavors of fresh fruit and honey and would definitely pair well with a cheese plate and can easily stand alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle retails at $55 and you can often find it on sale for under $50 making it a more affordable champagne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMoving on we\u2019re tasting the champagne with our favorite story, Champagne Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The name Canard Duchene comes from barrel maker Victor Canard and winemaker L\u00e9onie Duch\u00eane who met in 1860 and fell in love. 8 years after they met, they created their first champagne. Canard-Duch\u00eane is still family run to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can we take a moment here and appreciate the fact that in the 1800s, L\u00e9onie Duch\u00eane was a successful female winemaker! Kind of unheard of during that time. Cheers to that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle of brut is 40% pinot noir, 40% pinot meunier and 20% chardonnay and you definitely taste the pinot noir. Definitely fruit forward pairing well with light dishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can find this bottle for under $40, so it\u2019s definitely a good one to celebrate Champagne Day with (or any occasion for that matter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nLast up for the Champagne Day tasting is Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we popped this bottle we were commenting on how none of the previous bottles had a strong brioche taste to them and then we took a sip. And compared to the others, we could really taste the brioche on this one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a special cuv\u00e9e meaning it\u2019s a blend of wines from various vintages. This bottle is 60% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay and 15% pinot meunier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You definitely taste the pinot noir with flavors of black cherry and currant and I already mentioned that we could definitely taste the brioche on this one. You could easily pair this with a charcuterie board or do as we did, enjoy it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This bottle retails at $80 and you can find it on sale for $70. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhich Champagne Was Our Favorite?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
After tasting all 4 of these champagnes (multiple times), we ranked our favorites. Now, we did leave out the ros\u00e9 in our ranking because it was the only ros\u00e9 we tasted. So, comparing the other 3 brut champagnes, my favorite was Taittinger Brut La Fracaise, followed by Champagne Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut and then Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve been around a while, you know that I always invite others to taste with me because we all have different tastes and I love to hear everyone\u2019s thoughts and opinions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, Kimi was with me for this tasting and while we always can find a bottle of bubbly to share, we almost always have different favorites when doing a tasting like this. And this one was no different. Kimi\u2019s favorite was Champagne Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e Non-Vintage followed by Taittinger Brut La Fracaise and then Canard-Duch\u00eane Brut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now it\u2019s fair to say we did enjoy all of these for different reasons, so you can\u2019t go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which champagne is your favorite? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Want more?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As I mentioned, we celebrated Champagne Day all week long last year as well. And we had some champagne experts tell us all about their favorites. Take a look at The Best Champagne You Want to POP to Celebrate<\/a><\/strong> blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/bubblysideoflife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Champagne-Tasting-Standard-Pins-683x1024.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"