Champagne - wine of romance

The gift of wine is often perplexing. Otherwise-calm, cool, collected decision-makers break into a cold sweat over the selection of a bottle of wine for a friend. Should it be red? Should it be white? Should it be bold and powerful, or silky and sensuous? There is one day of the year, however, that requires minimal deliberation over the choice of a wine. On Valentine`s Day, it`s gotta be the bubbles.

No one knows with certainty the first time a smitten suitor arrived at the doorstep of his or her amour with a bottle of Champagne, but the specifics aren`t important. Champagne is unchallenged as the wine of romance. It`s the bubbles. They are festive, first and foremost. And the perception of luxury and sophistication is unequaled by any other type of wine.

The traditional type of Champagne to give at Valentine`s Day is rose, for obvious reasons. The color scheme notwithstanding, a rose Champagne or sparkling wine is a better fit with a box of chocolates, although many purists cringe at the thought of a glass of decent Champagne with candy. The subtle cherry and berry nuances associated with rose Champagne really do work nicely with chocolate - in small doses. For rose Champagne is not sweet, although it is often mistaken for such. It generally isn`t paired with a dessert course. More to the point, rose Champagne is an exceptionally versatile food wine that has the power and complexity to complement a main course, should a lavish dinner be in the Valentine`s Day plan.

I recently attended a six-course Champagne dinner in which the most exciting pairing was Moet & Chandon Vintage Rose 1995 ($50) with squab and foie gras. The wine held its own despite the richness and complexity of the course. A small number of non-vintage rose Champagnes can be every bit as pleasing as the vintage offerings, though it should be noted that 1995 was an exceptional year in Champagne, perhaps the equal of the great 1990 vintage.

Two can`t-miss non-vintage selections are Laurent-Perrier Brut Rose ($40) and Pommery Brut Rose ($45). The Laurent-Perrier is a particularly stunning wine that never fails to win converts to the rose style. A domestic sparkling wine worthy of attention at Valentine`s Day is the Mumm Cuvee Napa Blanc de Noirs ($18). This wine is exceptional for its genre (blanc de noirs is largely a California style) and was voted best sparkling wine at the Monterey Wine Competition.

WINE FINDS

The most outstanding wines are rated Exceptional. Wines that earn high marks for complexity, balance and flavor are rated Very Good. Wines that represent excellent quality for the price are rated Good Value. Note that wines rated Good Value are evaluated against the standard for their price category, not each other.

Exceptional:

Stags` Leap 1999 Viognier, Napa Valley ($25), shows winemaker Robert Brittan at his very best. Brittan`s passion for the wines of the Rhone Valley is legendary. His strength has always appeared to be the red wines of the Rhone, particularly the blends. But he`s always produced a small amount of viognier, the fabled white wine of Condrieu. California viognier has a tendency to be slightly fatter and flabbier than those produced in France. Brittan solved that by blending chardonnay into his viognier for structure and balance. The result is a smashing success, a wine that is rich and mouth-coating, yet balanced and elegant. Aromatic, complex, beautiful.

Arrowood 1998 Reserve Speciale Chardonnay, Sonoma County ($40), is one of the finer examples of California chardonnay when it is handled with care. Yes, it`s creamy and decadently rich, but this wine is well balanced, too. Beneath the layers of exotic flavors and aromas, there is a good backbone of acidity that will ensure that the wine improves over the next few years in the cellar.

Very Good:

Casa Lapostolle 1999 Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay, Chile ($20), shows the tremendous potential of the Casablanca Valley - one of Chile`s coolest wine-growing climates - for the Burgundian grape varieties. This vintage was outstanding throughout Chile and produced wines of power and finesse.

Casa Lapostolle`s Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay is beautifully balanced, full and luscious in the mouth and very elegant. Ripe pear and tropical fruit aromas dominate, with a gentle hint of vanilla and spice in the background.

Edmunds St. John 1998 Wylie-Fenaughty Syrah, El Dorado County ($22), just might transport the avid Francophile back to the Rhone Valley or Provence, where this earthy, spicy style of wine is the rule rather than the exception. There is a mineral, brambly berry character to this wine that is most appealing.

Good Value:

Santa Julia 2000 Torrontes, Argentina ($7), utterly charms with its spicy floral nose of jasmine and white blossoms. This is a quaffer by all means, refreshing and pleasing and priced to consume by the case. If you`re looking for a dependable house wine, this could be the wine for you. A dry wine that will work exceptionally well with spicy cuisine.

Chateau de Nages 1998 Costieres de Nimes, France ($8), is remarkably good for the price, but is typical of the high quality and value of many of the wines from this part of the South of France, near the Languedoc.

SPIRIT OF THE WEEK:

Domecq "Venerable" Sherry ($79.99) was produced from a solera started in 1902. This rare fortified wine from the Pedro Ximenez grape is pure decadence on the palate - dark, smooth and complex. Concentrated aromas of roasted coffee and chocolate with background notes of spice and sweet dried fruits. Chances are good that any time this wine is served it will no doubt be the finest wine at the table. It will certainly be the main topic of conversation.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Temperature is everything in fine wine. A white wine too cold doesn`t reach its aroma potential, and a red wine too warm is too often flat and bitter. Don`t put that chardonnay in an ice bucket directly from the fridge. Let it warm at the table to room temperature before serving. But, if that cabernet from the closet is a bit on the warm side in the summer months, don`t hesitate to put it on ice for 15 to 20 minutes and bring the temp down several degrees.

HOT LINK:

www.wineupdate.com

Visit Robert Whitley online at www.whitleyonwine.com or send e-mail to him at whitonwine@aol.com.

(c) Copley News Service

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Author: Robert Whitley