"du kan få vintage bdb speciel club enkeltmarks vine osv for halvdelen af hvad du ska ligge hos de store huse."
Special Club Vintage Champagne ligger vel typisk på 4-500kr, hvilket prismæssigt svarer sådan nogenlunde til, hvad man skal ofre for eksempelvis en (nyere) Pol Roger Vintage. Og helt ærligt så er det vist ikke alle Special Club, der er SÅ specielle, når det kommer til stykket? Til trods for at Special Club i følge egne kvalitetsstandarder "may only be made in outstanding vintage years", så kan der købes Special Club Vintage fra stort set alle årgange (2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 samt 2011). Til sammenligning er Pol Roger Brut Vintage i samme periode kun fremstillet og frigivet i de bedste år (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008).
"jeg vil nu holde på at gå til de mindre producenter når man er i den prisklasse"
Sådan er du selvfølgelig i din ret til at konkludere. Men overvej lige følgende udsagn/påstande fra Tim Halls artikel:
"Of the nearly 2,000 RMs, only roughly 150 are making truly high quality wine at present."
"Grower champagnes do not automatically taste of ‘terroir’. The concept of ‘terroir’ in wine is fragile and poorly established. Wines do not have ‘terroir’ just because the grapes come from a limited and identifiable vineyard area. Terroir is not conferred automatically by origin or intent before the wine is made; it must show tangibly in the taste of the wine. The wines must have a taste unique, characteristic and specific to that vineyard or district. But many commentators merely assert this in vague metaphors.
Certain villages or districts in Champagne do seem to have a taste profile but winemaking creates taste variables too. Many domaines do not make only ‘local brews’, but blend as well from quite widespread origins and these cuvées are often excellent and can show other aspects of ‘terroir’. Champagne has always shown great savoir-faire and excellence by blending across vintages, districts and varieties. This does not invalidate high quality. A champagne can still be poor quality, poorly made, even if its grapes come from a limited place. Mediocre winemaking obscures terroir. Great wine making is as much a condition of expressing terroir as the terroir itself."
"Domaine or single estate (old term ‘grower’) champagne should not be virtuously counterposed to the big branded champagne houses’ wines. Most of the houses, at least within their range, can make fabulous wines. They have great experience and expertise, possess great cellars and reserve wines and can source wines for many stunning blends and possess the stocks for good aging. The jibe that houses merely make ‘house styles’ ignores the fact most domaine (‘grower’) champagnes also show the signature of the producer clearly and consistently as at least one aspect of their identity. Predictable, easy-drinking and crowd-pleaser champagne is as much made by many ‘growers’ as it is by many houses.
Just to be clear, on balance, the average quality of the big houses’ champagnes is at present higher than the majority of so-called ‘grower’ champagne. A champagne does not score brownie points just because it is ‘grower’. Nor does a wine from a big house. It is the taste profile of the final wine in both cases that is the arbiter of quality. And ‘growers’ benefit enormously from the international prestige of the Champagne appellation; they flourish under its umbrella just as the houses bask in the interest, ‘buzz’ and diversity of domaine champagne."
http://www.scalawine.com/wpblog/2014/06/12/ten-things-i-believe-about-grower-champagne/