The Ann Arbor Wine Review  Under $25  $25 to $60  $60 and Over  Champagne Club

1999 Barnaut Grand Cru - Bouzy $60 ✯✯✯✯ Quality + Value Big. Excellent quality. Best bottle of Barnaut yet. A sure sign that grower (Récoltant Manipulant) Champagnes have indeed arrived. Ageable and more than worthy of your cellar, this vintage Barnaut continued to impress me right to the end of the bottle. Vintage Grand Crus from small producers now compete with any big name champagne house--don't just reach for the names you recognize! If you are unfamiliar with the farmer champagne revolution, read the complete argument in support, (by Terry Theise) in the Skurnik Wine catalog from 2006. @Village Corner (S. University and Forest) and Elie's (Main St., Royal Oak) (Both VC and Elie's carry a nice selection of small producer champagnes! If we buy them, and support the farmer-producers, we will continue to have the best available to us here in Ann Arbor!) 2005 Vieux Télégraphe Chateaunneuf du Pape $65 ✯✯✯✯ Quality = Value This is a really great bottle--even for Vieux Telegraphe. The definition of "jammy" fruit, rich, quite broad middle, long finish with sweet tannin, this wine is quite deserving of much longer aging. You would be smart to grab 6 bottles for the cellar. If you are going to drink this wine tonight, decant it for at least an hour, maybe 2. SOLD THROUGH @ Morgan & York (Packard south of Stadium) but also in the cage @ Village Corner (S University and Forest) and the new PLUM MARKET for $70 (Maple north of Jackson)