Jacques Lassaigne’s Champagne Blancs de Blancs Le Cotet. Lassaigne is a new producer for me, although I’ve heard the name thrown about before as grower worth seeking out. Three of his wines turned up at Chambers Street Wines this week, and I started at the top. Le Cotet is gorgeous Champagne, featuring a ripe but crisp Chardonnay fruit profile, floral notes, and a chalky backbone. Not inexpensive (around $70) but very highly recommended.

A mini-Champagne report on a few delicious wines I’ve enjoyed in the last week or so.

The Vilmart 2002 Coeur de Cuvee (pictured) is one of the finest Champagnes I’ve tasted in the last year. It’s 80% Chardonnay, and it drinks like great white Burgundy—tropical fruit, perfume, and just a hint of toast—with fine bubbles. It’s pricy ($150) but worth every penny for a celebration.

I tasted Prevost’s La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines (NV) twice and it’s quickly becoming a favorite. The recent bottlings (2008 and 2009) are even better than previous years’ efforts, showing plenty of fruit and perfume on top of good structure. This too is not cheap at $85, but like the Vilmart is well worth it.

Finally, Andre Clouet Brut Nature Silver (NV) is always a favorite at a more reasonable price point ($45). It’s pinot dominated and very different than the above but it is very likable for it’s pure fruit expression.

Jacques Selosse Champagne Initial for New Years Eve, 2011. One of my favorite wines and a wonderful Blanc de Blancs. Part of the snack food on hand was bags of chips made from mixed miniature potatoes from Mountain Sweet Berry Farm. These guys grow some amazing potatoes that are perfect when roasted and served along side a really good steak. Over the weekend they were sampling there own potato chips at the Union Square Market and I’ve never been one to resist a good potato chip.

Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Brut Grand Cru. I first posted about Ledru Champagne back in April, and it has since become one of my favorite producers. I love that it’s a lovely little old lady making fantastic Champagne, disgorging every bottle by herself (here’s a great blog post about Ledru). But mostly, I love the wines. In this photo on the left is the flagship wine that I posted about before (~$57) and the “basic” bottling, the Champagne Brut Grand Cru (~$45). These aren’t cheap wines, but if you compare them to others at the same price, they seem like a steal. The Brut is a perfect balance of crisp, green apples and toasty brioche like flavors. The Cuvée du Goulté is more of everything with the addition of some earthy and orange peel flavors. I highly recommend  buying whichever you can find. Or both!

Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Cuvée du Goulté Grand Cru 2006. This is a wine to find and buy; it’s easily one of the best under $100 Champagnes I’ve ever had. I hadn’t even heard of Ledru until it was recommended to me at Chambers Street Wines this weekend. Here’s a great blog post about Marie-Noëlle Ledru and her Champagnes.

Lobster and truffle grilled cheese sandwiches. I recently wrote about the lobster and truffle grilled cheese at Pamplemousse Grille in San Diego and promised a home version. Well, here they are… We used more lobster and butter poached it, because, well, all lobster is better butter poached. Unfortunately, the truffles we had access to weren’t nearly up to the quality of those used by Pamplemousse. We shaved an entire black Oregon truffle onto these sandwiches so that there was a full layer on each, but the flavor still wasn’t there. Next time, we need better truffles, or to add a truffled cheese or other source of flavor. Still a fantastic appetizer, just a bit different. Here’s how we did it:

Start with two 1.25-1.5lbs lobsters and butter poach them per Thomas Keller’s method (or just steam them, particularly if you want less butter). Butter one side of 8 slices of sandwich bread with the crusts cut off. Layer four pieces of bread (buttered side down) with 1/8 inch thick slices of cheese. We liked Comté best, but I bet a number of good cheeses work here. If you’re truffles are weak, you might want to go with an Italian truffled cheese. Next, shave truffles on each piece to taste. If you don’t have access to truffles, try the afore mentioned truffle cheese plus a drizzle of truffle oil, or even use truffle butter in place of regular for the sandwiches. Finally, add a layer of cheese, then cover with bread, butter side up. With the bottom of a skillet, flatten the sandwich firmly. Repeat for the remaining sandwiches. In a skillet over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of butter then add two of the sandwiches. Cook to golden brown on each side, then transfer to a 250 degree oven and repeat for the second batch. If the second batch comes out of the pan with the cheese not yet melted, transfer them to the oven as well until to melt. That’s it. Cut into triangles and serve, preferably with a good Champagne like this 2000 Bollinger Grande Année which is a gorgeous wine and great match for this dish.

Larmandier-Bernier’s Rosé de Saignée is probably the most intense, rich, and deeply colored pink Champagne I’ve had. Sure, the bottle is frosted, but that color is pretty much what you get in the glass. It’s like drinking light-bodied Burgundy with bubbles. Fun and delicious wine.

The previously mentioned Kunik from Nettle Meadow Farm. Not much more to say about this, other than it’s a delicious cheese that goes really well with a nice, complex Champagne. In the background is Larmandier-Bernier’s Extra Brut Grand Cru Cramant Vieilles Vignes from 2005, a really nice grower bottling.

Happy 2011! A little late to post this, but Dom Perignon 2002 was my Champagne for New Year’s Eve 2010. This is a stunning wine—tropical, floral, brightly acidic and crisp, yet still somehow creamy and luxurious as is to be expected from DP. This wine should age incredibly well, and I would consider myself lucky if I could drink a bottle of this each of the next 20 New Year’s Eves. Side note, my wine-related New Year’s resolution is to start gathering more vintage Champagne for aging.