WTN: Dr. Phil comes to dinner (bubbles!)

[Jenise]

With smoked trout and leek crostini:

NV Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve Brut Champagne Blend
Vintage base 2019, disgorged July 2023. LOVED this. Pretty golden color. Rich but not cloying, creamy but not soft, substantial but elegant. For $37 (lower than typical retail), a STEAL and the best champagne value I've had in a long time.

With French Onion soup finished with cream and espresso (no crouton, no cheese):

2022 Jax Vineyards Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley
One of those California-esque chardonnays you can instantly spot in a blind tasting. Ripe fruit leaning toward tropical with malic notes and some toasty oak in the background. Not my favorite thing but in fact all of that made it an uncommonly good match for the soup.

With a deconstructed cassoulet:

2010 Mas de Boislauzon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend
Not full of rocks (sediment) like the last bottle opened, and nicely mature, but over-the-top flavors from 15.4% alcohol. HOWEVER, a teaspoon or two of ice water added to each glass freshened the wine and made it a better-than-fair accompaniament to the food.

[David M. Bueker]

Love the sound of that Philipponnat.

[Jenise]

David, I've been scrounging thru my records trying to figure out who I bought this from because at that price, I WANT MORE. I fell for a previous bottling of this back in 2014 when I was hospitalized in L.A. with a very serious infection. Unfortunate friends were stuck with me for almost eight weeks before it was safe to travel home. To repay the hospitality, I bought a lot of wine. This was one we found locally and fell in love with, playfully naming it "Dr. Phil". Went thru a case there (our hosts were major champagne fans) and brought another home. I remember paying $45 for it. When an offer for this more recent bottling fell into my inbox at an even lower price, I pounced on three bottles even though I'm technically not buying. And, at $37??? Crazy price. Should have bought a case.

[David M. Bueker]

That sounds like an Envoyer or Last Bubbles level deal.

[Jenise]

Probably the latter. $50 at JJ Buckley is the lowest price I've found today.

SOunds great. I haven't had the Philipponnat Royal Reserve in ages (and good deal- looks like I paid $32 in 2011).

Good to see the Boislauzon. I have a few bottles of the 2007 - a risky vintage to buy but IIRC it got some good reviews. Time to open a bottle!