THE CHAMPAGNE CONNOISSEUR
THE CHAMPAGNE CONNOISSEUR
by James Little , The Riveria . Hillbark .
James Little , Restaurant Manager at Riviera Restaurant , Hillbark Hotel talks all things Champagne as the hotel bubbles with enthusiasm for all things Valentines !
The sound of a champagne cork popping is one of the finer sounds in life and at this time of the year , there ’ s no better excuse than to celebrate with the fine selection here at Hillbark Hotel .
From the most expensive in Merseyside to one of the oldest , there ’ s certainly a story behind them all .
One special bottle in particular , a 1988 Krug Clos du Mesnil Champagne from France is priced at over £ 2,000 … so you know you ’ re in for a special night ! Everything about the wine is sensational from start to finish . Bright citrus emerges from the intense , chiseled Champagne and the texture is fantastically rich with the finest of bubbles . This is surprisingly , quite a popular wine , especially by Champagne and Wine connoisseurs .
A few years ago , our past Sommelier was asked some advice onto which bottle of Champagne they should move onto next . They were drinking a 1990 Don Ruinart Champagne , priced at £ 240 but wanted something very special . He recommended the 1988 bottle and they went for it - an upsell of over £ 2,000 . Its needless to say , but they thoroughly enjoyed their Champagne !
Hillbark holds another pretty special wine which has a fantastic history . Heidsieck & Co Dry Monopole , 1941
bottle of Champagne priced at £ 400 and was developed during the war and actually hidden from the Nazis . Soldiers during this time in WWII sent home items such as these bottle as souvenirs to family back home . The Hillbark wine cellar has a number of these bottles however , due to the age , a lot of the labels aren ' t in very good condition .
To drink this particular champagne , I would recommend getting together 6 or so friends as you will need to drink this pretty quickly , preferably within 5 mins before the oxidation process ruins the wine . The first minute the bottle is opened , the champagne will be perfect but every minute after that it will become worse .
Here ’ s some other recommendations for Champagne ’ s that won ’ t break the bank , here ’ s a couple of our favourites for you to fall head over heels in love with !
Ayala Rose Majeur MV £ 55 Perfect with our Riviera confit duck . The acidity from the champagne cleans the palette from the oils of the duck
Moet et Chandon Cuvee Dom Perignon Epernay 2004 £ 170 A special vintage that has a great body to it and works really well with our more earthy and gamey dishes like Venison Carpaccio or some of our small dishes such as the marinated small peppers or marinated beetroots .
All available from The Hillbark Hotel , Royden Park .
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