Christen 2004 with the real stuff

If you want to celebrate the new year with the real thing -- champagne from France -- it will not be cheap.

Most French champagnes will start in the $30 range and quickly move $40 and higher. Fine champagne will cost much more, but this column is about finding value in the lower price range. That can be done if you shop and taste carefully.

While some U.S. bubbly wines will call their sparkling wine champagne, most wine makers say true champagne can only come from that region in France.

I asked the wine-tasting group to compare wines from the Champagne region. Here is what we found:

- NV Delbeck Brut at $39.99. This wine had a pretty gold color. Because the fruit was forward (your first, dominant impression), the wine gave the impression that it could be sweet. We tasted green apples, almonds and pear. It had a clean taste, with a toasty finish that had a hint of minerals.

- NV Taittinger "La Francaise" Brut at $39.99. What a nice bubbly! In the nose, we found lots of butter with yeast and toast. In the mouth, it was more complex than the others, with a much bigger impression and more going on. It had good acids, with a nice tartness on the finish, making it go well with many foods. This sparkling rated first in our tasting.

- NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Premier Cru at $31.99. This wine had the lightest color of the five. It had a minty, herbaceous nose with suggestions of minerals, lime and lemon. It had a light texture, with little fruit. It was tart on the end.

- NV Veuve Cliquot Brut at $44.99. This bubbly had a traditional yeasty nose but it also included the flint and mineral flavor of French champagne. It had a clean palate, like the Taittinger, but not as much fruit.

- NV Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut at $39.99. The bubbly had a yeasty aroma with hints of honey and citrus fruit. With a medium-to-full body, it was easy to drink and refreshing but not overwhelming.

Surfing the wine shelves

- 2001 Conte della Vipera Umbria IGT at $22. This sauvignon blanc with a slight amount of chardonnay was made in Italy. It tasted of citrus, herbs and honey. The chardonnay softened the tartness of the sauvignon blanc.

- 2000 Bell Cabernet Sauvignon at $35. This wine had an aroma of black fruit and vanilla. In the mouth, it was soft and supple -- drinkable now. The finish was long.

- 2002 Kenwood Sonoma Chardonnay at $15. The aroma offered tropical fruit and Granny Smith apples. Vanilla from the oaking showed on the palate, and the finish was tart.

- 2000 Banfi Tavernelle at $41. This cabernet sauvignon had a complex aroma of black fruit, black currants and tobacco. In the mouth, it had a creamy texture, drinkable now with beef.

- 2001 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay at $16. The aroma was full of green apples and tropical fruit. The vanilla and oak emerged on the palate in a creamy texture.

- 2001 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay at $20. This was a good value at this price, offering peaches, pear and spice the aroma. The texture was creamy, and the oaking punctuated a nice finish.

- 2001 Chateau Souverain Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel at $18. Black raspberry and black cherry aromas lifted from the glass. In the mouth, the wine tasted of jammy fruit, pepper and spices.

- 2000 Chimney Rock Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon at $45.99. Black fruit and oaking dominated the aroma. Black cherries and currants showed on the palate in a soft texture with mild tannins. This wine was softer and easier to drink than in previous vintages.

- 2000 Chimney Rock Elevage at $67.99. This Bordeaux-style blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petite verdot had an aroma of black fruit and vanilla from the oaking. It had a luscious full flavor and body.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor