Moving Past Veuve: Initiate Me

My wife and I have started to drink more champagne. It started out as a way for my wife to drink something when I was having beer, but I’m starting to like it a lot too. We’ve been buying 6-packs of assorted NV bottles from the grocery store, and have been liking Roederer (we’ve visited there too), Mumm, but haven’t found anything we like (for ~$45) as much as Veuve Clicquot. We went to a wine maker dinner for Morlet and loved their family’s French champagne, but I assume that bottle was out of my regular price range. I’m really just starting out my exploration of champagne and excited to find out what else is out there in the $30-60 that is as good (or my assumption much better) than Veuve? My wife likes the crisp apple tasting note in Veuve for reference.

great topic. I have been wanting to ask something similar for a long time, with the exact same price range. something about champagne house names intimidates the hell out of me.

Gonet Medeville Tradition Brut
Chartogne-Tallet Cuvee St Anne
RL Legras BDB Grand Cru
Paul Bara NV Grand Cru
Vouette Et Sorbee Fidele
Marie Courtin Resonance

There are a lot of interesting finds and depending on your willingness to try new wines, and further define what you like it can be a really great Journey. Here are a few that I’ve really enjoyed and thought to be under valued:

Vilmart: Try any of them at a price range you’re comfortable with. I think a little step up can be worth it but starting with their base offering is still a good call.
Pierre Peters BdB: for about $50 it’s a great example of a Blanc de Blanc for the money
Pierre Moncuit: NV Champagne Cuvée Hugues de Coulmet Blanc de Blancs Brut ($34.99 at Envoyer) is another more affordable BdB that I think is a value.
Charles Heidsieck: NV Brut Reserve is another house to check out and around the same price

Vilmart Grand Reserve is a great choice. Chartogne-Taillet St Anne…same thing. Mousse Fils l’Extra Or d’Eugene is another. And, Larmandier-Bernier Longitude, too. Marie Courtin Resonance (I’m starting to sound like Michael but he and I see this alike) is also excellent.

As a side note…I had a 2014 Vilmart Grand Cellier d’Or a few weeks ago and that had a banging core of fresh cut green apple, although that is going to break your price limit but I wanted too still comment as it matched your flavor marker.

Of the more widely available stuff, Bollinger Special Cuvee might be my top suggestion. Other big house NV champagne that we have enjoyed and are pretty widely available and might offer some of that crisp apple that you seek:
Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve
Louis Roederer Brut Premier
Laurent Perrier Brut “La Cuvee”
Taitinger Brut "La Francaise

Curious what you like about Veuve? I can’t stand it. Moet all day for me at the price point.

NV Delamotte. I can crush this stuff all day.

Michael made good suggestions, I’d also recommend Bereche Brut Reserve, Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de Montgueux Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, and Moussé l’Or d’Eugène Blanc de Noirs Brut, as well as the less expensive wines from another Veuve, Fourny, who makes a wide variety. You’ll find that almost all of these are much drier than Clicquot, and maybe that isn’t your style? I find Clicquot far too sweet and without as much acid as I crave, and I prefer to support smaller growers as opposed to big houses, so that’s where my recommendations come from.

If your wife likes the apple notes, I’d skip most of the aforementioned BDB recommendations and go for blends or Pinot dominant examples. Camille Saves and Bara (as mentioned) will give that characteristic.

The hated Veuve Clicquot, poster child for despised big house champagne. What else do you like?

Bollinger Special Cuvée is a good step up

If you’re talking champagne, I like the French Mumm brand and Moet in addition to the ones I named in the OP. For still wine, my favorite is pinot noir. I love most Sonoma pinot houses (Morlet, Williams Selyem, Gary Farrell, Peay, Scherrer, etc.) and a few “Central Coast” producers (Arcadian, Sea Smoke, etc.). I prefer “bigger” styles - I’m young and I won’t apologize for it!

We have been enjoying Pierre Gerbais Grains de Celles Extra Brut for sub $40.

Agapart Fil 7 Cru

Savart L’Accomplie, and L’Overture

Try Bollinger and Charles Heidsieck NV before you jump into a bunch of grower fizz.

Growers are great, but based on your current lineup, may be a bit premature.

Crisp apple? Bouzy Pinot. The Paul Bara NV recommendation is right on the money. I also get that flavor in spades from the Remy Massin 08 millesime that Envoyer has had for a while, that was a killer QPR at the initial price. I think there’s a newer vintage out too that would be worth checking out. Previously recommended Vilmart Grand Reserve and Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee St Anne are good recommendations.

For my palate in this price range, I do best with Larmandier Bernier Longitude, Pierre Peters NV BdB reserve, Bollinger Special Cuvee, and Hebrart Reserve/selection. My wife and I actually love Veuve’s rose when we can get it under $60, but I would probably go to any of the above before that. I think you’ll find LB and PP to be a cleaner and purer expression of Champagne than Veuve.

Congrats on making the shift from beer to Champagne by the way. I did the same a couple years ago and have never looked back.

I like the recommendation to seek out grower champagnes. One way to simplify that search is to find champagnes distributed by Skurnik. Their name will be on the back label. Not fool proof, but I have found it helpful.

Larmendier Bernier… Hands down amazing.

Where do you intend to do you wine shopping?

While I like many of the champagnes listed above, I am concerned that they won’t be to your taste (much too dry) if you like yellow label Veuve, which has 9g/l in dosage.