Congratulations, if you were participating in a “dry January” you survived! Now, pop open something delicious to celebrate your success. If you were like me, that just opted to enjoy getting through a crazy 2020, you deserve the same pop, as we can all be thankful that the past year is over…and we survived the crazy month that started off our year. Fingers crossed the rest of 2021 will be peaceful and filled with flavorful deliciousness. To start that deliciousness, enjoy one of the best. When Benedictine monk, Dom Pérignon declared “I am tasting stars” upon creating the first Champagne, he wasn’t the first to make a sparkler, but his process clearly set the standard, changing the face of wine, and sparkling wine forever. (It has never been completely clear if the monk actually made the statement either, but he does get the credit, and the bubbles are extraordinary.)

The 2006 vintage Dom Perignon Brut Champagne ($200) came from a good, although inconsistent vintage with a hot early summer, slightly rainy late summer, evening out before harvest to ensure the fruit was both ripe and maintained freshness. Racy and rich at the same time, with floral, fruit-forward, herbaceous aromas on the open, leading to marzipan, brioche, mandarin, crushed stone, and a touch of briny salinity. Lengthy, and layered, with a tropical note on the finish of dried pineapple, mango, candied ginger, and toasted almond. #Cheers