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SPIRITS The 2004 Moët & Chandon Champagne and 1998 Dom Pérignon Rosé make excellent vintage picks. It Was a Very Good Year iMPRESS YOUR GUESTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH VINTAGE CHAMPAGNES. BY VICTORIA ABBOTT RICCARDI PHOTOGRAPHY BY SETH OLENICK Y ou can count on adding glamour to any occasion by popping open a bottle of Champagne, which by French law must be crafted in France's Champagne wine region. To add even more glitz, go for a vintage Champagne cultivated from the best grapes from a particular year when the Champagne house deemed the fruit especially superb. Take the Grand Cuvée Moët & Chandon 2004, for example. Pale gold with streams of teeny bubbles rising to the surface, this Champagne bears a sleek crispness and delicate flavors of roasted nuts, toast, vanilla, and marzipan, a result of the near-even blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes. Perhaps the best place to indulge in vintage Champagne is Blantyre in nearby Lenox, which has a staggeringly impressive selection of vintage bottles, magnums, and jeroboams (the ultimate party pick for a special group). Wine Director Christelle Cotar oversees the cellar brimming with multiple Krug offerings, including the 1995 Krug Clos d'Ambonnay, Blanc de Noirs, and other rare delights like the 1995 and 1998 Moët & Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé and the 1996 Salon Cuvée "S" Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs. RumBa's Champagne bar in the InterContinental offers a small group of vintage offerings, including the 1996 Moët & Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé and the 1999 Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut Millesime. The Reserve, a Champagne lounge at the Langham, boasts some vintage bottles, too, such as the 1999 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne and the 1990 Krug Clos du Mesnil. And if you want to savor vintage Champagne with a standout meal, head to L'Espalier, whose list includes a 1999 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut and the 1996 Bruno Paillard, N.P.U. Nec Plus Ultra, Brut. BC BUY LOCAL To taste the Grand Cuvée Moët & Chandon 2004, simply stop by your favorite wine store to purchase or special order it. Here are two excellent places to buy your bubbles: Brix Wine Shop, 1284 Washington St.; 105 Broad St.; 617-542-2749; brixwineshop.com Marty's Fine Wines, 675 Washington St., 617-332-1230; martysfinewine.com 94 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 094_BC_ST_Spirits_Holiday_13.indd 94 11/4/13 10:23 AM