Thank you for the story on Veuve Clicquot. I had no idea. I'm a big wine fan, and have been since before I was of age! My parents trained me well!
If you're interested in more about the Mdme Leota event you can click
here. I was lucky enough to attend and just posted about it a couple days ago.
The whole Chardonnay experience sounds neat. I agree with you on the oaky Chards of times past. I didnt want to feel like I was chewing my wine, so I started switching to Sauvignon Blancs, Chenin Blanc, Sancerres, and Vouvrays.