Domaine Chandon NV Reserve Pinot Noir Brut – Very fresh and complex on the nose with complex notes of dried citrus zest, chalk, smoke, mineral and slightly balsamic tones. In the mouth this medium weight wine shows a certain sense of restraint but offers up layers of dried orchard fruits and exotic spice top notes, with toast and toasted nut accents. With good length on the finish and nice persistence to the fruit flavors. 90pts
Iron Horse NV Wedding Cuvee – Very yeasty on the nose with bright citrus tones and with complex hints of almost salty mineral tones, caramel, and a crisp, slightly vegetal note that recalls earthy jicama. In the mouth this is very crisp with a slight vegetal edge to the intense flavors. Rather light and elegant with solid length 90pts.
Schramsberg NV Blanc de Blanc – Yeasty and fresh on the nose with a hint of Pina Colada that appears on the tropically fruited palate. Nicely integrated but obviously yeasty notes compliments the yellow-fruited palate which offers up a touch of creaminess and leads to a nice finish. 89pts
Mumm Napa NV Brut Prestige – Very nice nose with a touch of chalk, some funghi notes, hints of torrone candy, and sandy soil top note. On the palate this is very fresh though the dosage is a bit on the high side accentuating the sweetness of the fruit, which is fantastically ripe, luscious and delicious. 89pts
Delamotte NV Brut – Floral, honey, almond and lemon on the nose with a touch of peach and raspberry. Mousse is a bit rough but the wine has lovely creamy notes across the palate with bright strawberry tops, golden raspberry and apple fruit. The finish is minerally and reveals a touch of toast and caramel. 89pts
2002 Gruet Blanc de Blanc - This has a lovely nose of lime and lemon cream with hints of sweet nutty oxidation and fading spices. In the mouth is quite bright with citrus fruits and grapefruit pith notes balanced by a nicely yeasty,slightly toasty doughy note. The finish is almost bracing with a nice mineral finale. 89pts
Schramsberg NV Brut Rose – Powdery on the nose with an assertive floral element that suggests roses, and rich fruit tones that recall red currants and red grapefruit. In the mouth this is airy and a bit sweet, with notes of powdered sugar and vanilla framing the yellow cherry fruit. The sweetness helps drive the finish which remains fairly firm with supporting acids and finishes on notes of red apple skins. 89pts
Langlois NV Rose – Gentle tones of strawberries and flowers great the nose with nice chalky mineral background tones. In the mouth this is lovely, crisp and bright, delivering a huge mouthful of creamy strawberry fruit that leads to a dusty, crisp, refreshing finish. 88pts
Parigot Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blanc – Chalk, mint, and hazelnut oil all combine on the deft and defined nose. In the mouth this is cool and crisp with a layered mid-palate that has soft fruit backed up with lemon oil and mint tones that roll onto the moderately long finish. 88pts
2004 Iron Horse Blanc de Blanc - Mineral on the nose with notes of dried fruits, dried dates, and apply fruit. In the mouth this is lovely and strong with a core of apple and citrus fruits married to a medium bodied wine with a superfine mousse. 88pts
Comments
r
Germany is the largest consumer of sparklers in the world. 500 million of the 2 billion bottles produced world wide are consumed in Germany. The Germans love imported sparklers but also their own, which is called Sekt. There are about a dozen or so large Sekt Estates that do tank fermentation, a large number of small Sekt Estates that use the methode champenoise and many producers of still wine who also have a couple of Sekts in their wine portfolio. The latter are always produced in the methode champenoise.
Cheers.
Christian G.E. Schiller
Dec 23, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Good pointer to Sekt, Christian. A couple of decades ago I used to drink a lot of it, but for no real reason I can think of (other than the fact that there's so much good wine out there to sample these days), I don't think I've had even a single bottle this decade. Back when I was drinking it I did like it better than any Cava I'd yet tried, and better than most Proseccos. Any producers you particularly recommend nowadays?
Regarding US sparkling, Greg, there are a lot of producers doing at least as well as Gruet, IMHO, though his efforts, especially in that location-less-trodden, do warrant recognition. You can find mention of several in this Snooth forum thread:
http://www.snooth.com/talk/topic/go...
Also, there's a lot of *very* good sparkling labeled as Vin Mousseux in French environs, from the Loire, through Beaujolais and Jura, to even (yes) the Piedmont, and just about every other winegrowing region across that country (and even its neighbors!)...
Dec 23, 2009 at 3:01 PM
My hat's off to you, Greg, for your tasting of so many bottles. Did you do this all in one sitting (or standing)?
Dec 23, 2009 at 3:09 PM
Dont know if you guys get any Australian Bubbles over there but if you get a chance grab a bottle of Arras by Hardy's. It is a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir blend fom Tasmanian fruit. Aged on lees for 3 years or so then 1 year on cork, as Winemaker Ed Carr believes that fine sparkling wines benifit from cork aging. I have seen this wine with varying times under cork and you can certainly see huge differences even after 6 months.This adds to the overall discussions on the use of cork for all wines???
Dec 23, 2009 at 7:40 PM
I suppose that one can "blind taste" wine and judge it's quality? I happen to think that great wine is a value judgement. And for the price (less than $10.00 per bottle) you can't beat Korbel. It is made with the true "Methode Champenoise" right on the Russian River. I like the "extra dry" better than the "brut". The "Organic Brut" in second best.
Strangely thier 'Blanc de Blanc", which is the best of the best in every Champaigne house in Europe (don't be taken in by all the "blending" hype - that is only designed to produce an average consistent wine year after year reguardless of how bad the vintage is for export - the owners only drink "Blanc de Blanc" to the extent that many French Champaigne Houses reserve the Blanc de Blanc for "family use".
For $10.00 or less, available in most grocery stores, and most wine shops, Korbel Extra Dry can not be beat up to $100.00 making it the best buy.
Dec 23, 2009 at 7:41 PM
J Sparkling wine from Healdsburg, CA is fab. You've got to try it!
Dec 24, 2009 at 12:18 AM
I recently looked for Champagne for my son's wedding and did a tasting of Taittainger Domaine Carneros and Roderer Estate Alexander valley. Both were very disappointing as we thought they were too tart and bubbly. As regular drinkers of Cava, I have to say we were disappointed and ended up getting French Moet Brut Imperial. While it was more money, it was a crowd pleaser for the party. We were not disappointed.
In California offerings, I found a vintage Gloria Ferrer (2004 perhaps) earlier this year at Costco which I found particularly pleasant without sharp edges and showing off some fine bubbles. That was below the $19 mark. One word: "Outstanding" or "Runs circles around many french Champagnes".
In Down Under offerings, I had the chance of enjoying Lindauer Brut at a wedding and have since then bought several bottles (under $8) which I find very pleasant.
All I have to say is that contrary to an other posting that extols the virtues of Korbel, I find that there is much better value in Cavas which sport a broad selection of clean and crisp wines that will not break the bank (many are in the $5-$10 range).
Needless to say, we have many opportunities to cheer up the holiday table.
Dec 24, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Warner
I would like to mention an English sparkling wine, yes, I can "hear" the raised eyebrows already...! Let's not forget that global warming has meant that areas which previously produced no wine are now able to do so, and the southern counties of England now fall into this category.
Think of the White Cliffs of Dover - yes, chalk soil - the same as Champagne and now with a similar climate. Have look out for Chapel Down from Tenterden Vineyard. I took a few bottles to some friends in France recently; initially they were sceptical, but amazed when they tasted it.
Beautifully balanced, with plenty of crisp apple like flavours; it matches many a genuine Champagne that I have tried.
I had better see if it is listed here anywhere.
Dec 24, 2009 at 1:30 PM
James
Charles
You should see a number of British sparkling wines on the site. In particular, I visited and reviewed several earlier this year. Specifically, Camel Valley Winery in Cornwall, where they make some great wines:
- http://www.snooth.com/articles/comm...
- http://www.snooth.com/articles/wine...
Dec 26, 2009 at 9:28 PM
hayward
For me the best Down under offering by some margin is Pelorus - made by Cloudy Bay - the NV gets 2 years bottle age , the base wine a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir gets a subtle touch of oak for real weight and interest , creamy palate, complex flavours - very classy fizz -and no I'm not a fan of their Sauvignon Blanc ! presentation is very good too - I use it regularly when teaching (wine that is) and it never fails to win fans - not cheap but very good value .
Dec 29, 2009 at 5:12 AM
If my wife doesn't "like" the crispness of a sparkling wine what can I suggest for her in a sparkling wine that may be a more silky, smooth berry finish?
Thanks,
Padre
Dec 31, 2009 at 12:05 PM
I have searched many markets for sparkling and found the main attribute for Champagne is the reputation and subsequent cost- but others match or outdo- Blanquette or Crement de Limoux preceeded the discovery of Champagne and is every bit as good
Look for Domain Giraud,- from Alsace - Crement d'Alsace from Klingenfus, but the crown Jewel, and I match against any Champagne is Valdivieso of Chile- The Blanc de Blanc or Brut- this house has been making Methode Champenoise since 1850 and have mastered the art- and at under $15.00 you cannot do any better- try a bling tasting against Krug or Dom Perignon and be convinced- Happy 2010
Hugh
Jan 04, 2010 at 4:23 PM
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