André Jacquart Blanc de Blancs Brut Experience Champagne Premier Cru NV
A multifaceted sparkler, and frankly a stunning value, André Jacquart’s Blanc de Blancs Brut Experience Champagne Premier Cru is aged five years sur pointe and composed of 60% Chardonnay from Vertus vinified in stainless steel, and 40% Grand Cru Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Chardonnay vinified in neutral Burgundy oak barrels. Comice pear, apple, and persimmon lie beneath […]
Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Champagne Blanc de Blancs NV
An elegant Blanc de Blancs from Champagne Barons de Rothschild, this non-vintage Brut is a blend of 40% reserve wine and chardonnay harvested from the Avize, Cramant, Menil-Sur-Oger, Oger, and Vertus Crus. Aromas of baked apple, biscuit, blanched almond, and powdered ginger are held aloft on a fine mousse. On the palate, it’s crisp and […]
Côté Mas St. Hilaire Crémant de Limoux Brut NV
Aged sur point for twelve months, the Côté Mas Brut St. Hilaire is a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, 10% Pinot Noir, and 10% Mauzac crafted from vines planted in clay and limestone soils at elevations between 820 and 920 feet. In the glass, it’s the color of onion skin and is generously […]
André Jacquart Rosé de Saignée Experience Brut Nature Premier Cru NV
Carmine red in the glass, the André Jacquart Rosé de Saignée Experience Brut Nature NV Premier Cru is comprised of estate-grown fruit from the Doyard family’s 60-acre farm maintained under France’s strict sustainable “culture raisonnee” guidelines. It’s a vivacious blend of 80% Pinot Noir from a small parcel located within the Vertus Premier Cru and […]
Altemasi Trento Brut NV
A genial sparkling chardonnay from the Trentodoc, the Altemasi Méthodo Classico Brut has an aromatic profile yellow apples and pears, white flowers, and lemon curd. It’s crisp on the palate, with brisk, cascading bubbles and linear acidity. Lemon pith and wet shell at the close. 12.5% ABV | Sample Altemasi 88 Points
Bodegas As Laxas Albariño Brut Sensum Laxas 2016
A rare sparkling Albariño from Rías Baixas, the 2016 Sensum Laxas offers up billowy aromas of freshly milled flour, green apple, d’Anjou pear, and pea shoot. It’s medium-bodied with lively bubbles and piercing acidity that begins as lemon pith, gently fanning out across the palate as it dissolves into sea foam and mineral inflections. 12.5% […]
J. de Telmont Cuvée Sans Soufre Ajouté Brut NV
A rarity in the Champagne world, J. de Telmont’s Cuvée Sans Soufre Ajouté Brut is crafted from biodynamically-grown grapes and is made entirely without the addition of sulfur—a practice that makes this former vintner a tad nervous. This bottle made its way back from Reims in my suitcase and weathered the trip well—and offers up […]
Onward Pétillant Naturel Malvasia Bianca Capp-Inn Ranch 2017
One of my favorite wines sampled at the My Wine Society – Feast it Forward Grand Opening, Onward’s 2017 Pétillant Naturel Malvasia Bianca is a slightly hazy shade of sunbleached straw, with a nebulous, delicate mousse as one might expect. Lemon biscuit, d’Anjou pear, yellow apple, honeysuckle, and jasmine gives way to a vein of […]
Gramona Cava III Lustros Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2011
Very pleased to taste this exquisite biodynamic Cava from Gramona after having visited the winery last year. Pale straw, the 2011 III Lustros Brut Nature is a blend of 75% Xarel·lo and 25% Macabeu. Seven years en tirage has graced it with a degree of depth that’s hard to find in most wines from this […]
Prosper Maufoux Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé NV
A lively, cheerful bead set against a vibrant background—the sort of orangey-pink one finds in a sunset—sets the stage for this ebullient Crémant de Bourgogne from Prosper Maufoux. Aromas of peach, candied orange peel, crème fraiche, and hazelnut spread grace the nose. On the palate, limestone-etched acidity gives lift to more tender notes of peach […]