Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut 2012
The color of onion skin, Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut 2012 unfurls at a leisurely pace. Smoky, autolytic notes rise above decadently layered aromas of dried fruit, molasses, baked apple, forest honey, and almond skins. As fine, cascading bubbles dart to and fro, springing forth from a core that is softly textured and […]
Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut NV
Umberto Bortolotti’s exquisite line of Proseccos, their non-vintage Valdobbiadene Brut is the sweetest of the line, all have feature attractive creaminess at the core and a mousse that is notably finer than most Proseccos I’ve tasted. It opens with a garland of white flowers, acacia honey and honeydew melon. Here, the creaminess is upfront, gradually […]
Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole Valdobbiadene 2016
Umberto Bortolotti’s stylish 2016 Rive Di S. Stefano Montagnole Valdobbiadene qualifies as one of the best Proseccos I’ve had in recent memory. Aromas of fresh Williams pear, green apple, and white grapefruit pith are held aloft by ultra-fine, diaphanous bubbles. At 2 g/l residual sugar, it feels perceptibly dry and crisp. Calcium-rich marl limestone soils […]
Cantine Umberto Bortolotti Piai Alto Valdobbiadene Rive Di Rolle 2016
From a single 2.65 ha parcel on the steep slopes of the Rive DOCG, the 2016 Umberto Bortolotti Piai Alto Valdobbiadene Rive Di Rolle is awash with delicate, tender aromas of acacia flowers, acacia honey, that swirl ’round white peach and Asian pear. It’s round and creamy upfront, with a delicate honeyed character that can […]
Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé NV
The season of lights continues with this mercurial Cremant d’Alsace from Lucien Albrecht. Glinting copper and rose gold in the glass, it’s an expressive wine, trimmed with apricot and quince, red berries and spice—notes that rise and tumble through an alluvion of cascading bubbles. In the mouth, this 100% Alsatian Pinot Noir is fresh and […]
Dopff & Irion Crémant d’Alsace Rosé Brut NV
A luminous salmon-hued sparker, Dopff & Irion’s Brut Rosé is composed of 100% Pinot Noir and opens with a cascade of lively bubbles that give rise to a chorus of citrus, raspberry, alpine strawberry, and spice notes. Nice energy on the palate, with acidity that ebbs and flows as it darts through clean layers pink […]
Camille Braun Crémant d’Alsace Brut NV
Really loving this year’s crop Crémant d’Alsace sparklers, including this honey-hued biodynamic blend of 60% Auxerrois and 40% Pinot blanc from Camille Braun. It’s expansive on the nose, expressing baked apple and poached pear along with a heady topnote of shortbread, brioche, and earth. In the mouth, there’s weight, but there’s nice palate tension, too—a […]
La Marca Prosecco NV
La Marca Prosecco is a tasteful addition to any holiday table. A torrent of clinquant bubbles adds sparkle and elan to delicate aromas of yellow apple, lemon, white flowers, and acacia honey. This is a spritely, medium-bodied Prosecco graced with bright acidity, creamy texture, and a welcome burst of subtle minerality twining a pleasant bittersweet […]
Vietti Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta 2015
An affordable holiday bubbly—Vietti’s 2015 Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta has a classic profile for the varietal. Lovely notes of baked apple and poached pear lie well beneath granulated honey, star gazer lilly and chamomile. At 5% ABV, it’s quaffable and charming. — August 11, 2017 I have a weakness for Vietti’s Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta, the 2015 […]
Mistinguett Cava Brut Nature NV
Another winery visited on a recent press trip to Catalunya, Mistinguett is one of the larger Cava producers in the region, turning out values like this Brut Nature. The arrow of their marketing is squarely aimed at youth and celebration, indeed, it was hard to glean anything about the technical aspects of this wine since […]