Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Category Archives: Sparkling Dry
Windsor Blanc de Noir 2006
Windsor Vineyards, North Coast Champagne, Private Reserve Series, Blanc de Noir 2006 This is a dry and fruit-forward sparkling. Each sip has a vivid sense of blackberries, blueberries and more – nice. Produced and bottled in Lower Lake 12.5% $25 … Continue reading
Pierre Gimonnet Gastronome 2004
Pierre Gimonnet & Fils, Champagne, Premier Cru, Gastronome, Blanc de Blancs, Brut 2004 This wine is the epitome of green apples in a glass, bracing and wonderful. This profile is emblematic of the house style and the length is amazing. … Continue reading
Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Disgorged 2009
Egly-Ouriet, Champagne, Grand Cru, Brut Tradition nv The nose features biscuits and apples, apples that are fresh and those baked in an apple tart. In the mouth this bubbly is freshly fruity, embracing the taste of apples across the spectrum, … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Egly-Ouriet
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Roederer Estate Extra Dry
Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley, Estate Bottled, Extra Dry nv The nose displays stone fruits, apples and citrus with a little puff pastry. In the mouth you’ll find the essence of green apples and citrus with a balancing shot of sweetness. … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Roederer Estate
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Domaine Carneros Le Reve 2004
Domaine Carneros, Carneros, Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Le Reve 2004 As in the past, the nose exhibits the sweetest of fruits and flowers. In the mouth the theme continues with ripe stone fruits, a creamy texture and a dosage that … Continue reading
Scharffenberger Brut Rose
Scharffenberger, Mendocino County, Brut Rose, Sparkling Wine nv This is a sparkler that features lively fruit, vivid strawberries and raspberry punch, with an accent of floral notes. In the mouth the fruit carries on with a creamy character, a sense … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Scharffenberger
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Mollydooker Goose Bumps 2006
Mollydooker, South Australia, Goose Bumps, Sparkling Shiraz 2006 In the nose the oak makes a statement with sweet black fruit. The texture in the mouth is masterful, actually velvety displaying the flavors of blackberry, coffee and freshly-split oak. Proprietors Sarah … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, South Australia, Sparkling Dry, Syrah
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Prestige cuvee sparkling
Perrier-Jouet, Champagne, Cuvee Belle Epoque, Fleur de Champagne, Brut 2000 The cork was quite compacted and the bottle opened with hardly a whisper. The color is taking on a light golden hue. Yet in the nose it delivers the fresh … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Domaine Carneros, Perrier-Jouet
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Vintage California sparkling
Schramsberg, North Coast, Blanc de Blancs Brut 2006 There are very pretty floral notes in the nose, with fresh pears and apples and a bit of bread dough. In the mouth the fruit continues with some pastry richness and the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Green Valley, North Coast, Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sparkling Dry
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Mumm Napa Rose
Mumm Napa, Napa Valley, Brut Rose nv The house style is fruit-forward. A noticeable dosage amplifies the red fruit character with a complementary sweetness. The process is methode traditionnelle. P&B in Napa 12.5% purchased for $17.79 at Bottle Barn Mumm … Continue reading
Chandon Blanc de Noirs
Chandon, California, Blanc de Noirs nv This bubbly features cherries, both fresh and cooked, a little sweetness and a touch of bitterness. The grapes behind this wine are the classic black grapes from Champagne, viz., Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Chandon Brut
Domaine Chandon, California, Brut, Classic nv Unfortunately this wine was corked. The aromatics are dampened and the mouth is astringent. A sense of the dosage is the only element coming through. I was concerned when I removed the foil from … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Domaine Chandon
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Korbel Natural 2007
Korbel, Russian River Valley Champagne, Natural’ Méthode Champenoise 2007 In the nose you’ll find green apples and strawberries while in the mouth it is acidic, with a sense of apples that have been baked with brown sugar. 65% Pinot Noir, … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Korbel
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S. Coquillette Les Cles
S. Coquillette, Champagne, Grand Cru, Brut, Les Cles nv Give this some air to blow off the stinkiness then the complexity of baked apples emerges. In the mouth there is a soft profile, with lemony acidity and nice length. The … Continue reading
Pierre Morlet Champagne Grande Reserve
Pierre Morlet, Champagne, Premier Cru, Grande Reserve, Brut nv There’s a lovely biscuit character in the nose, graced with flowers. In the mouth there is lots of green apple and plenty of acidity in the elegant sparkler. The grapes behind … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Pommery Brut Royal
Pommery, Champagne, Brut Royal nv Sweet flowers greet the nose when you smell this wine, with citrus and candy. In the mouth you taste fresh fruit, with a complementary dosage, roundness and lingering candy – nice. The primary grapes behind … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Sparkling Dry
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Saint Esteve de Neri Blanc de Blancs
Chateau Saint Esteve de Neri, Blancs de Blancs, Methode Traditionnelle, Brut nv The nose features cooked stone fruits and orange marmelade. In the mouth there is a mix of caramel and baked peaches with a bit of bitterness. The estate … Continue reading
Cava
This flight features two methode traditionnelle sparklers from Spain. Parxet, Cava, Cuvee 21, Brut nv This Cava smells of herbs with a chemical note while in the mouth it tastes of green apples and there is quite an astringency – … Continue reading
Posted in Chardonnay, Macabeo, Parellada, Penedes, Spain, Sparkling Dry, Xarel.lo
Tagged Gramona, Parxet
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Domaine Carneros Le Reve 2002
Domaine Carneros, Carneros, Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Le Reve 2002 There is the typical sweetness to this wine with a smokiness and an uncharacteristic herbaceous note. The grapes are Chardonnay with the possibility of some Pinot Blanc and the wine … Continue reading
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 1998
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Champagne, La Grande Dame, Brut 1998 The nose features an evolving medley of dried fruits and nuttiness. In the mouth it is quite acidic, tasting of oranges and brown spices. The unfortunate thing about this particular bottle … Continue reading
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs up to date
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros, Methode Champenoise, Blanc de Noirs nv This is a newer bottling than that reviewed back in the fall of ’07, with a change of appellation from Sonoma County to Carneros. There’s a stinkiness that stuck with this … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry, Sparkling Lightly Sweet
Tagged Gloria Ferrer
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Allimant-Laugner Rose
Allimant-Laugner, Cremant d’Alsace, Rose nv There’s a light sense of fresh biscuits in the nose and tangy cherry fruit in the mouth with a lingering creaminess. This makes for a nice, clean, inexpensive alternative to Champagne when you would like … Continue reading
Posted in Alsace, Cremant d'Alsace, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut
Segura Viudas, Cava, Estate Brut, Aria nv Unfortunately this wine is displaying chemical notes and an astringent grip – not nice. This is traditional method sparkling, fermented in the bottle opened and produced in Torrelavit 11.5% $8.99 at Bottle Barn … Continue reading
Gloria Ferrer Brut
Gloria Ferrer, Sonoma County, Brut nv The nose is ripe with apples which carries through on the palate. There’s a healthy dosage that combines with the fruit to create a sweeter sensation than you’ll see with some of the other … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sparkling Dry
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Dom Perignon 2000
Dom Perignon, Champagne 2000 The nose shows fresh stone fruit with a sense of fresh peach tarts, still warm from the oven. In the mouth there is the characteristic acidity, a taste of green apples yet enhanced by a lingering … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Dom Perignon, Moet et Chandon
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Roederer L’Ermitage 2002
Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley, L’Ermitage, Brut 2002 The nose opens with fresh biscuits, citrus and stone fruits, also calling to mind a freshly baked fruit tart. In the mouth this wine is very concentrated and full of the flavor of … Continue reading
Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee 2002
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros, Vintage Reserve, Royal Cuvee, Brut 2002 Let this open up a bit and after 10 minutes the fruit will start to show. There are apples both red and green and refreshing acidity in this light-bodied sparkler. Tasted … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Schramsberg Mirabelle Rose
Schramsberg, North Coast, Mirabelle, Brut Rose nv There’s a red-fruited sweetness in the nose, reminiscent of the cherries jubilee that I used to whip up table side back in the day. In the mouth the fruity theme continues with moderate … Continue reading
Louis Roederer Brut Premier
Louis Roederer, Champagne, Brut Premier nv The nose smells of fresh bread, mushrooms and biscuits topped with cinnamon. In the mouth this highly acidic sparkling tastes of green apples and peaches and lasts for a long time. The grapes behind … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Louis Roederer
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