by Ray Johnson | Jul 16, 2008 | California, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Moscato d'Asti, Piemonte, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry, Sparkling sweet
La Morandina, Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2007 The ’07 is just as vibrantly fresh and full of orange blossoms as the previous vintage. There’s lots of residual sugar and the light body and freshness that you expect in Moscato d’Asti. P&B in...
by Ray Johnson | May 16, 2008 | Anderson Valley, California, Champagne, France, Mendocino County, Sparkling Dry
We’ve looked at different styles of brut sparkling before. This flight illustrates some more contrast in what this word can mean. Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley, Estate Bottled, Brut nv This wine is consistently the personification of green apples – lip...
by Ray Johnson | May 15, 2008 | Blanc de Noirs, Burgundy, California, Carneros, Cava, Champagne, Chardonnay, Cremant de Bourgogne, France, Napa Valley, Penedes, Pinot Noir, Rose, Sonoma County, Spain, Sparkling Dry
Tonight we taste 8 different bubblies on the pink side, from Spain, north to Burgundy and Champagne and finally back home to California. Codorniu Cava Pinot Noir Brut nv Earthy and coarse – a real disappointment. All Pinot Noir fermented in the bottle tasted, as...
by Ray Johnson | Mar 6, 2008 | California, Champagne, France, Mendocino County, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Sparkling Dry
Brut and Natural are words that we use to describe the final dosage or sweetness level of sparkling wine. In France, Natural, Brut Nature or any of the various proprietary names communicating the same, ranges from 0 to 6 g/l. Brut, the next level of increasing...
by Ray Johnson | Nov 20, 2007 | Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Bollinger, Champagne, Special Cuvee Brut nv This wine is typically quite complex with earthy notes that are not always embraced by those who favor more fruit-forward styles of sparkling. While I’m a fan of fruit too, I love the multitude of flavors in this wine....
