There’s no better way to celebrate the Holidays and the beginning of a New Year than sharing sparkling wine or Champagne with friends. Over the past year, we’ve tasted excellent sparklers from Champagne, California, Italy, Spain and South Africa. Reviews of our favorites are given below.
French Champagne
Founded in Aÿ over 150 years ago, Ayala was purchased by the Bollinger Group in 2005. Hadrien Mouflard became head of Ayala in 2012, and Julian Gout is the current cellarmaster. Champagne Bollinger has 180 ha of vines, 85% of which are Grand and Premier Cru. Bollinger vinifies its best crus in oak barrels. Denis Bruner is Chef de Cave. The US importer of both Ayala and Bollinger is Vintus.
Ayala 2018 A 18 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 93 Sourced predominantly from Grand Cru vineyards, this all Chardonnay Champagne opens with fragrant scents of incisive citrus, toasted grain, and dried flowers. It’s fresh and pure in the mouth with with nuanced flavors and a sense of overall finesse. The finish is tight and mineral. It’s a blend of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. 12% alc. Ayala 2014 No 14 Rosé Grands Crus ($125) 94 This is an elegant rosé Champagne sourced from 5 Grands Crus vineyards. Red berries and clementines show on the rich, fresh and balanced palate with gentle tannins. A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir fermented in stainless steel and aged 6 years on the lees. Dosage 5.3 g/L 12% alc.
Bollinger 2015 La Grand Année Brut 96 An unusually dry growing season resulted in low yields and small berries harvested later than usual to ensure ripeness. The result is a bold wine dramatic in intensity and breadth. The bouquet reveals citrus, pear, spice and brioche and a texturally rich, dense palate. A special Champagne that can be cellared for many years. A 60/40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fermented in oak barrels with 8 g/L dosage. Disgorged May 2023. 12.5% alc.
Bruno Paillard started out as a broker in Reims in 1975 and today owns 32 ha of mostly Grand Cru vineyards as well as one of Champagne’s best houses. The Premiere Cuvée tasted here is their flagship wine, accounting for about 60% of total production. As noted, it’s a very good value in Champagne. Importer: Massanois
Bruno Paillard NV Première Cuvée Extra Brut ($70) 93 Beautifully fresh and vibrant on the nose with lively aromas of Meyer lemon, quince and pear. The palate is similarly vibrant and bright thanks in part to the low dosage with delineated fruit and a mineral component. Delicious and well-priced. A blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, and 22% Meunier; 20% fermented in oak, 32% perpetual reserve started in 1985. Disgorged September 2022. Dosage 5.5 g/L. 12% alc.
Henriot is one of Champagne’s older houses, founded in 1808. Today it has 30 hectares of its own vineyards and works with growers farming another 65 hectares. In 1990 the domaine began its Réserve Perpétuelle, an all Chardonnay, all Grands Crus reserve that’s used in all the non-vintage cuvées. The Henriot Champagnes offer a consistently rich, creamy, full-flavored style. Alice Tétienne was named cellar master in 2020 replacing Laurent Fresnet who made the Champagnes reviewed here. Henriot is widely distributed in the US. Importer: Jackson Family
Henriot 2012 Millesimé Brut Champagne ($100) 94 The Millesimé Brut shows a complex bouquet of citrus, raw almond, and freshly baked pastry. The attack is full and creamy, and the palate is generous yet energetic with beautifully integrated acidity. Very flavorful with an opulent texture and a lingering finish. Perfect for celebrating the New Year! 54% Chardonnay and 46% Pinot Noir and <6 g/L dosage. Henriot 2018 L’Inttendue Chardonnay Grand Cru 95 The L’Inttendue blanc de blancs exhibits aromas of orchard and stone fruits complemented by Meyer lemon on the nose. On the palate, it’s bursting with personality with textural finesse and lovely mid-palate depth. Finishes with lingering mineral notes. All Chardonnay sourced from Chouilly in the Côte de Blancs with 4 years sur latte; dosage 2 g/L. 12% alc. Henriot NV Blanc de Blancs ($75) 93 Opens with a fragrant bouquet of lemon pith, baked bread and spice. Fresh and focused on the dry palate, it reveals overall finesse and refinement. Based on the 2017 vintage, includes 30+% reserve wines and aged 4 years sur latte. Dosage <6g/L. 12% alc.
Established in 1776, the House of Louis Roederer is one of Champagne’s most illustrious family-owned estates. The talented and personable Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon is the Chef de Caves. He gave us a lesson on blending on one of our visits to Champagne. Cristal is one of France’s finest and best-known Champagnes, but all of Louis Roederer’s Champagnes are first class. Importer: Maisons, Marques & Domaines
Louis Roederer 2015 Cristal Brut Champagne ($370) 98 This iconic Champagne is expensive but worth it, especially for that very special person. It opens with a complex, ethereal bouquet of citrus, blanched almonds, and minerals. Very fresh on the palate with additional notes of lemon cream, patisserie and hazelnut, finishing long and mineral-like. A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay sourced from 45 Cristal vineyard plots with 25% matured in oak barrels. The base wine does not go through malo, and the dosage is 7 g/L after almost 7 years sur lattes. Louis Roederer MV Collection 245 ($38) 92 Bouquet of lemony citrus, stone fruit, bread dough and spice. Juicy, firm palate revealing citrus, oyster shells, and a persistent mousse. Finishes long with a mineral note. Priced low enough that it could be served as a party wine. Made 55% from 2020 vintage, 35% from the Perpetual Reserve, and 10% from older vintages sourced from the Cristal estate and aged in French oak foudres; aged 3+ years sur lattes. The varietal mix is 41% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 24% Meunier. 22% of the wine goes through malo, and the dosage is the same as Cristal, 7 g/L.
Roland Champion Founded in 1929 by André Champion in the Côte des Blancs Grand Cru village of Chouilly. His son Roland expanded the vineyards and gave his name to this Recoltant Manipulant estate. The vineyard holdings include 10 ha of Chardonnay in Chouilly and 8 ha of Pinot Noir and Meunier in the Vallée de la Marne. Wines are aged in their chalk cellar. Annual production is 7 thousand cases, more than half of which is sold sur lattes to negociants. Importer: Kysela Père et Fils
Roland Champion 2018 Special Club Grand Cru Champagne ($121) 93 Champagnes labeled Special Club are grower Champagnes (Recoltant Manipulant) made by 28 artisan wine makers in special vintages and subjected to a tasting panel prior to release. The 2018 vintage offers aromas of dried pear, baked bread, and a hint of smoky minerals. It’s dry and round on the palate with rich orchard fruit, shortbread and hazelnut flavors making for a rather bold style that would pair well with white meat dishes. Closes solidly dry. All Chardonnay from 45-year-old estate vineyards in Chouilly and aged 5 years on the lees in bottle. Dosage 4 g/L; 12.5% alc.
Thierry Fournier is a 5th generation grower based in Festigny in the Flagot Valley with 15 ha of vineyards planted predominantly to Meunier and spread over 11 communes. Importer: Vintage 59 Imports
Thierry Fournier NV Extra Brut Réserve Champagne 93 Medium yellow gold. This Champagne reveals it Marne Valley/Pinot Meunier roots with its lush, ripe fruit. Very flavorful with stone fruit and leesy, bread dough notes, it opens clean and crisp. A perfect brunch wine to have with a variety of egg dishes. A 2016 base blend of 80% Meunier, 10% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir with 40% perpetual reserve. Dosage 5 g/L. Disgorged November 2023. 12% alc. From a 5th generation grower based in Festigny in the Flagot Valley with 15 ha of vineyards planted predominantly to Meunier and spread over 11 communes.
American Sparkling
Domaine Carneros Founded by the Taittinger family of Champagne in 1987, Do- maine Carneros produces outstanding sparkling wines and still wines from 363 acres of estate vines located in four different sites in Sonoma and Napa. Eileen Crane was the founding winemaker at Domaine Carneros. The winemaker today is Zak Miller who worked with Eileen for over a decade before assuming the post.
Domaine Carneros by Taittinger 2017 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs ($125) 95 This 100% estate grown Chardonnay spends 6 years sur lie. The bouquet offers lively aromas of brioche, baked pears, and candied lemon zest. The palate is beautifully balanced with rich flavors of lemon cream, toasted almond, and mineral-laced pear. Bright acidity, fine bubbles, and good mid-palate depth combine to create a first-rate sparkling wine well worth the price. Domaine Carneros 2018 Late Disgorged Brut ($59) 93 Sourced from a cool vintage that allowed extended hang time, this flavorful sparkling wine is aged 6 years sur lie. It offers notes of pear, quince, baked bread and toasty almonds on a full and layered palate. A blend of 54% Pinot Noir and 46% Chardonnay from estate vineyards with a dosage of 8 g/L.
Niner Wine Estates The Niner winery is located in Paso Robles off Hwy 46. In 2011 the Niner family purchased the Jespersen Ranch Vineyard in the Edna Valley and SLO Coast AVAs, which is the fruit source for their sparkling wines. Molly Bohlman makes the wines there, including the Blanc de Noirs reviewed here. Andy Niner is manager of the Niner Wine Estates. www.ninerwine.com
Niner 2020 Brut Blanc de Noirs Jespersen Ranch San Luis Obispo Coast Edna Valley ($95) 93 Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this is a delicious sparkler that reveals its varietal origins. The bouquet is clean with bright red cherry notes, and the palate is crisp with notes of yeasty bread dough complementing the fruit. It paired beautifully with Malpeque oysters from Prince Edward Island. 100% Pinot Noir, 39 months sur lattes, hand riddled, 7 g/L dosage, disgorged 2024. pH 3.01, 12.4% alc.
Located in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley, Roederer Estate was founded by Champagne Louis Roederer over 40 years ago. The sparkling wines are made using the same techniques as in Champagne, and the final blends are made with input from winemakers from both producers. Our tasting includes three bottlings of Roederer Estate’s top quality cuvée, L’Ermitage. Roederer Estate’s winemaker is Arnaud Weyrich.
Roederer Estate 2017 L’Ermitage Brut Anderson Valley ($75 ) 95 Consistently on the top of its game, the L’Ermitage Brut reveals a mélange of brioche, toasted grain and walnuts with pear and berry notes. The palate is complex and mouthfilling with a rich, persistent finish. A blend of 52% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir and 2% Pinot Meunier; 4.9% reserve wine from the 2012 vintage. Dosage 7.5 g/L. pH 3.07, 13.2% alc. Roederer Estate 2015 L’Ermitage Brut Rosé Anderson Valley ($100) 95 This 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend sourced from the estate’s vineyards in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley is light copper-salmon in color. It opens with delicate aromas of red berries and zest of blood orange. On the palate it reveals fine bubbles, a creamy mouthfeel, and notes of bread dough and minerals complementing the fruit. The perfect accompaniment for salmon. 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir with 3.9% reserve wines from 2010-14. Dosage 8 g/L. pH 3.06, 12.7% alc. Roederer Estate 2006 L’Ermitage Brut Late Disgorged Anderson Valley ($120) 96 The late disgorged L’Ermitage Brut from the 2006 vintage saw over 17 years sur latte. While the flavors are warm and rich and the texture is creamy smooth, the wine is surprisingly fresh with lively, fine bubbles. Toasted hazelnut, tart tatin with a shortbread crust, and a hint of marzipan all appear on the complex palate, finishing fine and long. An amazing wine! A blend of 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir from the 2006 vintage’s long, moderate harvest. The dosage wine is from the 2003 vintage aged 7.5 years in French oak cask. pH 3.14, 12.8% alc.
Spanish & Italian Sparkling
Ferghettina 2019 Saten Brut Franciacorta 93 Pale yellow. This 100% Chardonnay from the Franciacorta region is an elegant sparkler made from estate fruit. It has an abundant mousse, scents of pear and fresh bread, and a layered, richly flavored, balanced palate with a dry finish. The Saten wines are under lower pressure than Champagne and have a softer, more silky texture as a result. Long, rich finish. 12.5% alc. Roberto Gatti founded Ferghettina in 1991. Importer: Empson
The Llopart family has been growing grapes in the Alta Penedès since 1385 and produced their first Cava in 1887. Their steeply sloped vineyards are organically farmed and dry farmed; some of their vines are almost 100 years old. These sparkling wines are very good and amazing values! Importer: Fine Wines of Spain
Llopart 2016 Leopardi Gran Reserva Brut Nature Corpinnat ($48) 93 This sparkler is bursting with personality. The fragrant nose reveals pear, quince and toasted grain. The palate is composed and dry with a fine effervescence and lingering mineral notes. A mix of 45% Xarel-lo, 40% Macabeo and 15% Parellada is whole cluster pressed, fermented with native yeasts, and aged 5+ years sur lie in bottle. Llopart 2011 Original 1887 Brut Nature Corpinnat ($35) 94 Yellow gold color with amber glints. The bouquet has lively, precise aromas of herbal tea, baking spices, and ripe orchard fruit. The palate is fresh and rich with layered flavors and a long, dry finish. Outstanding for the price. Compose of 50% Montònec, 25% Xarel-lo, and 25% Macabeo predominantly from 90-year-old, dry farmed bush vines; whole cluster pressed, fermented with native yeasts, and aged 9+ years on the lees in bottle. Truly amazing for the price. Llopart 2021 Rosé Brut Reserva Corpinnat ($32) 91 This sparkling rosé made from the unusual combination of Monastrell and Garnacha is deep-hued pink in color. It has a fragrant bouquet of rose petals and cherry followed by a suave mouth feel and a sappy finish. 58% Monastrell, 21% Garnacha, and 21% Pinot Noir aged on the lees in bottle for a minimum of 18 months. pH 2.95, 11.5% alc.
Located in Penedés, Heretat Mestres traces its winemaking heritage back to 1312. The Mestres family purchased the Coquet vineyard in 1607. In 1945 Josep Mestres launched Spain’s first brut nature called Visol. Their Cava production is, of course, more recent, although they used the Cava name beginning in the 1950s before the creation of the DO Cava in 1976. They use the same production methods as Champagne with indigenous grape varieties. Mestres’ Cava blends have a high percentage of the Xarel-lo grape, which most producers regard as the single best grape as it is flavorful with a perfumed bouquet and has the high acidity and freshness (when picked early) required of Cava. The blends also include Macabeu, which is high yielding and contributes a delicate note of orchard fruit along with high acidity. Parellada contributes body and soft, floral aromas and also has good acidity. Joan Aura is the owner and CEO, and Moises Virgili is the winemaker. These Cavas are extremely good value. Importer: Think Global Wines
Mestres 2019 Coquet Gran Reserva Brut Nature Cava ($30) 92+ Clean, floral nose with notes of stone fruit and toasted almond. Crisp on the attack with a fine mousse; dense mid-palate and a long chalky, mineral finish. A blend of 35% Macabeo, 40% Xarel-lo and 25% Parellada sourced from 50-year-old bush vines grown at 690’ elevation. Harvesting, riddling, and disgorgement are all done by hand with 3.5 years sur lie. Disgorged December 2023. Outstanding value! Mestres 2018 Visol Gran Reserva Brut Nature Cava ($44) 93 Visol is the same blend and vineyard source as the Coquet but fermented and aged on the lees for 6 months in chestnut barriques and spends 5 years on its lees in bottle. Mineral and light brioche and hazelnut notes show on the nose, and in the mouth it’s broad, smooth and markedly dry with a fine effervescence and firm, stony cut. Disgorged February 2023. First made in 1945 by Josep Mestres, this is the first brut nature Cava to be made in Spain. Good value in a zero dosage sparkler.
South African Sparkling
Pieter Ferreira Pieter Ferreira has become the face of high quality South African sparkling wine (Method Cap Classique). With over three decades under his belt as chef de caves at Graham Beck, he and his wife Ann Ferreira embarked on their own, eponymous project Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique (owned and managed by Ann) and released their first wines from the 2012 vintage five years ago. The critics were immediately impressed. Reviewing the 2013 Blanc de Blancs for our 2020 report on South Africa’s Outstanding Sparkling Wines, we said it was “the most elegant sparkling wine we’ve yet tasted from South Africa.” Earlier this year, we tasted these wines in Stellenbosch.
Pieter Ferreira 2017 Blanc de Blancs MCC Western Cape 95 The Blanc de Blancs was the first release from Pieter Ferreira in 2012, and it has always been our favorite of Ann and Pieter’s bubbles. The 2017 vintage with almost 6 years on the lees is the finest yet. The bouquet reveals incisive aromas of toasted grain, poached pear and lemon pith. There’s overall finesse on the palate with citrus and a hint of hazelnut. An exceptionally good MCC. 100% Robertson fruit; base wine fermented 15% in oak; dosage 1.6 g/L. Pieter Ferreira 2017 Rosé MCC Western Cape 92 Fragrant bouquet of cherry skin and red currant followed by a fine mousse. The wine offers a firm, sculpted palate with a hint of cassis. 100% Pinot Noir bottled September 2017 and disgorged October 2023. 2.6 g/L dosage, 11.9% alc.
Source : https://i-winereview.com/blog/index.php/2024/12/08/champagne-sparkling-wine-for-the-holidays/
