We like to welcome in the New Year with a little bubbly. So each year we collect and review several Champagnes and Sparkling Wines to recommend to our readers. In our big blind tasting I put together a panel of Bubbleheads. What are Bubbleheads? They are folks that would rather drink Champagne than any other wine””they are better judges of this festive drink. This report includes the winners from the panel tasting and my other recommended sparklers as well. Let’s begin with our big winner.
The 1999 Gloria Ferrer “Late Disgorged Carneros Cuvee Brut” was our top scoring sparkler this year. It only costs $50 and received 93 points from the panel. If you want to spend a little extra this New Year’s Eve or a have a special anniversary coming up, this Sparkler will make that evening extra special. It is medium-bodied and balanced and displays very tasty almond and green apple flavors blended with just a hint of honey. The finish was dry, elegant, and graceful. The panel suggested pairing it with Coquille St. Jacques. Boy, it was good!
Our favorite Schramsberg offering this year was their 2007 “Brut Rose” for $41. This sparkler consists of 60% Pinot Noir & 40% Chardonnay. I scored this sparkler 92 points. It was medium-bodied, well balanced, and slightly crispy. It displayed mineral-infused mild red-raspberry flavors with notes of strawberry. It finished quite dry and was refreshing. I suggested it would be perfect with bacon-wrapped scallops.
Nicolas Feuillatte submitted our second place sparkler in our blind tasting. It was our top scoring Champagne. The “Cuvee 225 Brut” Champagne for $90 scored 91 points. It opens with an attractive green melon bouquet and with a hint of Good and Plenty and toast. The panel really enjoyed its mineral-infused green apple and almond flavors with a hint of honey. This easy going and elegant Champagne would be perfect with lobster, caviar, or gruyere tart appetizers.
Louis Roederer’s non vintage “Brut Premier” Champagne for $45 always finishes near the top of our results. This year it was medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and had a pleasant crispiness and effervescence as well. It combines mineral and green apple flavors with a hint of ripe grapefruit mixed in. The panel suggested pairing this Champagne with several different foods. Broiled bay scallops in a melted butter sauce, and lobster bisque topped the list
Gloria Ferrer’s second top 5 sparkler is the 2006 “Brut Rose” for $42.  This offering is 92% Pinot Noir with the remaining 8% being Chardonnay. It opens with a mild tangerine bouquet with a hint of wet stone. It is easy going with mild apple flavors with gentle minerality and a hint lemon. It would be perfect with ham.
J Wine Company returns to our winner's circle with its non vintage “Cuvee 20.” This offering is Very Good and we awarded it with 89 points. For $20 it is the best deal in terms of our highest recommended sparklers. The other good news is they make over 22,000 cases, so it is readily available. This year's Cuvee has a fresh cut apple bouquet with a hint of lemon. It is crisp and effervescent with apple and mineral flavors. There are notes of grapefruit in the background and I thought it would be a perfect opener to an evening. Serve it with bacon-wrapped scallops.
Our last highlighted sparkler is the Gloria Ferrer non vintage “Va de Vi Ultra Cuvee” for $24. It is my understanding that this is the inaugural year for this offering. Well it made a very good first impression. We scored it 89 points. It is crisp and effervescent with mineral-infused tart lemon flavors with an interesting hint of strawberry. The finish is dry and refreshing. You will find this sparkler to be a pleasant aperitif.
Other Recommended Sparklers or Champagne:
1) Maschio dei Cavalieri (NV) “Prosecco di Valdobbiadene” (Veneto, Italy) $19 (88)
2)J Vineyards NV “Brut Rose” (Russian River Valley, CA) $35 (88)
3) Schramsberg 2007 “Blanc de Noirs Brut” (North Coast, CA) $38 (88)
4) Schramsberg 2007Â “Blanc de Blancs Brut” (North Coast, CA) $36 (88)
5) Deutz NV “Brut Classic” (Champagne, FR) $40 (88)
6) Nicolas Feuillatte 2004 “Brut Vintage” (Chouilly Epernay, FR) $46 (88)
7) Nicolas Feuillatte NV “Brut Rose” (Champagne, FR) $48 (88)
8) Riondo NV “Pink Prosecco” (Veneto, Italy) $9 (87)
9) Villa Sandi NV “Extra Dry Prosecco di Valdobbiadene” (Veneto, Italy) $16 (87)
10) Roederer Estate NV “Brut” (Anderson Valley, CA) $23Â (87)
11) Gloria Ferrer 2002 “Royal Cuvee” (Carneros, CA) $35 (87)
12) Nicolas Feuillatte 2004 “Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc Brut” (Champagne, FR) $46 (87)
13) Jaume Serra Cristalino NV “Brut Traditional Cava” (Spain) $10 (86)
14) Riondo NV “Prosecco Spago” (Veneto, Italy) $11 (86)
15) Domaine Ste. Michelle NV “Blanc de Noirs” (Columbia Valley, WA) $12 (86)
16) Villa Sandi NV “Il Fresco Prosecco” (Veneto, Italy) $13 (86)
17) Elyssia NV “Grand Cuvee Brut Cava” (Spain) $18 (86)
18) Elyssia NV “Pinot Noir Brut Cava” (Spain) $18 (86)
We wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and Festive New Year’s Eve. We hope you enjoy some of these Sparklers as part of your celebration. Cheers – Ken