December Wine Focus: Sparklers, not Champagne

Just popped downtown to find that one store was pouring Nino Franco Faive Brut Rose. Beware folks, priced at $30 Cdn and hardly has any finish to speak of. A Laurens Cremant de Limoux was also sampled. Crisp, refreshing and half the price of the Franco.
I did see a doctor from Fort Mcmurray loading up on various Krug plus some Caymus .
Happy New Year to all here!

[David M. Bueker]

There's no way we make it to midnight, but we finished off 2016 with the 2012 Inman Family Blanc de Noirs which was taut, focused and even a little austere in a zero dosage Champagne sort of way. It made a lovely aperitif, and also accompaniment to our crab cake dinner.

Nino Franco "Rustico" Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore ($16.99)

Bright gold with a slight greenish-brassy hue. It pours up very foamy but falls back to reveal lasting, multiple streams of bubbles that last. Simple and fresh, its aromas and flavors evoke fresh pears and apples with a back note of orange peel. Carbonation adds structure in the mouth, with white-fruit flavors, light 11 percent alcohol, and sufficient acidity to serve at the table without being overly tart. Nicely balanced bubbly. U.S. importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, Ill. (Dec. 2, 2016)

I forgot I had this. Winex had them on sale for $12. I don't drink much prosecco and know very little about it but I thought this was impressive for the price.

Jason

Very good Prosecco indeed, I am a big fan!

I don't drink much prosecco and know very little about it

All one really needs to know is

1- It's not made by the Champagne method, they do second fermention in large tanks (the Charmat method) thus cheaper to produce
2- The main grape used is Glera that used to be called prosecco, hence the name of the wine*
3-Prosecco is now an EU protected geographic region*
4-The top areas in Prosecco are Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Cartizze, and in there Rive is a further quality definition denoting specific vineyards used only on vintage wines

*The Italians played an absolute blinder when they realsied that other regions in the world had planted the prosecco grape and were making Prosecco wine: they persuaded the EU that the name of the grape was really Glera (an old synonym) and that Prosecco could only be used for the sparkling wines made in that region.

Sales of Prosecco have sky rocketed in the UK and it now outsells Champagne -- and we drink a lot of Champagne!!

Peter,

I mostly agree with your post, except for the 'single vineyard' part (I import a 'cru' Prosecco, Particella 68, that isn't vintage). I would add that there is a giant difference between the mass-market bottlings and estate-bottled examples from good producers.

Also that in my experience Charmat-produced wines are better drunk fresh, they don't improve in the bottle like good Champagne does.

Guys, thanks for the info.

Like the UK, sales have gone bonkers here. It is what the cool kids are drinking.

Jason

Oliver

Looking at the label of and fact sheet for Particella 68 I can't see that it is a 'Rive' classification.

As I understand, the Rive classification refers to specific vineyards on steep slopes and Rive wines must be vintage

Graham Beck Brut NV Méthode Cap Classique
WO Western Cape

Graham Beck have long been a major producer of quality Méthode Cap Classique (i.e. traditional method secondary bottle fermentation) in South Africa.

This is their basic and biggest selling one, a NV blanc brut

This is made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, aged 15-18 months before disgorgement. Disgorgement date, on the back label,was November 2015. Abv 12%

Lovely rich and full bodied, autolytic character, persistent stream of minute bubbles. Excellent sparkler.

Oliver

Looking at the label of and fact sheet for Particella 68 I can't see that it is a 'Rive' classification.

As I understand, the Rive classification refers to specific vineyards on steep slopes and Rive wines must be vintage

Thank you for correcting me, Peter, I missed part of your post.

Not champagne but with a champagne name and a very close to champagne taste is Roederer Anderson Valley Brut NV - an approximate 60% chardonnay, 40% pinot noir blend with some oak-aged wine added to the cuvee. This one of very few USA bubblies to reach our shores and has fooled me more than once into thinking it was champagne in blind tastings. It's foamy and creamy and full of those glorious savoury, yeasty flavours with hints of marmite and toast and a salivating, refreshing, citrussy, salty tang. The price has varied here from $33 to $45.

[Jenise]

Agreed on the Roederer, Sue. And even more spectacular is the vintage bottling called L'Ermitage. The same team that makes Cristal jumps on a plane when they're done in France and heads to California to make this bottling. The '07 is ungodly. Sure wish I could send you a bottle!

+1..the California Roederer.

Agreed on the Roederer, Sue. And even more spectacular is the vintage bottling called L'Ermitage. The same team that makes Cristal jumps on a plane when they're done in France and heads to California to make this bottling. The '07 is ungodly. Sure wish I could send you a bottle!

Aw, that's nice. That L'Ermitage sounds exquisite. I looked at the importer's website but they list only the Anderson Valley offering from California.