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SPARKLING WINE PICKS
By Thom Elkjer
wine editor
TIP: To prevent a sparkling wine from foaming out of the glass, pour an ounce, which will settle quickly. Pouring the remainder of the serving into this starter will not foam as much.
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46°F / 8°C
Ideal serving temperature
for SPARKLING WINE. |
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Domaine Carneros
Carneros Brut Rosé ($34): a mouth-watering reason to drink pink: bell-clear peach, strawberry and dry cherry flavors ring out of an exquisite texture. This wine is elegantly restrained yet full of body and life, and a great companion for a wide range of foods. |
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Domaine Chandon
California Extra Dry “Riche” ($17): if you find brut too dry or daunting, try this smooth, apricot-scented sparkler. “Extra Dry” actually means “slightly sweet,” so you can serve it as dessert or turn it into a Champagne cocktail. Excellent value. |
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Gloria Ferrer
Sonoma County Brut Rosé ($35): another winner from Ferrer, this full-flavored, Pinot Noir-driven rosé is hedonistic pleasure from sniff to swallow. Like drinking sweet-and-sour cherry jam on warm rye toast — with a sparkling clean finish. |
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Iron Horse
Sonoma Green Valley Blanc de Blanc 1995 ($34): if you like big, bold wines here’s an intensely flavored powerhouse with anise and caramel darkening the traditional apple, golden raisin, and fresh bread flavors. An amazing price for perfectly aged wine. |
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J Wine Company
Russian River Valley Vintage Brut 1999 ($30): the luminous pale gold color and rich, yeasty aromas give a great first impression, and the wine lives up to it with a mouthful of complex, lively flavors including nuts and citrus along with apples and pears.
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Mumm Napa Valley
Brut Napa Valley “DVX” 1998 ($45): the DVX program is now 25 years old, and this wine is its current apotheosis: lushly textured, full of sweet honey, apples and apricots, and beautifully balanced. Can age another 5 years easily. |
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Roederer Estate
Anderson Valley Brut Prestige “L’Hermitage” 1998 ($42): ethereally delicate aromas belie the flood of pear, apple, caramel and quince flavors that flow all the way through to a big finish. This is a serious wine and one that can age gracefully.
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Schramsberg
California Brut Prestige “J Schram” 1998 ($80):
so seamlessly complete that it’s hard to break down and describe in parts. Chardonnay rarely tastes this refined and elegant as a still wine, and here it rises to a pinnacle of sparkling harmony.
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