John Sparkling |
The New Year is upon us, and along with all the resolutions, I felt that it was time for this reviewer to branch out and explore some sparkling wines that I had never tried before from regions new to me. After all, the Holiday season focuses so much on champagne as the celebratory wine of choice, what better way to start off the New Year than with some new sparkling wines? After some recommendations from several friends I decided on three wines—two from France (non-champagne) and one from the USA.
The first bottle, René Muré ($18.99) Cremant d’Alsace, France, that I tasted with a friend of mine on a recommendation caught me off guard. I had rarely tasted Alsacian wine and never a cremant (Alsacian sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne method). The Muré in the words of my tasting partner is a “stand alone fine wine.” I could not agree more. The refined packaging with a small horizontal label affixed near the bottom of the bottle and copper gold foil top sets the stage perfectly for the delicious yellow, gold sparkling wine inside. It presented a fine wine character with nice fruit and firm acidity and was brimming with bubbles. Such a well-structured sparkling wine seldom comes along in this price range. If you can find this one, definitely try it out.
The second bottle tasted, Mountain Dome Brut 1994 ($19.99), comes from the arid eastern side of Washington State in the foothills of Mount Spokane in the Great Northwest, USA. Before the particulars, I have to say, wow! This wine really surprised me—it’s Bollinger at a 1/3 the price. The opulent deep gold color and rich flavor of caramelized fruit, cognac, and a hint of tobacco truly impressed me and showed a depth of character seldomly found outside of champagne. The only strikes against this wine would be too few bubbles, which is a major concern for a sparkling wine, and under whelming packaging that severely understates the quality of the wine inside the bottle. I will certainly be looking for more of their vintage releases, and hoping for enough bubbles.
The final bottle that I tasted with my friend was Château Moncontour Tete de Cuvée Brut ($14.99) from Vouvrey, France. Again, I had never had a sparkling Vouvrey, and this wine made from 100% Chenin Blanc came out of the bottle with none of the prejudice that often accompanies Chenin Blanc--sweet. The bouquet was of clean flowers with the most appealing hint of pine. With numerous yet easy bubbles this wine made me think of spring. Not the perfect wine for heavy winter conversations; however, it will definitely point your gaze towards the warmer months. I really liked the black and gold packaging. The muted tones made this appear to be a more rustic wine. This wine made me want to really explore Vouvrey.
