Sparkling Wines
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Sparkling Wines Bollinger Brut Rose The Champage House of Bollinger was established in 1829 by Jacques Bollinger and Paul Renaudin. Their expansion and wild success can be credited to the stewardship of the legendary Lily Bollinger, who ran the estate from 1941 to 1977 and will go down in history as one of the most interesting women in wine. Seventy percent of the grapes are sourced from Bollinger’s own vineyards. Bollinger champagnes are famous for a rather muscular, powerful structure. The color of the beautiful Brut Rosé comes from allowing the Pinot Noir grape juice to rest on their skins before being pressed off into barrel-fermented lots. It’s a rich, savory rosé full of brioche and acacia notes. Its floral flirtatiousness pairs beautifully with salty foods—a little paté fois gras or a bit of manchego. Cristal 2008 Cristal is the crown jewel of the Louis Roederer family-owned Chamapgne house. Founded in 1776, The Roederer House has remained an independent, family-owned company which is now managed by the seventh generation of the lineage. Cristal was first produced in 1876 at the request of Alexander II. It’s one of the most luscious, deeply flavored champagnes available in the world. A 60/40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the 2008 vintage comes from thirty-six different plots within seven grand crus. Twenty-five percent of the wine is fermented in oak to soften the edges of a fresh vintage. It was only released after eight and a half years on lees—the longest aging of any Cristal in history. It’s like drinking carbonated cream. Dom Perignon 2009 Named for the 17th century Benedictine monk who “invented” Champagne, Dom Perignon is overseen by Moët & Chandon. The first prestige cuvee was released in 1937. A rigorous selection process in both vineyard and winery ensure that only the best grapes go into Dom Perignon wines. They are generally equally parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and exhibit creamy fruit and toast equaled by very few of the other Grandes Marques. The 2009 is a very seductive drink, with riper apricot and peach blossom notes. It’s mineral, graceful, and lifted with extremely fine mousse. You’ll smell a little honey and grapefruit now that will soften with more time in bottle. Krug Grand Cuvee Krug was established in 1843 and has since specialized in only prestige and specialized Champagnes. It’s the only house still producing all of its wines in small oak barrels, a secret element essential for developing Krug’s signature bouquet and complex flavors. The Grand Cuvee is indisputably the most majestic non-vintage house cuvee. It’s blended from ten different vintages and forty-seven wines from twenty-five different villages. The cuvee spends five to seven years aging on the lees building body. The final product is famous for a delicate nose of honey and toasted nuts. New World Whites Aubert Vineyards Lauren 2013 Mark Aubert has distinguished himself by the company that he has kept—Colgin, Sloan, Bryant and Peter Michael—to name a few—the latter of which he spent twelve years with, as the successor to Helen Turley. Since its first release, with the 2000 vintage, his own vineyard-designate wines— Lauren, Reuling, Quarry, Ritchie and UV—are helping to redefine Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Mark’s love of farming comes from a childhood of growing up in Saint Helena—then a very rural farming community. His obsession with the detail of growing grapes means every single wine bears an unmistakable mark of quality. This wine is made from 30-year-old vines planted in a rare type of soil. It features a surprising richness for a white, with plenty of time in oak to balance the quince, apricot, and butterscotch flavors. Aubert Vineyards Lauren 2015 Mark Aubert has distinguished himself by the company that he has kept—Colgin, Sloan, Bryant and Peter Michael—to name a few—the latter of which he spent twelve years with, as the successor to Helen Turley. Since its first release, with the 2000 vintage, his own vineyard-designate wines— Lauren, Reuling, Quarry, Ritchie and UV—are helping to redefine Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Mark’s love of farming comes from a childhood of growing up in Saint Helena—then a very rural farming community. His obsession with the detail of growing grapes means every single wine bears an unmistakable mark of quality. The 2015 vintage—the hottest year on record—brought the fourth consecutive drought year to Sonoma County; harvest commenced in mid-August, two weeks early, and concluded by the month’s end, having delivered a some of the smallest yields in a decade, but some of the most remarkable fruit in that time. This is a classic Aubert Chardonnay, a little shy at first but a few minutes open reveals dense honey, pear, and brioche notes. It has plush texture but a refreshing finish, with a little lemongrass and stone. Aubert Vineyards Larry Hyde & Sons 2015 Mark Aubert has distinguished himself by the company that he has kept—Colgin, Sloan, Bryant and Peter Michael—to name a few—the latter of which he spent twelve years with, as the successor to Helen Turley. Since its first release, with the 2000 vintage, his own vineyard-designate wines— Lauren, Reuling, Quarry, Ritchie and UV—are helping to redefine Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Mark’s love of farming comes from a childhood of growing up in Saint Helena—then a very rural farming community. His obsession with the detail of growing grapes means every single wine bears an unmistakable mark of quality. The 2015 vintage—the hottest year on record—brought the fourth consecutive drought year to Sonoma County; harvest commenced in mid-August, two weeks early, and concluded by the month’s end, having delivered a some of the smallest yields in a decade, but some of the most remarkable fruit in that time. This Carneros AVA Chardonnay is charmingly firm, almost like green tea. There’s bright acidity and a really tangy mineral quality that will make your mouth water for minutes afterward. Old World Whites Bonneau du Martray 2015 One of the greatest producers of Burgundy in the World, Bonneau du Martray is based in the Cote de Beaune wine-growing region. They’ve gently been integrating more biodynamic farming practices for the only two wines in production: the Corton Charlemagne Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from Corton. Bonneau du Martray’s Corton-Charlemagne is a very difficult wine to describe, particularly while young. Its inherent stoniness is almost austere—a laser beam in liquid form. It’s a wine that teaches about texture: it gives the sensation of heaviness without actually having any weight. Indubitably, it’s one of the greatest Chardonnays ever created. The 2015 vintage will need a lot of patience. The green apple core is softened by brioche and a heady dose of Parmesan and hazelnut. It’s almost salty, with a discreet tropicality. This is a Chardonnay that demands food and maybe even a bit of decanting. New World Reds Cabernet Dominant Peter Michael Les Pavots Magnum 2006 Peter Michael produces fifteen different bottlings, each meticulously crafted in the traditional method. All but one are estate-grown on mountainside vineyards. Peter Michaels “Les Pavots” is a blend of seventy-seven percent Cabernet Sauvignon with thirteen percent Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. It’s a beautiful Knights Valley Bordeaux style blend, exhibiting one of the nicest colors we’ve ever seen, almost like staring through stained-glass. It features a velvety, dense texture and a surprisingly tight finish—mostly licorice and flowers. The wood is the dominant flavor, with the earthiness of that fine boned Merlot coming through as currant and clay. The magnums have added longevity, and can be enjoyed now or in the next fifteen years. Opus One 2012 Opus One is the collaboration between Napa patriarch Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux. Both brought their respective sensibilities to a single wine—the perfect expression of Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon’s powerful yet supple tannins. Smaller quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot add complexity and creaminess to create a dense, blue-fruited wine reminiscent of Opus’ halcyon days in the early ‘90s. 2012 featured a long, sunny growing season tempered by the perfect crisp fall and made for large quantities of flawless fruit. Drink now or enjoy on a special occasion in the next fifteen years. Overture by Opus One Overture is the only other wine made by Opus One. It’s a remarkable concept: a “timeless wine” displaying no vintage, simply a reflection of the winemaker’s artistry and the quality of the grapes themselves. Five traditional Bordeaux grape varieties are grown in different soil types and then married together over multiple vintages. This is a softer, rounder expression of the Opus One estate, which can sometimes take an infinitely long time to soften. It’s a deep ruby wine with a pale rim. There’s a surprising depth of sweetness with a penetrating nose that screams Napa Valley. It’s a classic blend drinking beautifully right now. Continuum 2011 Continuum is the columniation of the Mondavi family’s four generations of making wine in the Napa Valley. Tim Mondavi takes the helm here, farming high on the slopes of Pritchard Hill. Red volcanic soils impel lower vigor; the vines struggle to produce gorgeously concentrated fruit at a higher elevation than most estates in the valley.