Top Ten Sparkling Wines - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

Wine To Go Buy This Week – New Year’s Edition -Domaine Carneros 2008 Le Reve Blanc de Blancs – 90 Points

France’s Champagne Taittinger started its U.S label with the opening of Domaine Carneros in 1987 and has gone on to create world-class sparkling wines in America, of which their flagship Le Reve has always been a consistent standout. This Blanc de Blanc is comprised of five Chardonnay clones from the Domaine’s Carneros estate fruit.

Cuvaison 2021 Méthode Champenoise Brut Rose

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

This 2021 Brut Rose marks Cuvaison’s ninth vintage of producing a sparkling wine. Comprised of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, there is a lovely delicateness to this wine, a softness that is alluring. You will find notes of strawberry, raspberry, light lemon chiffon, white peach, violet petals, rose water, a hint of black cherry, and lime peel. There is a compelling minerality running through this along with a moderate acidity to make this structurally competent. The fruit is evident, the bubbles inviting and this makes for a great food companion

MacRostie 2020 Sparkling Wine Blanc de Blancs

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$52.00USD

This is the first Chardonnay-centric sparkler MacRostie has ever made and, as an inaugural effort, they nailed it, creating a lovely wine that is complex and just plain enjoyable to drink. This is a soft, velvety sparkler that drinks incredibly smoothly. The carbonation is fairly mild, a plus in that we get more of the aromas and flavors of the wine than it being obstructed by bubbles. Soft baked bread, light lemon-lime, whispers of resin, grapefruit, white peach and Asian pear fill the palate.

Almare Spritz, Pompelo Rosa

Vintage: 
2023
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

The origins of the Italian Spritz date back to the late 1800s when German soldiers found the local Italian wines too strong. The soldiers added a “spritz” of water to the wine to create a lighter beverage. Using 100% Glera grapes then infused with botanicals, bitter herbs, and flowers, the addition of pink grapefruit and a little carbonation creates a delightful sparkling beverage low in alcohol just in time for the summer months. Slightly sweet with light grapefruit, there is just a hint of bitterness on the finish.

Goldeneye 2019 Brut Rosé

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

Goldeneye has been making wine in the Anderson Valley for 30 years. This current release is comprised of 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay. There is a lovely softness to the carbonation and viscosity of the wine itself. Pleasant notes of fresh, baked bread, golden delicious apple, apricot jam, blood orange and a slight honeydew melon fill the palate. Unlike many sparklers, this doesn’t lean towards sour apple, nor sweet, it straddles a middle ground of pleasant, soft notes, making this a delightful sipping wine with enough acidity for food.

Banshee Ten of Cups NV Sparkler

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

Though Banshee is probably better known for their still wines, they also produce a non vintage sparkler. Comprised of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier this delightful sparkling wine offers light notes of lemon lime, citrus zest, Asian pear, white peach, red delicious apple, and honeysuckle. It has a solid acidity and mild carbonation to make this fun and interesting. It was aged on the less for 24 months, and consistent to Banshee’s original mission statement, this wine definitely over delivers for the price.

Sonoma's Must Try Sparkling Wines - 2015 Best of Sonoma

For the 2015 Best of Sonoma Lists we surveyed hundreds of local vintners asking for their inside perspective of the best wines, tasting rooms, and restaurants in Sonoma. Sonoma offers some of the country’s finest sparkling wines—but we wanted to find the best of the best. So, we surveyed over a hundred area vintners for their professional picks on sparkling wines that no self-respecting wine enthusiast should leave Sonoma without tasting.

Champagne, Prosecco and Cava Recommendations for Your Holiday Celebration

There's nothing more festive than a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine. We toast the old and new years with glasses of bubbly, send brides and grooms into their new lives with raised glasses and kick off holiday celebrations with that well-known popping cork sound. While Champagne holds pride of place in the lexicon of sparkling wines, there are several affordable alternatives available, including Prosecco from Italy and Cava from Spain. Let's take a closer look at Champagne, Prosecco and Cava.

Pages