Sparkling

Question 1

Early Mountain Vineyards Petillant Naturel - White

Answer 1

Vidal Blanc-Petite Manseng

$44

Sparkling. Ancestral Method - single bottle fermentation.

Dry, fine bubbles, sediment. Non-interventionist.

Crisp, citrus, acid.

Question 2

Early Mountain Vineyards - Petilliant Naturel - Rose

Answer 2

Syrah

$44

Sparkling. Ancestral Method - single bottle fermentation.

Dry, fine bubbles, sediment. Non-interventionist.

Strawberry. Red fruit. Acid and fine tannin for structure.

Question 3

JANSZ, Tasmania, Brut, NV

Answer 3

68% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Meunier, 26% Chardonnay

$49

With 68% Pinot Noir and 6% Pinot Meunier in the blend, this pale salmon traditional method rose has lingering, creamy strawberry and shortcake nuances to the palate; 26% Chardonnay gives line and length. Supremely drinkable.

This pale salmon rose is a reliable sparkling wine at a very good price. The latest NV release is toasty on the nose, then offers just faint hints of peach or berry flavors. It’s lithe yet creamy on the palate, with a long finish

Question 4

LE MESNIL, “Grand Cru”, Champagne, France, Brut, NV

Answer 4

Chardonnay

$65

This particular cuvee is made by blending various parcels of Chardonnay grown in Le Mesnil sur Oger. The wines used are specially selected for their finesse and ethereal qualities which give the wines their complex and mouth-waterring flavours. This seductive Champagne is a reflection of the house style of Le Mesnil and is perfect throughout a meal, from aperitif to dessert and indeed at any any time of the day or night.

Awards:
Gold medal at the “Chardonnay du Monde” competition in 2015.

Technical Data:
100% Chardonnay Grand Cru
Harvest 2012 with 85% and 12% harvest 2011
Bottling: april 2013, minimum 3 years of aging in cellar
Disgorging: 2015
Sugar dosage: 9.2 g/L

Ratings & Reviews

90 Points - Wine Spectator:
“Lightly chalky, with hints of pastry, poached pear and candied lemon zest running through. Offers a firm bead and a mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2017. 1,500 cases made.” — A.N. (Jun 15, 2012)

Question 5

FRANCOIS CHIDAINE, “Methode Traditonnelle”, “Le Chenin d’Ailleurs”, Limoux, France, 2016​

Answer 5

Chenin Blanc

$45

Taste honeysuckle, quince, melon and cantaloupe
Nose honeydew, iodine, grass, citrus, melon and kiwi

Following severe losses from the frost of April 27, 2016, the Chidaines went in search of their beloved Chenin and found vines to their liking in Limoux.

Francois Chidaine is not one to throw in the towel or shy away from a challenge. He employed the same precision and demanded the same level of quality in this Chenin from Limoux as he does from him Montlouis and Vouvray. With unfamilar fruit and new terroirs, he discovered a playful, easy drinking style of sparkling Chenin that will help him and his family to overcome yet another year of severe losses from Mother Nature’s brutalities.

TASTING NOTES: Beautiful, sustained and luminous color. On the palate, this sparkling wine combines aromas of white flowers and citrus notes with balanced minerality.

Question 6

PIERRE PETERS, “Cuvee Millesime L’Esprit”, “Grand Cru”, Champagne, France, 2013

Answer 6

Chardonnay

$199

White fruit and floral notes, zestly citrus and minerality, white spice and a touch of licorice all come together.

Sourced in four grand cru villages of the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Cramant), the 2012 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Millésime L’Esprit de 2012 has a deep, rich and fruity bouquet with ripe mocha and seed flavors. Rich, round and intense on the palate, this is a very elegant, highly delicate, finessed and almost airy but also persistent 2012. It is weightless in its great balance, but it’s also long and complex, with a lovely energetic finish. Disgorged as Brut in June 2017.

Question 7

AMEZTOI, “Hijo de Rubentis”, Getariako Txakolina, Spain, 2015

Answer 7

Hondarrabi Zuri & Beltza

$109 (magnum)

In the traditional style of txakolina from Getaria, this light and crisp wine is bottled with a little bit of residual carbon dioxide to give it its signature natural spritz.

Question 8

BOTTEX, “La Cueille”, Bugey-Cerdon, Savoie, France, NV

Answer 8

Gamay-Poulsard

$44

Robert Parker 90
“This cuvee may qualify as the ‘wine bargain of the year.’ A Champagne-like sparkling rose from the largely forgotten area of Bugey (which only received appellation status in 2009), this low alcohol (8%) offering is made from 90% Gamay and 10% Poulsard (an indigenous grape of the region).”

“An unmatchable conglomeration of red and black fruits soars from the glass and floods the palate along with a fine mousse, and a lip-smacking hint of salt and citrus zest in the finish. Keep some on hand in the fridge for enjoying anytime the mood strikes…”
~David Schildknecht

Question 9

MALABAILA, “Spumante Metodo Classico”, “Pas Dose”, Piemonte, Italy

Answer 9

Nebbiolo, Arneis blend 50/50

$59

Nose:Intense, elegant. Rose, sage, green apple and bread crust notes.

Flavour:Full in the mouth, rich and persistent, with a creamy and perfectly integrated effervescence

Soft pressing of the clusters, alcoholic fermentation with temperature control for 20-25 days. The wine matures on the lees for six months. Bottling. Second fermentation in the bottle, the wine rests on the lees in the bottle for 48 months at least, dégorgement

Question 10

A.R. LENOBLE, “Intense”, Champagne, Brut, NV (375ml)

Answer 10

Chardonnay-Pinot Noir-Pinot Meunier

$39