The holidays are upon us, and there are many suggestions on the internet for what to pop open to celebrate all the festivities. So, I’ll skip the long list and keep it short and bubbly this year! As I’ve often said, one doesn’t need a special occasion to enjoy sparkling wine. And with holidays soon to be a distant memory and winter bearing down on us, let’s keep the party going! Recently, I received three sparkling wines to sample. Having reviewed these wines several years ago, I was happy to dive into these tasty sparklers again. This time, I was provided with a creative cocktail recipe for each style of wine. Piper Sonoma was founded in 1980 by the Marquis d’Aulan family, direct descendants of the renowned Piper family. Based in Sonoma, CA, in the Russian River Valley region, Piper Sonoma has been producing sparkling wines for over 40 years. The wines are made in the Méthode Traditionnelle style, the same process used by its sister, Maison Champagne Piper-Heidsieck. Each vineyard lot is hand-harvested, fermented, and aged separately. The wines are produced in Healdsburg under the guidance and expertise of winemaker Keith Hock. The winemaking team collaborates with more than 20 growers, which include renowned families such as Dutton, Young, and Ledbetter, who, for decades, have been supplying Piper Sonoma with sustainably farmed grapes. Piper Sonoma collaborated with Sommelier Chloe Dickson to create effervescent drinks for each wine to delight the palate. - the Rosémary Spritz, Piper Sonoma “Champagne” cocktail, and Winter in Sonoma. The recipes follow each review. Piper Sonoma Brut Cuvée NV, Sonoma County This sparkling wine is a blend of 56% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir, 7% Pinot Blanc, and an aged reserve blend (6%). The cuvée is placed en tirage for 19 months for secondary fermentation in the bottle before disgorgement. Finally, a small percentage of older reserve wine is included in the liqueur d’expedition, adding further complexity and texture. Nose: Orchard fruit, citrus, apple, and brioche. Palate: Lush with orange, green apples, red berries, minerality, bread dough, and creamy mouthfeel. It is a delicate mousse with a refreshing and long finish. Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $23 Piper Sonoma Rosé NV, Sonoma County This rosé is a blend of 61% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Blanc, and an aged reserve blend (10%). The cuvée is placed en tirage for secondary fermentation in the bottle for 32 months prior to disgorgement. Finally, a small percentage of older reserve wine is included in the liqueur d’expedition, adding further complexity and texture. Nose: Inviting aromas of floral, berries, citrus, and cranberry. Palate: Strawberry, cherry, citrus, and a touch of toast give way to a beautiful creamy mouthfeel and crisp acidity with a long finish. Alcohol: 12.6% SRP: $23 Piper Sonoma Blanc de Blancs NV, Sonoma County The blend for this wine is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Blanc. The cuvée is placed en tirage for 36 months for secondary fermentation in the bottle prior to disgorgement. Nose: Lovely notes of floral, citrus, and green apples. Palate: This is a dry and lively wine with crisp acidity and creamy texture. Notes of tart apples, citrus, and brioche linger on a long and delectable finish. Alcohol: 12.9% SRP: $23 Whether sipping these wines by the glass or mixed in cocktails, one can’t go wrong! And the price-to-value ratio is a no-brainer! These are lovely wines to serve over the holidays, and great to drink all year long!
Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com The holiday festivities have begun and I’ve heard a lot of corks popping lately, which is always music to my ears! Champagne and sparkling wines have always been considered the “go-to” drink for celebrations. But they have evolved into wines that are now enjoyed all year long and not just for special occasions. There are numerous styles to choose from that are produced in wine regions all around the world such as the popular Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava and Sekt from Germany. To kick off the holiday season, I received a variety of six sparkling wines for review. I’m all about the bubbly, so I was happy to oblige! Charles Heidsieck founded his own Maison in 1851 in Reims, France and he is credited for introducing and popularizing Champagne in the United States. After visiting New York and New England in 1852, he realized the great potential for selling his Champagne in America. A massive import of his wine was met with great success and he achieved record sales. Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV This champagne is summarized as an equation: 60/40/10 and expresses the quintessence of its style. 60: the number of crus in the blend (1/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Pinot Noir, 1/3 Meunier) vinified cru-by-cru, varietal-by-varietal in stainless steel vats. 40: a high proportion of 40% reserve wines equally divided between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 10: average age of 10 years for the reserve wines. Aging takes place in chalk cellars. A golden color and fine bubbles lead to a complex and elegant nose of brioche, pear, white flowers and a hint of apricot and citrus. The palate is rich with white fruit, toast and tart baked apples, with hints of cherry, citrus, toasted nuts and vanilla. It has good acidity and a creamy texture with a long, lush finish. Alcohol: 12% SRP: $69 Piper Sonoma is located in Sonoma, CA in the Russian River Valley region. It was founded in 1980 by Marquis d’Aulan. They have been producing sparkling wines for almost 40 years using the classic Méthode Traditionnelle technique to make the wines. Each vineyard lot is hand-harvested, fermented and aged separately. The wines are produced in Healdsburg under the guidance and expertise of winemaker, Keith Hock. Piper Sonoma Brut NV This sparkling wine is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 3% Pinot Blanc and 7% aged Reserve Blend. This wine is pale lemon with fine and persistent bubbles. Aromas of brioche, orchard fruit, pear and citrus segue onto the palate with notes of berries and clementine. It has a fresh and smooth mouthfeel with a long and delightful finish. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $22 Piper Sonoma Blanc de Blancs NV This is a new blend for this wine made of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Blanc. This wine is a soft straw color with fine bubbles and a lovely combination of aromas that include citrus notes, floral and tart apples. This dry and lively wine is creamy in texture with great acidity and notes of brioche, apples, citrus and a touch of vanilla. Alcohol: 12.9% SRP: $22 Piper Sonoma Brut Rosé NV This rosé is a blend of 53% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Blanc and 2% aged Reserve Blend. This is a fresh and aromatic dry sparkling wine that has inviting aromas of berries, floral and citrus. Fine bubbles give way to flavors of strawberry, cherry, citrus and a hint of toast. It is nicely balanced with crisp acidity and a creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol: 12.6% SRP: $22 Known in the wine industry as the Tuscan renegade, Bibi Graetz has managed to become one of Italy's most ingenious winemakers adding "cult winemaker" in addition to "talented abstract artist" to his dossier. His first wines were released in 2000 and his bio reads like a movie script. (More to follow in another post) Bibi Graetz Bollamatta Spumante IGT NV Bollamatta is a sparkling wine made with 100% Sangiovese grapes sourced from Bibi’s 50 to 80-year-old vineyards spread across Tuscany. Bollamatta means “crazy bubbles” in Italian. The wine is produced using the Charmat method with five months on the yeasts. It is aged on the lees in stainless steel. The wine is soft pink in color with an abundance of fruit and floral on the nose. The palate offers strawberry, cherry, stone fruit, bread and citrus. Fine bubbles and crisp acidity make this a “crazily” refreshing wine! Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $26 Villa Sandi dates back to 1622 and is located in Northeastern Italy in the heart of the Prosecco area at the foot of Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG hills. The estate is owned by the Moretti Polegato family and has been in the family for many generations. Villa Sandi Il Fresco Brut Prosecco DOC NV The grapes for this wine come from Treviso, the heart of Prosecco. It is a blend of Glera, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. After fermentation, the sparkling wine spends two months on lees before bottling. This is a light and fun sparkling wine with vibrant aromas of honeysuckle, stone fruit and apples. The palate offers citrus, apple, honeydew melon and a touch of minerality. This wine is well balanced with just the right amount of acidity.
Alcohol: 11% SRP: $16 All of the above sparkling wines will drink beautifully as an aperitif and are easy to pair with a wide variety of cuisine. These are perfect wines to serve over the holidays, but they are great to drink all year long! Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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