Category:Sparkling wine

Fourth of July wine 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Let’s help the WC find quality cheap wine for Fourth of July

Fourth of July wine 2021: Four bottles to enjoy for Independence Day

The Wine Curmudgeon, several readers have noted, usually doesn’t choose U.S. wines for the annual Fourth of July post. Mostly, that’s because of price and availability. This year, though, I found one — as well as quality cheap wines from elsewhere in the world.

And, as always, keep our summer and porch wine guidelines in mind for this time of year. Consider these Fourth of July wine 2021 suggestions:

• Parducci Cabernet Sauvignon Small Lot 2018 ($13, purchased, 14.5%): Competent, professionally-made California cabernet sauvignon with all the requisite traits — lots of ripe, red fruit (sweet cherries?), soft-ish tannins, a hint of some kind of oak, not too hot, and just enough structure. This is firmly in the New World style, but also tastes like wine.

• Lubanzi Chenin Blanc 2019 ($15, purchased, 12.5%): This South African white isn’t quite as crisp as I like my chenin blanc, but still well done — apple and pear fruit, maybe a little lemon. It’s not soft — just not as crisp as something like the Ken Forester. Imported by Cape Venture

• Spinelli Terre Di Chieti Rosato 2019 ($8, purchased, 12.5%): This Italian pink costs as little as €3 in Italy. Berry fruit, almost savory in what seems to be an Italian style much preferred by Italians, as well as bone dry and a stony finish. Highly recommended. Imported by Enotec Imports

• Poema Cava Brut NV ($12, purchased, 11.5%): A touch softer than traditional cava, the Spanish sparkling wine. That means red apple instead of green and not as much lemon. But well done, and the bubbles belie the price. Imported by Kobrand

Photo: “Happy Fourth of July 2013!” by JD Hancock is licensed under CC BY 2.0

More Fourth of July wine:
• Fourth of July wine 2020
• Fourth of July wine 2019
• Fourth of July wine 2018
• Wine of the week: Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rose Brut NV

Father’s Day wine 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Father's Day wine 2021
Yes, I know I’ve used this picture before. But it’s just so Father’s Day.

Father’s Day wine 2021: Four wines for Dad to enjoy

This year’s Father’s Day wine post finds wine not nearly as bad off as it was a year ago. So celebrate with the blog’s Father’s Day wine 2021. And don’t forget the blog’s wine gift-giving guidelines — don’t buy someone wine that you think they should like; buy them what they will like.

Father’s Day wine 2021 suggestions:

• Villa Gemma Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Rose 2020 ($20, sample, 14%): This Italian pink intimidated me, what with its price and alcohol content. Fortunately, I tasted it with the Italian Wine Guy, who told me to just shut up and enjoy it. And he was correct: Almost savory, with strawberry and raspberry fruit — a very sophisticated rose. Highly recommended. Imported by Vintus

• Prophecy Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($12, purchased, 12.5%): Spot-on supermarket sauvignon blanc from New Zealand (and E&J Gallo) that reminds me why these wines offer so much value. Simple, but well made and clean, with a bit of lemon to go with the not too tart grapefruit. Much better than I expected, given the blather on the back label: “aromas of cool sea air.” Imported by Prophecy Wines

• Citra Sangiovese 2019 ($12, sample, 13%): Not quite as well done as the 2017, but still a simple, enjoyable Italian red wine and just the thing for burgers on the grill. Look for cherry fruit, a little acidity, and some spice. Imported by Winebow

• Juvé y Camps Brut Rose NV ($17, purchased, 12%): This Spanish pink sparkler is known for including pinot noir instead of the more traditional trepat, so it’s always a little less tart than other cavas. But always well done — soft strawberry fruit and lots and lots of tight, tiny bubbles. Imported by Vintus

More Father’s Day wine:
• Father’s Day wine 2020
• Father’s Day wine 2019
• Father’s Day wine 2018
• Expensive wine 144: Pio Cesare Cortese di Gavi 2018

Wine of the week: Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rose Brut NV

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rose Brut/$10-$13

The Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rose is a first-rate Argentine bubbly — and a terrific value

Know two things about this wine: First, it’s difficult to find quality dry sparkling wine made with the charmat method, and especially at this price. Second, I should have reviewed it months ago – it’s that well done.

So consider this a wholehearted endorsement of the Argentine Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rose NV ($12, sample, 12%). In fact, I didn’t expect to like it, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Which is why the first rule of wine criticism (as I always remind myself) is to taste the wine before judging it.

Too much charmat sparkling is soft, has flabby bubbles, and doesn’t have enough acidity or fruit to balance its sweetness. None of that is the case here. Even more remarkable is that the wine is made with two grapes – pinot noir (75 percent) and chardonnay (25 percent) – that don’t necessarily do well in Argentina.

Nevertheless, it works here. Look for lots of fresh red berry fruit from the pinot noir as well as a pleasant, almost citrus aroma. The chardonnay adds body and acidity; the residual sugar is as high as some sweeter tasting sparklers, but the sweetness isn’t obvious here. And the bubbles are first-rate, tight and small.

Highly recommended, and almost certain to enter the $10 Hall of Fame in January. Chill this and drink it on its own, or pair it with almost anything you’d drink rose still wine with. And be glad I finally remembered to review it.

Imported by Origins Organic Imports

Mother’s Day wine 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

mother's day 2021
“Remember — buy me what you think I’ll like, and not what you think I should drink.”

Four suggestions — white, sparkling, rose, and red — for Mother’s Day 2021

The blog’s 15th annual Mother’s Day wine post reminds me of a couple of things, but mostly that I always need to write about wines that my mom will enjoy (and won’t have too much trouble finding in a store near her).

So, as always, the emphasis is on valuer and quality, with the reminder that we should buy Mom something she will enjoy and not something we think she should drink. These Mother’s Day wine suggestions should get you started:

• Balletto Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($20, sample, 13.1%): This is classic California sauvignon blanc, which isn’t easy to find any more. That means a wonderful aroma of grassiness with a hint of melon, lemon fruit but not particularly tart, and a long, minerally finish. Highly recommended (and even worth doing a Zoom tasting to sample).

• Ackerman Marquis de la Tour Brut NV ($10, purchased, 11%): Terrific cheap bubbly from France’s Loire that’s made with chardonnay, chenin blanc, and – believe it or not – ugni blanc. It’s soft, a little sweet (honey?), with lemon and apple fruit. But the bubbles are tight, even though it’s charmat. Very nicely done. Imported by Palm Bay International

• Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare 2020 ($15, sample, 13.5%): This California pink, always one of my favorites, was a little less Doonish last vintage. But this is as it should be: Stony, almost austere, with a hint of barely ripe strawberry fruit to remind you it’s rose, as well as a very long and very clean finish. Highly recommended.

• Tinto Negro Malbec 2019 ($10, sample, 13.5%): I’ve probably tasted more Argentine malbecs during the pandemic than the past couple of years combined; the quality, as with this wine, has been much better than expected. It’s a bright, fresh and not too jammy red, with lots of blueberry fruit. But it’s not overdone and there is plenty of acidity and even a little spice to back it up. Very professional rendering of this style. Imported by Vineyard Brands

Photo: Thiago Cerqueira, via Unsplash

More about Mother’s Day wine:
• Mother’s Day wine 2020
• Mother’s Day wine 2019
• Mother’s Day wine 2018
• Expensive wine 140: WillaKenzie Estate Chardonnay 2018
• Wine of the week: Garofoli Macrina 2019

Wine of the week: L’Onesta Lambrusco di Sorbara NV

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

L’Onesta Lambrusco di Sorbara/$12-$15

The L’Onesta Lambursco di Sorbara is a stunning dry Lambrusco that reminds us how amazing wine can be

How wonderful and amazing is wine? And how much do people miss when they dismiss wine because it’s alcohol or it’s old-fashioned or because wine drinkers can be snotty or because there’s too much emphasis on price?

The answer to all these questions is in a bottle of the L’Onesta Lambrusco Sorbara NV ($13, purchased, 11%). It’s a revelation, and I say this as someone who has been writing about wine for more than 20 years (and drinking it for much longer). It’s the exact opposite of what most of us assume Lambrusco to be – not a sweet and syrupy red wine, but a balanced and delicious and bubbly wine.

Yes, a stunning dry Lambrusco. There’s just enough sweetness so that you’ll notice it if you’re paying attention, but that’s just the beginning of what’s going on. There’s also sour cherry and raspberry fruit, as well as some of the best charmat fizz I’ve ever tasted. This is the kind of wine to open during a Texas summer – or for Mom on Sunday – and drink and talk and drink some more, and then, as you drink and talk, you realize there’s something to this wine business after all.

Highly recommended, and a shoo-in for the 2022 Hall of Fame in January. And if this wine isn’t on the short list for the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year, there’s no reason to do the Cheap Wine of the Year in 2022.

A note about the wine’s name: The L’Onesta Lambrusco di Sorbara is made by a producer called Famiglia Carofoli, according to the importer. But it’s also listed, for some reason, under a producer called Cantina di Sorbara, in case that shows up in a Google search. You should be able to find it by searching for L’Onesta Lambrusco di Sorbara.

Imported by T. Edward Wines

Wine of the week: Graham Beck Cap Classique Brut NV

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Graham Beck Cap ClassiqueThe Graham Beck Cap Classique Brut is a South African sparkler that specializes in quality and value

South Africa’s Graham Beck sparkling wines have long offered value and quality. But like many South African wines, availability has sometimes been a problem. That has especially been the case in the past couple of years, no doubt because premiumization made them seem too cheap and consolidation made it more difficult to get them on store shelves.

So it was with great joy that I scooped up the Graham Beck Cap Classique Brut ($15, purchased, 12%) when I found it on a store shelf. Sparkling wine at this price does not get much better, even if it’s one of my beloved cavas.

Look for tight bubbles, enough fruit so that it’s noticeable (green apples and lemon?), some minerality, and just enough creaminess for people who like that sort of thing in their sparkling wine. Even better, it doesn’t have any of the things that too many bubblies at this price pass off as acceptable – extra sweetness, a bitter finish, and big, sloppy bubbles.

Highly recommended, and especially with The Holiday that Must Not be Named taking place next week. A candidate for the 2022 Hall of Fame, and almost worth considering, despite the price, for the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year.

Imported by Beck Family Estates

Expensive wine 141: Besserat de Bellefon Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Brut NV

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Besserat de BellefonYes, it’s pricey, but the Besserat de Bellefon is Champagne the way it should be

The Champagne business is suffering during the pandemic. A couple of weeks ago, it reported that sales fell by some $1.2 billion in 2020, dropping 18 percent in volume. Who would have thought?

Hence, the Besserat de Bellefon Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru ($90, sample, 12.5%) – and just in time for The Holiday that Must Not be Named.

The Besserat’s price is purely a function of premiumization; Champagne has managed to avoid the Trump wine tariffs. The region’s sales decline is a function of this surge in prices, as well as the pandemic’s hit on restaurant wine sales. Not many of us want to spend this much money on a bottle of Champagne for dinner at home.

The Besserat’s quality has nothing to do with premiumization. This is top-notch sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France, offering everything one would expect of a high-priced bubbly. Look for some citrus and floral notes mixed with the almost toast-like aroma that high-end Champagne is known for. The fruit is a little softer than chardonnay; thank red apple and stone fruits. The bubbles, of course, are quite tight..

It’s not often I get to taste a wine that costs this much, but the Besserat de Bellefon was worth waiting for.

Imported by Winesellers Ltd.