December Wine, part 2
Got Bubbles? No Troubles!
Hope everyone’s Holiday Season is in full swing, with lots of good times planned with family and friends. Maybe it is no surprise that we will close out the December Wine posts with a look into Sparkling Wine. Nothing quite like a glass of bubbly. Makes whatever the occasion or meal more enjoyable and festive.
Notice I said Sparkling Wine. I didn’t say “Champagne”. That is because all Champagne is Sparkling Wine, but a lot of Sparkling Wine is not Champagne. Before we get into our individual selections, a little 101 is in order to help you understand how this special wine is made, and what other names it goes by…
“How do those bubbles get in there”?
While you can create sparkling wine in more than one way, by far the best and preferred approach is something simply referred to as the “Traditional Method”. Depending on the country and region, you will see this name on the bottle in the local language. In the Champagne region of France, it is referred to as “methode champenoise”. Only sparkling wine made in this region is allowed to be called Champagne. However, the same process is used in other areas of France to make “Cremant”, in Spain to make “Cava” and in Italy to produce “Franciacorta” (but NOT Prosecco). And of course, sparkling wine in the US.
Here’s how it works:
The grapes are picked and juice collected without allowing much skin contact, which produces a white sparkling wine. This is because one of the primary grapes used to make sparkling wine is a red varietal, Pinot Noir. I’m sure you’ve seen Rose sparkling wines, which just means the skins and juice were together longer. The wine now undergoes the typical fermentation process.
A lot of sparkling wine you will find on your retailer’s shelf won’t have a specific vintage year. As we pointed out in Wine 101, it will be labeled as “NV”, or Non Vintage. In this case the wine maker will create a blend or “cuvee” from more than one year.
The blended wine is bottled, and a small amount of yeast, sugar and still wine is added. This top-off is known as “liqueur de tirage”, and it starts a second fermentation in the bottle. A temporary plug known as a crown cap is inserted for this step in the process.
The second fermentation creates carbon dioxide which is trapped in the bottle (bubbles!). After a period of aging, the dead, residual yeast particles known as “lees” must be removed. To accomplish this, the bottles are placed on a special rack, with the neck of the bottle angled down. Over a period of time, a daily process of slightly rotating and shaking the bottles is performed. This process, known as “riddling”, allows the sediment to collect in the neck of the bottle.
The final step calls for removal of the dead particles, or “disgorging”. Previously a skilled manual process, modern disgorgement freezes the neck and allows the plug of ice and lees to be removed. A final top-up of sugar and base wine is added, known as “liqueur d’expedition”. The amount of sugar added at this stage determines the sweetness of the final wine. Here is when the bottle gets that familiar cork and wire cage closure.
So, armed with that, let’s have some fun sampling bubbles. For this post, I thought I would give you two selections, both more or less within our broad price guidelines. As we did with December part 1 and Thanksgiving, I have both an Old World and New World look into this topic. And, as before, I will throw in some of those “honorable mentions” at the end.
Old World - French Cremant
If you are reading carefully (and I know you are), you may have spotted the word “Cremant” I used earlier. This is sparkling wine produced in France outside of Champagne, using the same method as Champagne we described above. While Champagne certainly sets the standard, Cremant can deliver high quality sparkling wine for a lot less cost.
While I love Champagne as much as the next guy, it’s price can make it more of a “special occasion” buy. I’d like you to discover great sparkling wine that you don’t need a special reason to purchase. That is why I picked the Cremant.
Cremant is produced in a variety of regions around France, each with their own style and approach. Cremants can come from larger areas such as the Loire, the Alsace, or in our case, Burgundy. There are also some other smaller regions in France making great Cremant.
Our wine today is from Burgundy (or “Bourgogne”), which you may remember from the Thanksgiving Wine post. Let’s get a better sense of exactly where in France Cremant, and in particular our Cremant comes from:
Our sparkler, Prosper Maufoux, from the Cote de Beaune area of Burgundy…
What does the label tell us? Not much beyond what I’ve already teed-up: It is a Cremant from Burgundy, and you don’t see a vintage, so you know it is a multi-year “NV”. You see the word “Brut”, which tells you the degree of sweetness in the wine. Brut is probably the best known and best liked style of sparkling wine- a very dry style (not to be confused with “Dry” or “Extra Dry”, which are actually sweeter than Brut!). You also know that Prosper Maufoux is no newcomer- founded in 1860!
So who are these guys?
Prosper Maufoux, the name of the founder, was in family hands for over 100 years. In the 1970s his grandson moved the main house to an 1800s mansion in Santenay built by the then-owner of the most prestigious wine estate in Burgundy, Domaine Romanee-Conti (often referred to as “DRC”). Prosper Maufoux makes Premier Cru Chardonnay-based white wine across the Burgundy region, sourcing grapes from the most sought after locations in Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. Take a look at the map below: the Cote de Beaune is in brown. Santenay sits at the southern end of the Cote de Beaune, adjacent to Chassagne and Puligny Montrachet. This is ground zero for great white wine.
Our wine was purchased at Heinens for $20. It is a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Gamay. Remember our friend Gamay from the Thanksgiving Wine post? It was the grape in the Cru Beaujolais. This bottling spent 12 to 15 months of aging on the lees (see above if you need a little refresher), longer than the minimum 9 month standard for Cremant.
Tasting:
In the glass, the Prosper is pale gold in color. It has lots of nice, small bubbles trailing up the flute. On the nose, I get white fruits followed by a little citrus and then some toast. On the palate, the Cremant is fresh. Fruit is on display, as opposed to minerality, although the lees aging does impart some of those great yeasty, toasty notes. There is good acidity here, which frames the total mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
This is a balanced expression of French sparkling wine- for $20! You can bring this to a holiday gathering and open it right away. It will be perfect as an aperitif or with nibbles before the meal. People will love the taste, look at the label and go “ooh, it’s from France”, to which you can give them a little Cremant primer, or just smile and say “yes it is!”.
New World - California Sparkling Wine
For our New World sparkler, I picked a an Old World name: Roederer. The House of Roederer is one of the largest producers of sparkling wine still in the hands of a founding family. Its roots in Champagne go back to the early 1800s. The House is managed by Jean-Claude Rouzaud, 7th generation of the original family. Their approach remains the same: “the right soil is the key to every great wine”. Many of you may recognize the name of a high-end Champagne called “Cristal”. This is Roederer’s flagship cuvee, originally created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
In 1982, Roederer purchased almost 600 acres in northern Mendocino County, California, with the intention of producing sparkling wine guided by 200 years of family tradition. The vineyards are in the Anderson Valley, which has a cool climate and well-drained soils. Proximity to the ocean produces fog in the morning followed by warmth in the afternoon. In the map below notice how far north Mendocino County is.
Roederer Estate uses only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from its own vineyards (“Estate”: there’s that Wine 101 again). Oak-aged wines from the estate’s reserve cellars are added to the blend, creating a multi-vintage cuvée in the traditional Louis Roederer style.
Our wine, the Roederer Estate Brut, is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. This wine is widely available and will cost you somewhere in the mid-$20s.
Tasting:
On the nose the Roederer displays white fruits with a slight lemony hint. Take a second, longer sniff and you pick up what is often described as “brioche”. It’s that rich, doughy smell that can be very appealing in sparkling wine. In the glass, I actually noticed fewer bubbles than with the Cremant, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good sparkling wine. On the palette you get beautiful pear and hazelnut flavors. The toasty notes and fruit are in balance.
The Bottom Line:
This is a classic sparkler. Clean; sophisticated for the price. A wine with both body and finesse. It will pair well with food or is refreshing on its own. You just can’t go wrong here!
Other Suggestions
There are so many great sparkling wines to choose from, but here are a few other ideas, particularly if you want to splurge, or if you want to go off the beaten path:
Splurge
I’ve danced around the word “Champagne” long enough. If you want real Champagne, and don’t mind paying up, try one of these (I will keep it under $100!). I’ve also included a higher-end Californian:
Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne Sous Bois NV ($85)
Moet & Chandon Brut Champagne Imperial NV ($40)
Schramsberg Extra Brut North Coast 2011 ($85). Note: Schramsberg is the “founding father” of the California sparkling wine industry, started by the Davies family back in the 1960s. Anything from Schramsberg is probably a good bet.
Off The Beaten Path
Good sparkling wine is being made in so many places. Try a bubbly from one of these producers:
New Mexico - Yes, New Mexico! In 1984 Gruet Winery was founded in New Mexico by a Champagne family of the same name. Way south of Albuquerque at high elevation. Very affordable and fun to surprise your guests when you tell them where their bubbly came from.
South Africa - Graham Beck Estate. Located in the Breede River Valley in the Western Cape. Very affordable (our Wine Doctor price range) and delicious. Look for the Rose or the Blanc de Blancs Brut.
Spain - Remember, they call it Cava. One that is a personal favorite is a family-owned winery by the name of Segura Viudas. In the heart of the Penedès wine region in Torrelavit, just outside of Barcelona. They make a special elegant bottling called Reserva Heredas (see pic below), but still very affordable. Bring this one to your next gathering. You are sure to get some attention!
That’s all for now. Until next time…Cheers!