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by Manos Angelakis
Over the past several weeks we have been having our favorite holiday libations, champagne and sparkling wines. I don’t really consider sparklers to be a strictly holiday drink, as I have Prosecco or Sect in the summer in the form of Bellinis, Crémant d’ Alsace in the spring with Oriental dishes etc.
But, the holidays are the time when everyone else breaks open the bubbly, so I follow the trend.
This year we were lucky enough to have numerous sparkler brands to choose from, therefore I will talk about the ones we considered the tastiest.
Maison Lucien Albrecht, produces a Crémant d’ Alsace, Brut Rosé, that I consider one of the better non vintage sparklers. Jean Albrecht, the proprietor and winemaker, believes in minimal intervention while the product is being created, with the resulting sparkler representing the terroir and style of the almost 400-year family controlled company. They also produce a Brut, Blanc de Blancs, that I like with spicy Thai dishes. Considering the price to value ratio of these sparkling wines, they are near the top of my holiday list.
Another Rosé sparkling wine that I found very drinkable and enjoyable, was the Mas de Monistrol MPX, a Spanish Cava. It is a bit fruitier than the Albrecht Brut Rosé, and it pairs very well with tapas and other hors d’ oeuvres, especially Galician-style tidbits. I tasted the white version as well, but I consider it just too austere for my taste.
On the champagne side, we had a ball with Nicolas Feuillatte Champagnes.
Everyone loved the 1999 Millésime, Brut Cuvée Spéciale, a blend with a fine, frothy mousse, and quite aromatic. The Cuvée Spéciale emphasizes the delicacy of the Chardonnay, while small amounts of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier give it balance and homogeneity. For the purists, we also tasted the 1998 Millésime, Chardonnay, Blanc de Blancs. If pure Chardonnay is your preference, you can’t do better than this, considering the price to value.
Feuillatte’s NV Rosé was a wonderful surprise Bright, fruity, with raspberry, strawberry and red currant notes, without the berries being overpowering. Wonderful color.
But the piece de resistance was the Nicolas Feuillatte, 1997 Palmes d’ Or, Brut. This is the super-premium version of the Feuillatte Champagnes and comes in a black velvet sack that contains a distinctive, dimpled bottle. The Champagne is pale gold colored, with yellow highlights. Bone dry, it is crisp, bright, and complex, with a gentle mousse. A bit more yeasty than the nose would suggest, it is smooth and buttery with undertones of pear and sour apple. Works well alone or with desserts. It presents a well-structured palate. I consider it one of the best Champagnes I had in 2007, even when compared to such better known names as Pommery Cuvée Louise 1998, Bollinger Special Cuvée, Taittinger, and Veuve Clicquot. We have had this champagne before; we liked it before and we liked it even more now.
Á votre santé!
© January 2008 The Oenophile Blog. All rights reserved.
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