Let's admit two facts. First, 2009 has been a hateful year, economically speaking, for a lot of folks. Second, most folks will have enough drinks in them by 11:59 p.m. on New Year's Eve that opening a bottle of fine Champagne will be an ego stroke rather than a wine experience to savor.
This week, I suggest a few sparkling wines that offer good flavors at a good price. As a bonus, my mother-in-law, an avowed lover of all wines sparkling, but especially Champagne, was in town and gamely volunteered to taste along with me. I've added her conclusions to my notes.
Do try to buy from a store that moves a good volume of sparklers, or at least matches its inventory to its sales volume. Unsure how long a bottle has been on the shelf? Ask. That dusty bottle in the sunny front window of the local minimart is unlikely to provide much pleasure, regardless of the price.
For this tasting, I purchased four different wines: three recommended by local shops and, as a control, one big brand from my local Schnucks. My mother-in-law and I tasted these wines blind. Unfortunately, one of the three nice ones was corked, and I was unable to procure a timely replacement. So I purchased another wine, which we didn't taste blind, to fill out the field.
I've noted the place I purchased each wine and the price I paid, though many of these are available at other wine shops around town.
Recommended
Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut Cava, Spain (The Wine & Cheese Place, $9)
We've discussed Spain's sparkling bargain before, but for the price I was not expecting much from this Cava. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
Extremely pale yellow in color. Lightly yeasty nose, with some nice toasty notes. Bright lemony fruit pops through on the palate, where the yeastiness is not overpowering. The finish is long and minerally. My mother-in-law is a fan of yeasty notes, and this wine by far had the most; I'm not a fan, and this was still within tolerance. Carbonation was on the low side, the weakest of the wines sampled, which took away some of the wine's festive nature.
Les Rocailles, Brut, Vin de Savoie (The Wine & Cheese Place, $17)
And now for something completely different. This is for those who don't like the yeasty, toasty, bready flavors of Champagne or its imitators. The Savoie is an individualistic region producing a unique sparkler built on two local grape varieties, jacquère and altesse, along with 20% chardonnay. The result is certainly not a traditional New Year's sparkler, and my mother-in-law was adamant that it wouldn't serve that purpose well, but it was my favorite of the tasting. Regardless, it's well worth sampling even if you need to do so under other circumstances later in the year.
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