Champagne and Sparkling Wine Buyers Guide

National Champagne Day arrives every year on 12/31, as is tradition.  Although we prefer champagne, we wanted to create a list that offered more variety and broader bodies.  With the blessing of our wine department, here is the list of options for you and yours to enjoy this New Year’s Eve to celebrate not just in style but flavor!

Champagne (Dry, Biscuity, Orchard Fruit):

Charles Ellner Carte Blanche Brut

This champagne’s aroma brings about autumn leaves, yellow fruits, walnuts with other nuts with yeasty notes. Additionally, we notice an intense taste with full body and some sweetness, quite complex and not so easy to assess from the several sips.

Maillart Platine 1er Cru Brut Champagne

The nose embraces this dry champagne with aromas of green apple allover, very pleasant on the palette. The first embrace is a bit intense but still very elegant- the balance shows some acidity while the tartness is delicate but divine.  The sugar gives the midbody character. Finally, a long finish confirming the green apple bitterness.

Prosecco (Fruity & Floral):

Fratelli Cosmo Prosecco

This amazing Prosecco is luminous and sparkling, with a delicate bead of fine bubbles, soft but generous. The bouquet offers alluring aromas of Golden Delicious apples and peaches. The palate is fruit-forward and smooth, full-bodied and well structured with refreshingly crisp flavors of tree fruit. It is an elegant wine that is beautifully balanced and has a nice, bubbly finish.

Naonis Prosecco Brut

This prosecco offers a green apple, mirabelle plum, pear, citrus, yeast profile compounded with a very bright yellow color. We notice medium acidity with some sweet undertones. The bubbles are quite strong and long-lasting; light body and nice minerality.

Sparkling Rose (Fruity with hints of Cherry and Floral notes):

Pizzolato Paloma Sparkling Rose

Light and smooth, melon, pear, slight minerality, lower acidity. Despite the label, it's a very mellow prosecco in a stunning and fascinating bottle.

Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV

This méthode cap classique from South African stalwart Graham Beck has a lovely creamy red fruit and apple character, with a rich mousse and brioche finish. It has a vibrant raspberry acidity and a long finish.

Cava (Dry, Lemongrass & Stone Fruit, Clean):

Bodegas Valdeorite Brut Cava

This sparkling white wine is a straw yellow color with fine and persistent bubbles.  Clean and fruity on the palate with a marked citrus character and a background of floral notes.

Castell de Sant Pau Brut Nature

This lovely, crisp and refreshing bubbly is made in the trendy style of the most sought-after grower champagnes: with no dosage, or added sugar (thus the “brut nature” nomenclature).

Cremant (Floral, stone fruit and fresh):

Domaine Vieil Orme "Gabriel" Brut Cremant de Loire

A bouquet of white flowers with a beautiful aromatic complexity: acacia, lily, white fruits, melissa, apricot. Good freshness on the palate, very smooth with very delicate floral aromas and a long finish.

Je t’aime Cremant de Limoux Brut

Yellow-gold in color with green tints, Je T'aime Brut has tiny long lasting and lingering bubbles with aromas of fresh and vivid mixed white flowers, peach, green apple and citrus fruits. Je T'aime is well balanced with toasted notes on the finish. It is aged on laths for a minimum of 18 months prior to release.