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Sparkling holidays
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(Greg Whitesell/Examiner)
The Examiner’s second annual holiday tasting panel asked five top wine shops to suggest wines in the value, mid-priced and expensive categories. The holidays are upon us, which means wine lovers and gift givers are raiding the shelves of sparkling wines. And deservedly so. For making merry, you can’t do much better than the punctuated pop of the cork and bubbles in the glass (which happily help the alcohol along on its way to your brain). In addition, few wines are as versatile: Sparklers are equally at home with a honeyed ham and mashed potatoes as they are with chocolate cake. This year, for The Examiner’s second annual holiday tasting panel, we asked five top local wine shops — MacArthur Beverage, Pearson’s, Total Wine & More, Planet Wine and Schneider’s of Capitol Hill — to suggest wines in the value, mid-priced and expensive categories. Then, wines in hand, we gathered up seven of the city’s best palates to judge the selections at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown. They tasted blind — that is, only after each flight was poured, tasted and rated did we tell them what they had just drunk. What we didn’t have much of were trophy wines and famous labels like Dom Perignon, Veuve Cliquot and Cristal. What we did have, nonetheless, was anemphasis on French wines, especially in the mid-priced and expensive categories. While they tasted (and these folks taste a lot, often together) our sommeliers talked. Their favorite topics: Why white truffles are so expensive this year (a dry season in Italy), why they have trouble drinking hard liquor, why Jack Daniels always shows well at whiskey tastings, and some of their favorite (and least favorite) customers. The Panel Sommelier, Charlie Palmer Steak Examiner Wine Columnist Sommelier, 2941 Restaurant Sommelier, CityZen Sommelier, Marcel’s Food and Beverage Supervisor, The Ritz Carlton Georgetown Chef/Sommelier, New Heights Value Mixed reviews abound here, proving that it’s tough to get everything you want in a budget bottle. Spain and Italy still rival France in this price point. Best of Tasting Rotari arte Italiana Brut, Talento Trento DOC, NV (Available at Pearson’s, $13.99) One of our few non-French wines, this one did very well thanks to its “creamy texture” and “coconut, peach, apple” flavors. Tasting notes: “Hints of straw”; “stone fruits, floral notes, blood orange”; but one taster criticized it for being “not very effervescent” or acidic. Louis Bouillot, Blanc de Noirs, Cremant de Bourgogne, NV (Available at Total Wine & More, $13.99) Another strong finisher, one taster pegged this one as a $60 bottle. Tasting notes: “Light apricot” in color; “yeasty”; flavors of “cherry,” “wood” and “strawberries and cream.” Hunold Brut, Crémant d’Alsace, Cuvée du Paradis, NV (Available at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, $19.99) “Light and happy” was one description of this “soft, low-acid style” wine. Tasting notes: “Jammy, spice notes”; “slight sherry nose”; “soft mousse, ripe apples”; “diffused bubbles”; “short finish.” 1+1=3 Brut, Cava, Spain, NV (Available at MacArthur Beverage, $11.99) One of Spain’s most popular sparklers, tasters were all over the map on this one. Tasting notes: Some hated its “underripe fruit” but others loved its “elegant nose” and “long finish. Mid-Priced This category proved how tough it is to judge sparkling wine, even among experts. Impressions and ratings differed greatly across the board. Best of Tasting Lucien Albrecht, Reserve Rosé, Cremant d’Alsace, NV (Available at Total Wine & More, $17.99) Our only rosé proves why these wines are worth checking out, whether they’re sparkling or still. Tasting notes: A “lovely” wine with “good balance,” this one has flavors of “cranberry, wild strawberry” and “orange confit.” Jean Laurent Brut, Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, NV (Available at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, $39.99) Some of our sommeliers hit this one for big bubbles and too much residual sweetness. Tasting notes: An “interesting nose of biscuit and pear”; “slightly burned almond nose”; gives way to flavors of “lemon and star anise.” Bailly Lapierre, Cremant de Bourgogne, Pinot Noir, 2005 (Available at Pearson’s, $18.99) A 100 percent pinor noir wine gives this one a rosé-like hue. Tasting notes: Mixed reviews here, with the nose yielding everything from “honey” to “violets and metal.” Some praised its “good balance and fruity, earthy notes,” while another called it a “little watery.” Eric Rodez Brut Grand Cru, Blanc de Noirs, Ambonnay, Champagne, NV (Available at Planet Wine, $38.99) This one had all the characteristics of vintage Champagne: a yeasty, biscuit-like nose, and apple-apricot flavors on the tongue. Tasting notes: “Lots of spice in the nose,” “great balance”; “berries, smoke”; “palate disappoints.” Nicholas Feuillante Brut, Champagne, NV (Available at MacArthur Beverage, $22.99) Another reasonably priced Champagne in the classic style. Tasting notes: “Lively nose of orange peel and vanilla”; “good acid,” earned some demerits for a “short and bitter” finish. Expensive In the upper category, Champagne still rules. The flinty soil, cool climate and traditional method turns out wines of wondrous complexity. Best of Tasting Robert Moncuit Grand Cru Brut, Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger, Champagne, NV (Available at Total Wine & More, $39.99) Our top-scoring bubbly bottle — which most tasters correctly pegged as Champagne — hails from a producer that dates back to 1890. Tasting notes: This won praise for its “interesting nose” of “grass, watermelon and strawberries,” its “nectarine and apricot” flavors and “lime/mineral on the finish.” Jean Laurent Brut, Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, 1997 (Available at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, $69.99) Our only vintage Champagne was a dead giveaway, with nearly all sommeliers calling it “older” or “vintage.” One even correctly picked the year. Tasting notes: “Bitter lemon, cheese rind”; “buttery, toasty, very dry”; “pound cake”; “very precise.” Gosset Excellence Brut, Champagne, NV (Available at Pearson’s, $44.99) This Champagne comes from the oldest continually producing house in the region, which dates to 1584. Another obvious exponent of the classic style. Tasting notes: Nose of “caramel, vanilla and Christmas spice”; “grapefruit/wax, lemon/lime finish”; “LONG finish, a crowd pleaser. Lilbert-Fils Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, NV (Available at Planet Wine, $50.99) Some tasters mistook this one for a less expensive offering from California. Tasting notes: Interesting notes of “vanilla bean, jasmine”; “chalk dust”; “fine bread”; “tons of bubbles”: “a bit flat, not a lot of characater.” jdufour@dcexaminer.com |
