Category Archives: Sparkling Wine

Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, Sparkling Wine, Frizzante, etc.,

GLORIA FERRER BLANC DE NOIRS ROSÉ NV, Méthode Traditionnelle, Carneros, California, United States of America

13 Saturday Mar 2021

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Cost: $34.95
Grape: Pinot Noir
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: Carneros, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Gloria Ferrer
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Full body, full of flavour, good value. Score: 90/100

Tasting Note: Rose gold in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a mild intense nose & a long length on the finish. This wine features: Light yeast, brioche, black cherry, strawberry, lemon meringue, red apples, cola & vanilla.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Currently, the LCBO has the regular Brut Blanc de Noir with the SKU number listed below.

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Spiced Pork Chops within Cherry Thyme pan sauce.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: March 12, 2021 (Happy Birthday to me!)

LCBO: 925735

DOMAINE STE. MICHELLE BRUT SPARKLING WINE NV, Méthode Classique, Columbia Valley, Washington State, United States of America

12 Friday Mar 2021

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Cost: $19.95
Grape: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: United States of America
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Domaine Ste. Michelle
Alcohol:  11.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Full body where its dryness is in between bone dry & sweat, so right down the middle. Very easy drinking & full of flavour. Score: 89/100

Tasting Note: Light gold in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense+ nose & an average length on the finish. This wine features: Light yeast, brioche, pear, green apple, lemon & Easter Lily on the nose.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Outside Cava’s that are also traditional method that are mostly priced under $20, it’s rare to see in an Ontario sparkling wine made the same way being under $20.

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with calamari.

My Opinion: Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: March 11, 2021

LCBO: 557637

TENUTA DI COLLALBRIGO PROSECCO SUPERIORE EXTRA DRY NV, DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy

07 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $16.95
Grape: Glera
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Conegliano & Valdobbiadene, Veneto
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Tenuta di Collalbrigo
Alcohol:  11.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Full body Prosecco that’s fresh & juicy. Great quality at a great price. 91/100

Tasting Note: Straw in colour with good acidity, fine mousse, a medium+ intense nose & a good length on the finish. This wine features: Gala apples, pear, white peach, lemon-lime & clementine.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Their wines are the product of low-yielding vineyards in hills formed by Dolomites’ glacier movements. On average, their vineyards are 25-30 years old, & the soil composition is of clay & pebbles.

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Wild Caught Poached Snapper with Lemon Browned Butter Sauce 

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: March 7, 2021

LCBO: 16603

CELENE CUVÉE ROYALE ROSÉ CRÉMANT DE BORDEAUX NV, Traditional Method, AOC Bordeaux, France

14 Sunday Feb 2021

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Cost: $19.95
Grape: Cabernet Franc & Merlot
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Celene de Bordeaux
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

A true representation of both Cab Franc & Merlot in a sparkling rosé. Nice, dry, light & tasteful. Score: 92/100

Tasting Note: Bright copper to salmon in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a fairly long length on the finish. Wine features redcurrant, black cherry, raspberry, mulberry, tamarind, blackberry & cassis.      

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: LCBO list the grapes used as Cabernet Franc & Muscadelle, however on the winery’s website, it Cab Franc & Merlot. And I confess, I bought this wine because I loved the bottle. Happy that the taste matched the elegance of the bottle.

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 5-7 years & pair it with Seafood Stew with Fennel & tomatoes

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy

Tasted: February 14, 2021

LCBO: 16604

MUMM NAPA BRUT PRESTIGE NV, Méthode Traditionnelle, Napa Valley, California, United States of America

13 Sunday Dec 2020

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Cost: $29.95 (Sale Price: $24.95 until Jan 3, 2021)
Grape: 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Gris & Pinot Meunier
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO General List
Country: United States
Region:  Napa Valley, California
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Mumm Napa Winery
Alcohol:  13.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Smooth, creamy & easy drinking sparkling wine. Score: 88/100

Tasting Note: Bright straw in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features light brioche & yeast, gingerbread, lemon, green & red apples, peach, pear, cantaloupe, & vanilla.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Last time I reviewed this wine was in 2016, & true to house form, it hasn’t really changed in taste, which is what you want in a non-vintage sparkling wine year to year.

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 7-10 years & pair it with Pork Cutlets with Pear and Ginger Sauce.

My Opinion: Recommended

Tasted: December 13, 2020

LCBO: 217273

13th STREET WINERY CUVÉE BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING WINE NV, Méthode Traditionnelle, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

03 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by in 13th Street Winery, Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $29.95 (Sale Price until Jan 3, 2021: $24.95)
Grape: 54% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: 13th Street Winery
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

This just might be the best Ontario sparkling rosé that I have tried to date; simply delightful. Score: 94/100

Tasting Note: Deep salmon in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features brioche, strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, Spy apple, clementine, roasted almonds & limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: This is JP’s 2020 batch, although it’s non-vintage, he has elevated it from his previous batches.

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next several years & pair it with Madawaska cheese & roasted almonds.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy at sale price

Tasted: December 3, 2020

LCBO: 147504

ROTARI BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING WINE 2014, DOC Trento, Italy

15 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by in Best Buys, Highly Recommended, Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding

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Cost: $19.95
Grape: Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: Italy
Region: Trento
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Rotari
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

A fine and elegant vintage rosé sparkling wine at a great price. Score: 92/100

Tasting Note: Light copper in colour with good acidity, fine perlage (mousse in Italian), a medium intense nose, & a long length on the finish. Wine features light yeast & toast, strawberry, raspberry, pear, peach, cherry & limestone.  

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: “All the grapes are hand selected and picked from our wine growers and then brought into the cellar quickly to be processed and made into wine. To respect the rich aroma of red fruit of the Pinot noir and Chardonnay the wine is vinified only in steel with selected yeasts and without any aging in oak wood. The wines are aged in steel until February, then processed according to the champagne method with a maturation on the lees in bottle for at least 24 months. Only the Chardonnay basic wines are subjected to malolactic fermentation in order to smooth down the acidity of the Pinot noir and increase the roundness.” (Rotari Winery notes)

Pairings: Drink this now or in the next 3-5 years & pair it with pasta with olive oil paté, tomatoes & pecorino cheese.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Best Buy & Top Pick

Tasted: November 15, 2020

LCBO: 16601

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY BALANCE BRUT RIESLING, NV, Traditional Method, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

09 Sunday Aug 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Non LCBO Wine, Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $26.95
Grape: Riesling
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Could this be the best traditional made Riesling sparkling wine in Canada? Well, I don’t know as I’ve never tasted every one of them, but in the ones that I have & lets include Blanc de Blancs sparkling wines in general & further add that’s it’s under $27, this is definitely one of the best. Score: 93/100

Tasting Note: Straw with a green ting in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a fairly long length on the finish. Wine features lime, green apples, pear & limestone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: I just love the colour coding labels the Teaching Winery is using for their sparkling wines.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 7-9 of years on its own or pair it with cucumber gazpacho, especially the one from the Teaching Winery food truck’s chef; Tarun makes.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Tasted: August 9, 2020

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING WINERY TRADITIONAL METHOD ROSÉ, NV, VQA Niagara-On-The-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

02 Sunday Aug 2020

Posted by in Canadian Wines, Highly Recommended, Niagara College Teaching Winery, Non LCBO Wine, Sparkling Wine, Top Picks, Price Not Withstanding, Winery Review Series

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Cost: $28.95
Grape: Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: Winery
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara-On-The-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Niagara College Teaching Winery
Alcohol:  12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Niagara College Teaching Winery winemaker; Gavin Robertson, has outdid himself with his new traditional method Rosé sparkling wine, & I am putting it as one of Canada’s top Rosé sparkling wines that I have the pleasure of tasting.

Tasting Note: Pale salmon in colour with a fine mouse, good acidity, a medium intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features light yeast, strawberry, red apples, pear, kiwi & hazelnut.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: The Teaching Winery now has 4 sparkling wines (Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Rosé & Riesling. The Riesling sparkling I will be reviewing next Sunday), & I love the colour labeling of all 4 wines.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 5-7 years on its own or pair it with Cajun spiced fries, especially made by the Teaching Winery chef; Tarun, from his food truck now on the premise serving excellent food.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick

Score: 95/100

Tasted: August 2, 2020

ANTHONIJI RUPERT L’OMARINS BLANC DE BLANCS 2013, Méthode Cap Classique, Western Cape, South Africa

27 Monday Jul 2020

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Cost: $24.95
Grape: Chardonnay
Category: Sparkling Wine
Location: LCBO Vintages
Country: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Format: 750 mL
Producer: Anthonij Rupert Wyne
Alcohol:  12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

A delightful vintage Blanc de Blancs that is lip-smacking taut, zesty & crisp with fresh fruits & some stone minerality. If this was made in Champagne the cost would be 3 times as high.

Tasting Note: Medium straw in colour with fine mousse, good acidity, a medium+ intense nose & a long length on the finish. Wine features lemon zest, pink grapefruit, pear, green apple, peach, orange & sandstone.

Negatives: None

Interesting Point: Love the classic label & bottle etching.

Pairings: Drink now or over the next 10 years on its own or pair it with seared pork chops with spicy peach sauce.

My Opinion: Highly Recommended

Top Pick & Best Buy

Tasted: July 26, 2020

LCBO: 15681