Acacia Vineyard is known for their Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay so it’s not a stretch to expect them to try their hand at sparking wine. What is a bit surprising is their preference for long bottle age as this wine, now 10 years of age, is still available in some stores (the winery is selling the 1997 vintage right now). I couldn’t find any information about the percentages of the blend but I’d guess from the taste it’s just a tad to the Chardonnay side with the rest being Pinot Noir and perhaps some Pinot Meunier.

Acacia Vineyard, Brut, Sparkling Wine 1996 ($40) - Golden straw in color with vigorous bubbles. Citrus and fresh bread aromas. Lemon and mineral flavors with a dose of acidity and nuttiness on the finish. Dry and clean but not as complex as expected given it’s age. I’d drink these up if I had any more bottles as I don’t think they will improve.

12% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 86

Buy this wine online

It’s Wednesday and (fairly) early in the month, so it must be time for another edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. This time out, Culinary Fool is hosting and has chosen the theme of sparkling wine. Avid readers will remember only a couple of months back we sampled Champagne for this event. This month the only rule is the wine has to be sparkling and can’t come from France’s Champagne region. I really like this because December is a very festive month where most sparkling wine is sold and consumed. And, on the occasion I pop a cork of bubbly, 90% of the time it’s from Champagne (the other 10% from California, mostly Roederer Estate).

So if the theme is to explore the world of sparkling wine outside of my normal places, I wanted to really think different. I looked for Sekt from Germany or Austria, but couldn’t find a bottle I thought would be a good choice. Then I looked for sparking Shiraz from Oz but didn’t find one example in the stores I visited (I know there is some in town, because I’ve seen it before). So after briefly considering Prosecco, I decided to revisit Cava, the sparkling wine of Spain.

Cava and I go way back to my early days of wine geekdom. In fact, right after I graduated from Korbel Brut, there was always a black bottle of Freixenet in reserve at Casa Elliott. This inexpensive sparkler provided many of the same flavors of California wines at a fraction of the price. But like many other wines, my palate developed and only Champagne or higher end California sparklers would do. To make my final choice for this evening, I ventured into Solo Vino and asked for their recommendation.

The bottle I ended up with was Cava Avinyo Brut Reserva made by the Esteve Nadal family of Avinyonet del Penedès in Spain just outside of Barcelona. This Cava is blend of Macabeu, Parellada, Xarel-lo grown with biodynamic and organic methods (although not certified as such). These three grapes are native to Spain and the only that are legally permitted to be blended into Cava (some producers are now lobbying for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to also be approved). The wine is made using the méthode champenoise with 18-22 months of bottle aging before disgorgement.

Tasting Notes:

Cava Avinyo, Brut Reserva, Penedes, Spain NV ($14) - Light straw with a green tinge and medium-sized bubbles. Aromas of green apple, grapefruit and the slightest hint of yeastiness. In the mouth, there is the initial impression of citrus and bracing acidity, then nice and dry with some peach on the finish; very fresh and satisfying. A fairly complex sparkler at a bargain price; highly recommended.

11.5% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 90

Thanks again to Culinary Fool for a great seasonal theme and a nice discovery just in time for the Holidays and New Year celebrations. It will be interesting to see what other bloggers came up with this time and if founder Lenn resisted his temptation to taste a New York sparkler

It’s a new month and a Wednesday, so that means it’s time for another edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, our monthly virtual wine tasting. This month it’s serial WBW host Sam from Becks & Posh who picked perhaps the world’s most festive and celebrated sparkling wine, Champagne. That’s right, with a capital “C”; the real stuff from Northern France’s Champagne region, not Andre from Modesto. I have to admit I don’t drink a lot of sparkling wine, particularly in the middle of the week, but when I do it is almost always Champagne. There is something about the balance of flavor, minerality and, yes, mystique that surrounds this wine. I’ve had excellent sparking wine made in California but nothing seems to equal Champagne from a price/value relationship. So I thought it would be interesting to see how many true Champagne could be had for under $40 USD a bottle, as well as trying to get some of Sam’s “Extra Brownie Points” by staying away from the big houses. A bit of online research turned up a list of over 10 wines that appeared to meet this criteria and I was off to the wine store.

The first store I went to had a reasonable selection of Champagne including one on my shopping list, the Comte Audoin de Dampierre, Brut “Cuvee des Ambassadeurs“. I’m not sure if Comte Audoin de Dampierre would qualify as a small producer, as they export to almost 30 countries, but it is a family owned house with a 700 year tradition in winemaking. According the the history on their website, they have been making sparkling wine since the late 19th century. This wine is a 50/50 blend of chardonnay from the grand cru villages of Avize, Cramant, and Mesnil-sur-Oger and Pinot Noir from Bouzy, Ambonnay, and Cumières. It gets it’s special designation from the fact that it is served at many French embassies worldwide and the Elysée Palace (home to the French President) so it has the makings of a decent value.

Tasting Notes:

Comte Audoin de Dampierre, Brut, “Cuvee des Ambassadeurs”, Premier Cru, NV ($35) - Pale straw-green in color with vigorous and fine bubbles. Very pronounced grapefruit, fresh bread and almond aromas proceed nicely balanced and elegant citrus, yeast and mineral flavors finishing with lively acidity. A textbook Champagne, perhaps a bit dryer than most Brut, with enough flavor to match with a light entrée or enjoy with hors d’oeuvres. It’s also a great value.

12% ABV
Natural cork closure (very difficult to remove)
Score: 90
Buy this wine online

Thanks again to Sam for a festive theme this month and bringing mucho celebration into my midweek (thanks, I needed some of that). I’ll be searching for a couple more value priced Champagne for a podcast later in the fall.

Today’s podcast is a return after more than a month away from the mic with a look at Sonoma’s Russian River Valley AVA.

Show Notes:
00:22 - Welcome
01:01 - Russian River Valley Background
02:20 - Tasting Notes
02:40 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Elsbree Vineyards 2004 ($45)
03:06 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Leras Family Vineyards 2003 ($45) *
03:41 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Tina’s Vineyard 2004 ($38)
04:23 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Christine’s Vineyard 2004 ($38)
04:51 - De La Montanya Winery, Syrah, Estate Vineyard 2004 ($30)
05:05 - De La Montanya Winery, Pin-up Series, “Cabaret - Series II”, Cabernet / Zinfandel / Syrah 2003 ($38)
05:59 - Felda Creek, “Pinot Squared” 2004 ($32)
06:36 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Barrel Select 2003 ($22) +
07:18 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Lot 4, 2003 ($35)
07:37 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2002 ($28)
08:28 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Lindleys Knoll Vineyard 2002 ($55)
08:46 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, “Le Pinot”, Rochioli Vineyard 2002 ($80)
09:23 - Davis Bynum, Cabernet Sauvignon, Laureles Estate Vineyard 1999 ($50)
09:48 - J Vineyards, J Vintage Brut 2000 ($30)
10:24 - J Vineyards, J Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2003 ($32)
10:47 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole’s Vineyard 1997 ($40)
11:12 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole’s Vineyard 1998 ($40)
11:30 - Best of Tasting *
11:43 - Best Value +
12:05 - Full Disclosure
12:44 - Contact Details
13:13 - Next Show Theme

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Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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Nicolas Feuillatte, Brut-Reserve Particuliere 1er Cru, Epernay, NV ($19/375ml) - A blend of 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, this Champagne is straw in color with lively bubbles. Strong citrus, bread and mineral aromas set-up well balanced citrus and mineral flavors with a clean, dry finish. A very well made and tasty Champagne with more flavor than most. Score: 8.5/10

A special edition of the show devoted to sparkling wine, just in time for the New Year! I talk about the history of sparkling wine, how it’s made, Champagne glass types and taste three wines from around the world:

- Seaview Brut, 2001, South Eastern Australia ($9)
- Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs, NV, Napa Valley ($16)
- Taittinger Champagne Brut, NV, Reims, France ($30)

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