Sparkling

Our Professional Review

Oscar Garcia Moncada 67Wine.com | The current release of 67 Wine Somm Series Cava NV Brut is a blend of the three traditional grape varietals used to make Cava in the Penedes region of Catalonia :  Xarel.lo, Macabeo, Parellada.

Methode Traditionnelle (traditional method) and aged for 1 yr in the cellar after disgorgement.

Tasting Notes: Fresh and enticing with aromas of white peaches, brioche and white cranberries. Medium bodied with fine bubbles. The finish is refreshingly dry and clean.

Food Pairings: Perfect as an Aperitif or pair with an array of snacks, or your favorite dishes.

Our Professional Review

Somm Series Cava Brut Rose is made with 100% Garnacha. Traditional Method and aged a year in the cellar after disgorgement. Pale transparent pink hues. On the nose there's a bouquet of wild raspberries, cranberries and tangerine peel. Crisp and lively on the palate with a red-fruited spiced tinge. Refreshingly dry finish.

Food Pairings: Go against the grain and pair with a lovely Fruit tart.

- Oscar Garcia Moncada

Producer Description 

Lemon yellow colour with steely reflections. Fine bubble forming a small, slowly evolving rosary. Fruity aromas where the apple predominates, pleasant in the mouth with a slight acidity and a well-integrated bubble.

Hot and cold starters, oisters, game, fresh foie gras and caviar. Goes very well with most dishes provided that there are no condiments as very strong paprika powder.
The grapes come from the property owned vineyards in the municipality of Grávalos, south of Monte Yerga at the foothills of the “Cordillera Ibérica” at an altitude between 700–800 meters above sea level. A remarkably high located area where you obtain fresh wines with little alcohol content and with very fine and elegant aromas.

The Viura grape is harvested during the two first weeks of October. The collection of the grapes is done manually, selecting the grapes, preventing any deteriorated grapes from reaching the press or not complying with the quality required to elaborate our cavas. 

Winemaker Description

78% Pinot Noir, 22% Pinot Meunier; Cuvée Initiation is the newest addition to the Déhu lineup. Made from Pinot Noir and his signature variety Pinot Meunier, which Benoît planted using massale selection of Pommard clone from Burgundy. Oak vinification and ageing, unfined and unfiltered, low dosage. The wines is zippy and round with a persistent finish.

Winemaker Description

For its 170th anniversary, Maison Besserat de Bellefon gave its cellar master, Cédric Thibault, the freedom to imagine an exceptional cuvée expressing the best of his style. Perfect for special occasions, this extraordinary champagne will pair perfectly with lobster or haddock.

Expert Review

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | This limited-edition wine is a blend of grand cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Aged for 10 years in bottle, it is a steely, structured wine that brings sophistication to the white fruits and lively acidity. Drink now.  

Winemaker Description

Its pale and bright pink colour is adorned with warm glints of gold and its delicate slowly rising bubbles give it a persistent mousse. This cuvée unveils a subtle aroma leading to an elegant, delicate bouquet of fine notes of red fruits and zest of citrus fruits. Its special method of vinification gives this cuvée a light, elegant flavour, followed by a fresh finish with a taste of raspberry.This rosé champagne is an ideal partner as an aperitif and can also accompany a dish of wild salmon or sushi. For dessert, it will add a sublime touch to red fruit flavours. 

Expert Reviews

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points | Such an elegant, ethereal wine, this orange-pink wine is dry and crisp with fruity raspberry flavor at the fore. This particular bottling could improve for a year, but makes a great food Champagne now.

James Suckling 94 Points | An subtle nose with plenty of fine autolysis aromas of fresh bread and sweetly fragrant yeasty notes, plus some gentle spice and chalky notes. The palate unleashes beautiful wild strawberry fruit flavors, super fresh, fleshy and pure. Great balance and depth. Drink now. 

Expert Reviews

98 points James Suckling | Richly complex nose of spiced yellow plums, brioche, toasted lemons, butterscotch, baked apples, strawberries, coffee cream, praline, earthy mushroom and truffle hints. It’s creamy, layered and generous, with soft bubbles. Complex toasty and spicy elements carry through to a long finish. Opulence and sophistication. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. 1g/l dosage. Drink now or hold.  

98 Points Vinous | The 2005 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is sublime. Silky and understated, the 2005 is a model of class. The mousse alone is utterly captivating. Dried pear, gentle hints of spice, dried flowers and mint are some of the many notes that grace the 2005. In this vintage, Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is quite soft and medium in body, a Champagne of refinement more than power. Orchard fruit, white flowers and bright saline undertones frame the long, very pure finish. 

95 Points Wine Advocate | Disgorged at the end of 2019 with a dosage of one gram per liter, Billecart-Salmon’s 2005 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is the eighth edition (the release sequence is 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2005; Mathieu Roland-Billecart released this vintage after the 2006, to give it more time to mature in bottle.) This 100% Pinot Noir from the single vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ has a bright, vibrant, fresh nose of orchard fruits, dried fruits, nuts, pastry and spices. The palate is tense, delicate and medium-bodied and evokes notes of white pepper and chalk with a saline finish and a gently bitter aftertaste due to the vintage. It's a little more austere than the 2006 vintage but precise and crystalline. 

Jancis Robinson 17.5 Points | From the walled vineyard behind Billecart's HQ in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ planted exclusively with Pinot Noir. It was all vinified in oak. Apparently 'this micro cuve´e will pair wonderfully with a wild turbot and Burmese coffee'. The label is made of cherry wood sourced from sustainable forests. Each individual wooden label is distinguished by differences in grain and colour, making each bottle unique. Full of life on the nose and richly textured on the palate. Thoroughly satisfying wine with quite a bit of body that reaches every crevice of the palate. Firm, savoury finish. A serious, dense champagne for the table. 

Wine Advocate 97+ Points | Disgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is one of the finest wines I've tasted from Billecart in recent years. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, mandarin oil, warm bread, red berries and petals, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with lovely mid-palate amplitude, terrific concentration and bright girdling acids. In what is quite a tightly wound vintage and from a house whose style is rather understated, this is a dramatic, fleshy wine that concludes with a long, flavorful finish. Drink 2022 - 2048.

James Suckling 98 Points | This is very vinous with aromas of iron, strawberries, old roses and geraniums. So aromatic. Full-bodied, really intense and layered with super dryness and depth. Lots of saline and spicy character at the end, such as clove and pepper, as well as hints of flowers and melted butter. Strawberry tart at the end. 17% in aged oak casks. Blend of 55% pinot noir from six villages (Mareuil sur Ay, Ay, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzenay and Verzy) and 45% chardonnay from three Grand Crus (Mesnil sur Oger, Cramant and Chouilly). 9% of the blend is red wine from a parcel in the village of Mareuil sur Ay. Bottled June 2009 and disgorged July 2019. Drink or hold.

Vinous 97+ Points | The 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon explodes from the glass with a mesmerizing array of aromas, flavors and textures. Blood orange, cinnamon, mint and dried flowers. The 2008 is incredibly young, but it is also incredibly tempting. Patience will be rewarded. In the meantime, readers might enjoy adding a few bottles of the stellar 2007 to their cellars, as the nervy, taut 2008 needs time. The 2008 is 55% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay and Mareuil) and 45% Chardonnay (from Chouilly, Avize and Cramant), with 9% still wine from Mareuil. It is the first vintage that includes a portion of wines (17%) done in barrel and the first vintage in which the magnums were aged on the cork rather than on crown seal. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Drink 2028 - 2043.

98 Points Decanter | A superb vintage of this renowned prestige cuvée, this is made from a base of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, to which is added 9% of red wine. Despite ageing on its lees for 10 years, it remains almost shockingly youthful, its vividly primary flavours of red cherry, strawberry and nectarine wrapped up in a taut, tense frame. It’s silky in texture and intricately complex on the long, elegantly harmonious finish, underlined by a saline chalkiness, and it demonstrates all the requisite completeness and character for long ageing, promising a slow and dignified evolution to come. Drinking Window 2021 - 2050.

Billecart-Salmon's rare and highly sought after "Elisabeth" Brut Rosé, a blend of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is made only in exceptional vintages, called millésimes. It was created in 1988 as a tribute to co-founder Elisabeth Salmon. A luminous visual presence with soft shimmering coppery reflections and a deep salmon pink hue. A refreshing and sensual sensory expression of citrus peels and red berry jelly, with the exquisite sensation of a rich and complex aromatic amplitude (Plougastel strawberry, Mara des Bois and vine peach). Beautifully refined and mature olfactory notes, releasing a distinctive perfume of scented soft spices and wild rasberry pulp. Harmonious blossoming of gourmet flavors (tangerine, blood orange and Reinette apple tart). A fullbodied and layered mouthfeel, evolving towards a chalky edge and a lingering finish of citron zest and red and white currants.

Blend: 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay,

This great wine is endowed with great finesse and delicacy, its personality shining through textures and flavors. An aromatic charm coupled with a rare mineral dimension, ideally paired with poulet de Bresse or Breton langoustines royales. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | (Tasting Date November 17, 2023) |  A rich though youthful golden hue, the NV Champagne Special Cuvée Brut is classic and ripe with lush, rounded, and complex aromas of golden apricot, hazelnut, wet stone, and black cherry. Made with 45% of the wine coming from the 2019 vintage, with 55% reserve wine, it’s full-bodied yet elegant and light on its feet, with a ripe and luxurious feel and just a hint of warmth on the finish. The mousse is refined and rounded. Long on the palate, it's inviting now but will have plenty of life ahead of it if stored property. This exceptional cuvée with its distinctive personality continues to be one of the best entry wines to the range from this house and is a benchmark wine for them.

James Suckling 93 Points |  (Reviewed August 7, 2023) Lovely density and a fine-bubble texture. Dried apple and apricot with hints of dried flowers. Medium to full body. with medium-rich fruit. Spice, zest and ginger character. Usually 10% in barrel. 60% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay and 15% pinot meunier. About 40% reserve wine kept in magnums. Always really well done. Drink now.

Decanter 95 Points | If it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for you. Bollinger Champagne has made a number of cameos in James Bond films over the year. This non-vintage Special Cuvée is an example of a classic Champagne done well. Notes of marzipan on the nose and the palate give toastiness and leesy notes, specifically sourdough. It’s classic for a reason and would only elevate any table it finds itself on. 

Jancis Robinson 17/20 Points (Tasted October 14, 2022) |  Look out for that lot code, as this is a particularly stunning rendition of Bollinger, almost certainly improved with the bottling in magnum. Very fine texture, quite deeply coloured, remarkably fine mousse. Savoury, biscuity notes on the palate. Great length – a lovely example.  - Jancis Robinson 17

Robert Parker 92 Points |  Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it's a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs.  Drinking 2021 - 2025.

Winemaker Description

Fruity and fragrant bouquet with hints of strawberry and cherry. Fresh balanced and persistent. Sligthly fruity notes, fine and thin perlage. Excellent as aperitif and with light dishes.

Cielo Rose Prosecco being small, fresh bubbles to your palate with fruit and fragrant aromas. Across the palate, flavors of cherry, strawberry, peaches, and apricot are ever present and delightful. A fresh, balanced, and persistent mouthfeel with every sip.

Winemaker Description 

Les Pleiades is a blend of equally Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from Saulchery in a lieut-dit called Les Chapelles. 100% from harvest 2018. The wine fermented in barrels and right after malolactic racked to a stainless steel tanks. It was bottled in July 2020 and disgorged with 0 dosage in November 2022.

Jerome Lefevre name this cuvee Pleiades in reference to his 7 different parcels he debuted his domaine with, also The Pleiades, in greek mythology, were the companions of Artemis, the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene.
Just like the artist Ben Shahn said ““Art is always visionary. Art always disturbs present realities, however satisfactory they may seem to the rest of the world.” I believe Jerome Lefevre is an artist consistently pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in Champagne. His farming and winemaking can be described nonconformist.

Jérôme Lefevre, from Champagne Delalot, is one of those exciting artist that continues the fundamental idea of seeking unknown gems that propels Avant-Garde movement.
Jérôme is a native of the “Far West” of the Marne valley, at the edge of the Champagne appellation, in the towns of Saulchery, Charly Sur Marne, Bonneil and Crogy.  Here, Jérôme creates Champagne Delalot and Champagne Jerome Lefevre. 

Jérôme’s teenage years were guided by a deep passion for heavy metal and the family life of vineyards trained by his mother, Eliane Delalot.  Not till several years of working as an art critic and art curator did Jerome’s passion towards the craft of Champagne arise.  Elaine’s respectful farming practices became organic certification under Jerome’s direction in 2009. Inspired by the Fukuoka principals of farming, Jerome began his journey into winemaking. Since his first harvest in 2013, Jerome has grown his vineyards from 1ha to 1.5ha while tending to his land like a gardener.  He does not use any heavy machinery, including tractors.  The vineyards are located on slopes facing south and southeast with predominately sandy soil and some clay.
It’s impossible to classify Jerome’s style. Each cuvées come from specific parcels and are experimental. He seeks the boundaries of what Champagne allows him to do and sometimes tries new techniques while maintaining respect of the terroir. As it is hard to find more vineyards, Jerome’s Champagne Delalot production is limited to 5,000 bottles.

Seeking to further push experimentation, Jerome started an additional project in 2017 with a micro-negoce named Champagne Jérôme Lefevre. These cuvées are even more avant-garde, Rated X (named in honor of the Miles Davis’s album) is a wine without dosage but full or residual sugar backed with acidity.  The Coteaux Champenois Composition #2 is made from red grapes vinified white and aged in barrels with some oxidative moments through the aging.

As Champagne changes, Jerome is at the forefront of a new generation of wine producers that offer us wine lovers with that thrill of a first-time or second-time discovery. 

Expert Review

90 Points Vinous | The 2017 Brut Vouvray Pétillant is a lightly sparkling demi-sec style. This is a round and lightly biscuity expression with very fine delicate bubbles but not fully sparkling - the second fermentation uses some residual natural sugar that is retained from the first fermentation. Left on lees for around three years, it develops a light pastry character alongside floral notes and a salty sensation. The mouth-watering acidity combines with an attractive, textural roundness and weight.  

Winemaker Description

Francesc Ricart Brut is a cava made following its Traditional Method in the most representative area of the DO Cava, which is the region of Penedes and Sant Sadurní d´Anoia.

A careful selection of the best Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Perellada local varieties and a meticulous winemaking process -the second fermentation and the subsequent ageing take place in the bottle- are the basis of this cava. This cava respects the essence of a traditional brut and it is a fresh and easy-drinking wine.

Winemaker Notes

G.D. Vajra Barolo Vino Spumante Neve Rose 750ml. 60% Nebbiolo 40% Pinot Noir Nostra Signora Della Neve is the most important vineyard in the blend of this Metodo Classico of Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir. It is located in Roddino, where the Barolo hills rise into the Alta Langa. With magnificent vines growing on steep sides, this vineyard is every year a beautiful challenge for our harvest crew.

Critic Notes

Billy Norris writes:  Vajra's NV Extra Brut Rosé N.S. Della Neve is incredibly characterful, sizzling out of the glass with leather, mesquite smoke, blackberry and white pepper. A blend of 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Pinot Noir, the structure of the former comes through loud and clear through bright acids and firm, powdery tannins. Sour berry fruit and mentholated herbs meet with salty stoniness in the mouth, elevated by a lively, fine mousse. It's not the most finessed sparkling wine you'll taste, but it's certainly charming.  Drinking 2024 - 2027.  - Vinous 91

Winemaker Description

Its traditional production makes Vocation Champagne a Blanc de Noirs to enjoy on any occasion and turn it into a memorable moment.

The Champagne region is synonymous with excellence, hard work and continuous work to continue offering recognized world-class wines and bubbles. Our vocation and respect for nature, as well as our lives, manage to create the best fruit which is the basis and structure for our final offering.

Vocation is the living representation of what has been our home for centuries and radiates our values ​​as a family by making and respecting the traditional way of making champagne, the precious liquid.

An elegant sparkling Prosecco Rosé with notes of fresh strawberries, raspberries and blossom. Brightly textured and crisp palate with a refreshing citrus finish
Blend: 85% Glera, 15% Pinot Noir

Produced in the heart of Veneto on the picturesque hills of Gambellara, lays the 4,000 hectare Zonin estate.  As a family-owned winery spanning seven generations, they are pioneers of premium D.O.C.

Serve with: Lightly spiced Asian food like Satays, Balinese Curries or Pad Thai Nood.

Kylie Minogue, modern day Icon presents Wines by Kylie.
Since The Loco-motion topped the charts in 1987, Kylie has sold over 80 million records, achieved 34 top tens, 7 number ones, 1 Grammy, 3 BRIT’s and 17 ARIA awards.

In 2008 Kylie was awarded an OBE for services to music as well s the highest cultural honor in France, Chevalier Dans L’odre Des Arts et Des Lettres. Her fanbase spans multiple generations and all social groupings and are known known as the “Lovers.”

Now, after 2 years of development, Kylie channeled her passion and love for wine by launching a bespoke range of wines in 2020 to immediate acclaim. The first of Kylie’s wines to launch in the US is her elegant sparkling Prosecco Rosé.

Producer Description 

The delicate La Marca Prosecco has a pale, golden straw color and sparkles with lively effervescence. Opening with aromas of fresh-picked citrus and honeysuckle blossoms, the crisp, clean palate brings fruity flavors of green apple, juicy peach and ripe lemon, framed by hints of minerality. 

The finish is light and refreshing with a tantalizing hint of sweetness.
Always serve La Marca Prosecco chilled between 46-50°F. 

A versatile Italian Sparkling wine, La Marca Prosecco can be served in sparkling flutes or white wine glasses. A full bottle serves approximately 5-7 glasses. After pouring the first round, seal the opened bottle with a bottle stopper to keep remaining wine fresh and effervescent and keep the wine chilled to 46-50°F. An opened bottle should last about 3-4 hours with the bottle closure.

La Marca Prosecco has the charm to stand alone as an aperitif, but it also has the body and the acidity to pair well with a range of foods, from seafood and mild cheeses to rich pasta dishes and decadent desserts. 

Expert Review

Wine Advocate 96 Points: The 2014 Extra Brut Les Chemins d'Avize Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is fabulous. Rich, ample and potent, the 2014 possesses tremendous density from start to finish. Apricot, spice, dried flowers, graphite and lemon confit all build in a Champagne of enormous resonance. The pedigree here is evident. Chemins d'Avize is a blend from the Chemin de Plivot and Chemin de Flavigny lieux-dits. It was vinified in neutral oak and bottled with dosage of two grams per liter. Disgorged: June, 2021. 

Expert Reviews 

Expert Review

Lettie Teague writes:  The de Nonancourt family, which took over Champagne Laurent-Perrier in 1939, holds majority shares of this very large Champagne house. (The rest are publicly traded; Laurent-Perrier is listed on the Euronext stock exchange.) Interestingly enough, though one of Laurent Perrier’s greatest claims to fame is its lush, 100% Pinot Noir cuvée rosé, the non-vintage La Cuvée brut is produced from a high proportion of Chardonnay. The result is a round, relatively soft and approachable, medium-bodied Champagne with a fresh acidity. Not every Champagne is substantial enough to serve with food, but this one certainly proved to be so, pairing perfectly with a piece of grilled fish.  - Wall St. Journal, Dec 16-17, 2023