Last year after reading a few articles about how trés magnifique Veuve Cliquot, a French champagne is, I decided to splurge on a bottle for New Year’s Eve 2009. I blogged about the disaster (a waste of $40) and disappointment (tasted like fizzy vinegar).
Three California Champagnes: Barefoot Bubbly ($7 per bottle); Mumm Napa ($14 per bottle) and Roderer Estate ($21 per bottle).
This year I stayed in California.I compared three sparkling wines from the Golden State. Blindfolded (I take this contest seriously!) I sipped from flutes containing the following contenders:
1. Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée – from Modesto in Stanislaus County in the Central Valley of California; 95 miles southeast from San Francisco. The label says the champagne “sparkles with crispy apple flavors complemented by a clean finish.”
This is my standard Friday afternoon “Let the weekend begin!” champagne—an economical bottle of funshine that can be purchased at any grocery store or CVS pharmacy for around $7.
This beverage received 87 points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine:
“100% Chardonnay Champagne opens with the delightful aromas of green apples and jasmine. Flavors of kiwi and peach will delight your palate. Savor the crisp, lingering finish.”
I taste none of that, except that it’s delicious, fresh, sassy, and goes down easy.
2. Mumm Napa Brut Prestige - from Rutherford in Napa Valley, CA; 80 miles northeast of San Francisco. The labels says the sparkling wine “displays a creamy texture, elegant white blossom aromas, and bright citrus and berry flavors.” It sells for $14.
This libation received 90 points from Wine Spectator Magazine:
“Crisp and elegantly styled, with floral apple and yeasty spice aromas that lead to layered flavors of baked pear, citrus and creamy vanilla.”
I taste none of the above. To me it tastes pungent, like alcoholic soda water with a twist.
3. Roederer Estate Brut - from “fog shrouded” Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, CA; 100 miles north of San Francisco. The label on the bottle says the champagne is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, which produces a “complex, dry, and harmonious sparkling wine.” It sells for $21.
This nectar received 89 points from Wine Spectator:
“Crisp and refreshingly minerally, offering tart Gala apple and lemon aromas and focused flavors of yeasty citrus and anise. A hint of cherry lingers on the finish.”
I taste none of the above. To me it tastes sour and acidic. Hope o.j. can kill the taste in a mimosa.
So what have we learned from this test? That the most expensive isn’t always the best, as…
the winner is my favorite: Barefoot Bubbly. CHEERS!
Have a fun and bubbly New Year's Eve Celebration!
