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Before we get into how
sparkling wines are made, we should first make a distinction between
sparkling wine and champagne. Champagne is sparkling wine, but sparkling
wine is not necessarily champagne. True champagne is produced in
the Champagne region of France by using the Methode Champenoise
and is produced from a high quality grape. In many circles in the
United States, the term "champagne" has become a general
term to include any sparkling wine. These are frequently made from
inferior grapes through bulk processing and are often sweetened
to mask their inferior quality. They are not true Champagnes.
Now lets take a look
at the three different methods vintners may use to make sparkling
wines. Methode Champenoise is a more labor-intensive and expensive
method than the other two methods of producing sparkling wine. After
harvesting the fruit, the juice is pressed and put into containers
for the first fermentation. These containers are either stainless
steel vats or oak barrels. When the first fermentation is complete,
various lots of wine are blended together to produce an assemblage
(the final blend of varieties for the finished wine). Then a mixture
of yeast and sugar, called a triage, is added to the base wine.
The wine is bottled with a small plastic cup that fits in the neck
of the bottle and collects any sediment. This small plastic cup
is called a "bidule" The second fermentation takes place
in the bottle and due to the sugar and yeast being added, alcohol
and carbon dioxide are produced. Due to carbon dioxide formation
and pressures up to 90 pounds per square inch, bottles for Champagne
and sparkling wine must be thicker than regular wine bottles. During
the second fermentation, temperature plays an important role. Cooler
temperatures produce finer bubbles. Once the second fermentation
is complete, dead yeast cells begin to break down and form a sediment
in the wine. This process is called autolysis. The winemaker decides
how long to allow for the autolysis process and this in turn has
an impact on the final taste of the wine. The sediment must then
be removed without losing the carbon dioxide and sparkle. The first
step in doing this is riddling or remuage. In years past, this was
done by inserting the neck of the wine bottle into a rack, called
a pupitres, that would hold it at a 45 degree angle so the dead
yeast cells would settle into the neck where the bidule was attached.
Then every few days, a trained person, called a remuer, would give
each of the bottles a quick shake and increase the angle of the
bottles until they were eventually positioned completely downward,
thereby collecting all the sediment in the neck. Today, the riddling
process is automated. Next the sediment is removed by disgorgement.
This is where the bottle is placed neck down in an icy brine to
freeze the sediment into a solid plug. The cap is then removed and
the pressure inside the bottle causes the frozen sediment to be
expelled. Then a "dosage" is added. This dosage is a small
amount of wine mixed with sugar and sometime brandy and it determines
the sweetness or dryness of the sparkling wine. The bottle is then
corked and secured with a wire hood.
The Transfer Method of
making sparkling wine is similar to the Methode Champenoise except
that instead of riddling to remove the sediment, the wine is transferred
to a pressurized tank where the sediment is filtered. It is then
bottled, corked and secured with a wire hood in preparation for
release to the public.
The Charmat Bulk Process
is the quickest and least expensive method of making sparkling wine.
With this process, instead of the wine going through the second
fermentation in the bottle, the base wine is placed in a temperature-controlled,
pressurized tank to which sugar and yeast is added. The secondary
fermentation takes place in this tank without the release of any
carbon dioxide. This tank acts like a very large bottle. Once the
fermenting is complete, the wine is filtered under counter pressure
and bottled using a counter-pressure filler. Because the wine has
not spent the same amount of time in contact with the carbon dioxide,
the bubbles tend to be larger and dissipate more quickly.
DOMAINE CHANDON
* BRUT CLASSIC, CALIFORNIA, $19-$21
* RESERVE, BLANC DE NOIRS, 86% SONOMA COUNTY, 14% NAPA COUNTY, $24-$26
The Brut Classic is light-medium yellow; it is a round,
moderately rich Brut (pineapple, roasted nut, butterscotch,
toast), which is fleshier and a bit more complex than most
previous versions. Long and moderately persistent on the
finish. 50% Pinot Noir, 43% Chardonnay, 4% Pinot Meunier,
2% Pinot Blanc. The Reserve is pale copper in color and complex
and subtle in style; a finely balanced, medium weight sparkler,
with red fruit and citrus aromas/flavors, with overtones
of honey and roasted nut. Long finish. Exceptional value.
78% Pinot Noir, 14% Pinot Meunier, 8% Chardonnay. Drink through
2006.
DOMAINE CHANDON, ETOILE, 1999 ROSE, 75% NAPA, 25% SONOMA
COUNTY, $38-$40
An excellent rose, in a medium full style. It is intensely
flavored, both fruity (lemon peel, plum, pineapple) and toasty
(roasted nut, vanilla) in aromas/flavors, and crisp and long
on the finish. 66% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier.
Drink through 2006.
GLORIA
FERRER
* BLANC DE NOIRS, SONOMA COUNTY, $22-$24
* BRUT, SONOMA COUNTY, $22-$24
* 1995 ROYAL CUVEE, VINTAGE RESERVE, CARNEROS, $27-$29
* 2000 BLANC DE BLANCS, CARNEROS, $22-$24
Gloria Ferrer’s sparkling wines are becoming more
delicate and complex in style. The Blanc de Noirs is a clear
example, with its fine, subtle flavors (citrus fruit, peach,
plum, roasted nut), medium+ body, and long finish. 92% Pinot
Noir, 8% Chardonnay. The Brut is pale yellow in color; round,
medium+ bodied, well balanced, flavorful, and medium long
on the palate, tasting of lemon peel, apple, raspberry, toast,
and honey. 87% Pinot Noir, 13% Chardonnay. The Royal Cuvee
is more mature: round, fairly rich on the palate, and long
on the finish, tasting of baked bread, honey, lemon, baked
apple, and nut. 69% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay. The Blanc
de Blanc is a complex, crisp sparkler, which is creamy and
long on the palate, with a persistent finish. It tastes of
pineapple, creme caramel, lemon peel, and toast. Drink through
2006.
J
VINEYARDS & WINERY, 1999 BRUT, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY,
$31-$33
Medium yellow color. Very fine quality: it is medium full
bodied, and both ripe and elegant in style, tasting of pineapple,
roasted nut, toast, and pink grapefruit. Best version yet
of this wine. Drink through 2006.
MUMM
NAPA
* BRUT PRESTIGE, NAPA VALLEY, $16-$18
* BLANC DE NOIRS, NAPA VALLEY, $16-$18
Mumm is producing better wines than ever. The Brut Prestige
is an excellent wine: fresh, crisp, and intensely flavored,
with a very long finish. It tastes of citrus fruit, roasted
nut, and pineapple. 51% Pinot Noir, 46% Chardonnay, 2% Pinot
Meunier, 1% Pinot Gris. 180,000 cases. The Blanc de Noirs
is pale pink orange in color; medium intense in aroma (raspberry,
pink grapefruit, plum, roasted nut); crisp and long on the
palate, with a persistent finish. 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay.
25,000 cases.
MUMM
NAPA, 1999 BLANC DE BLANCS, NAPA VALLEY, $22-$24
Light yellow-green color. A subtle, intense wine, which
is medium full bodied, round and long on the palate, with
firm acidity and a persistent finish. It tastes of apple,
pineapple, lemon, baked bread, and mango. Great value. 75%
Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Gris. 5,000 cases. Drink through 2006.
MUMM
NAPA, 1999 DVX, ROSE, NAPA VALLEY, $53-$55
Pale pink orange color. Fine, fruity nose, with some complexity
(mango, pineapple, strawberry, toast); creamy in texture,
medium full bodied, long and well balanced, with a persistent
finish. Combines depth and quality of flavor, balance, and
length. 53% Pinot Noir, 47% Chardonnay. 950 cases. Drink
through 2007.
SCHRAMSBERG
* 2001 BRUT ROSE, MULTI-COUNTY, $33-$35
* 2000 BLANC DE BLANCS, MULTI-COUNTY, $30-$32
These are excellent sparklers. The Rose is medium orange
pink in color and very fruity in style (with floral, spicy
overtones). It is medium full bodied, intense in flavor,
and medium long on the finish. 71% Napa, 21% Mendocino, 7%
Sonoma, 1% Marin Counties. 3,578 cases. The Blanc de Blancs
is light yellow in color. It is a medium bodied, crisp, intensely
flavored wine (apple, toast, lemon), which is long on the
finish. It bubbles are fine and persistent. 54% Napa, 22%
Sonoma, 16% Mendocino, 6% Monterey, 2% Marin. 20,993 cases.
Drink through 2007.
Back To Top
Recommended
Italian Sparkling Wines
BELLAVISTA, CUVEE BRUT, FRANCIACORTA, $37-$39
Very fine quality: an outstanding Brut, which is subtle
and complex in character, with decided richness. Light yellow
in color. It is medium bodied, creamy in texture, and very
long on the palate, with aromas/flavors reminiscent of baked
bread, vanilla, toast, plum, and lemon. 80% Chardonnay, 20%
Pinot Bianco & Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir). Drink through
2006.
BELLAVISTA, 1999 GRAN CUVEE, BRUT, FRANCIACORTA, $53-$55
Pale rust-yellow. Outstanding: very complex, moderately
rich, and well balanced; a sparkler with toasty, nutty, baked
bread character, and overtones of plum, baked apple, and
lemon. 72% Chardonnay & Pinot Bianco,
28% Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir). Drink through 2007.
Back To Top
All Recommendations are thanks to
Ronn Wiegand at Vino! The World of
Wine
Purchase
White Wine
Back To Top
Golden
Kaan 2004 Sauvignon Blanc - White Wine
Buena
Vista 2004 EVS Chardonnay Ramal Vineyard Estate - White Wine
Philipponnat
NV Brut Reserve Rose - Champagne & Sparkling
Falesco
2004 Vitiano Bianco - Italian White Wine
J.J.
Prum 2003 Graacher HimmelreiChateau Gold Capsule Auslese - Riesling
White Wine
Gary
Farrell 2004 Cresta Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay - White Wine
Alois
Lageder 2005 Pinot Grigio - Pinot Gris/Grigio White Wine
Fernleaf
2005 Sauvignon Blanc - White Wine
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