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The Wine Advoca92 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Suenen
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Suenen Oiry Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV"Aurélien’s Oiry Blanc de Blancs is drawn from just 1.5 hectares split between..."$240.00 -
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- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Penfolds
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Champagne Thiénot x Penfolds Rose Champagne NV"An ascent of (textbook) grenadine fruits – Avec raspberry, redcurrant, blackc..."$89.99 -
- Variety Shiraz Blend
- Vintage NV
- Brand Coates Wines
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Coates La Petite Cuvee Sparkling Shiraz Nv"The base wines are predominately French oak matured Shiraz from McLaren Vale ..."$23.99 -
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Falstaff Magazi95 points
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Robert Parker's94 points
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James Suckling94 points
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Decanter94 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2014
- Brand Delamotte
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Delamotte Blanc De Blancs Champagne 2014"With a history of more than 250 years, Delamotte is the 5th oldest champagne ..."$224.99 -
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Mark Faber95 points
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Decanter90 points
- Variety White Blends
- Vintage NV
- Brand Domaine Henri Richard
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Domaine Henri Richard Cremant De Bourgogne Nv"Domaine Henri Richard is located in Gevrey on the D974 a little south of Dom..."$85.00 -
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Sam Kim96 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2017
- Brand Riversdale Estate
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Riversdale Estate Blanc de Blanc 2017"All our Sparkling wine are made in the traditional French method with seconda..."$50.00 -
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- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Riversdale Estate
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Riversdale Estate Limited Release Ocean Aged Sparkling NV"All our Sparkling wine are made in the traditional French method with seconda..."$149.99 -
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Gary Walsh93 points
- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage 2022
- Brand Torzi Matthews
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Torzi Matthews 'Vigna Cantina' Prosecco 2022"Prosecco is the traditional sparkling wine of Veneto in northern Italy. Unlik..."$24.99 -
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- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Maison Veuve Ambal
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.4% Alcohol
Veuve Ambal Vin Mousseaux Blanc De Blanc Nv"Maison Veuve Ambal was founded in the heart of Burgundy in 1898 by Veuve Mari..."$24.99 -
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Veuve Clicquot
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Veuve Clicquot Rose NV"A most inspired Cellar Master; Madame Clicquot had an audacious new vision in..."$129.99 -
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Antonio Galloni95 points
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The Wine Advoca95 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Agrapart
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Agrapart Mineral Extra Brut Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru 2012"Minéral is blended from two adjacent vieilles vignes plots (50+ years old) of..."$250.00 -
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Antonio Galloni95 points
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The Wine Advoca95 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Agrapart
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Agrapart Mineral Extra Brut Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru 2015"Disgorged July 2021. Minéral is blended from two adjacent vieilles vignes plo..."$269.01 -
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Antonio Galloni95 points
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The Wine Advoca95 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2017
- Brand Agrapart
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Agrapart Mineral Extra Brut Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru 2017"Disgorged June 2023. Minéral is blended from two adjacent vieilles vignes plo..."$310.00 -
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James Halliday97 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 1998
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
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James Halliday97 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 1998
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
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Gilbert and Gai93 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 1998
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Billecart-Salmon Grande Cuvee 1998"The Billecart-Salmon house style is defined by class, elegance, and a sublime..."$500.01 -
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James Suckling99 points
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James Halliday98 points
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Huon Hooke98 points
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Antonio Galloni96 points
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Jancis Robinson19 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2002
- Brand Bollinger
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Bollinger R.D. 2002 Gift Box"Bollinger R.D. will enhance all gourmet cuisine but its aura is such that it ..."$429.99 -
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James Suckling95 points
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Antonio Galloni94+ points
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Wine Spectator93 points
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Jancis Robinson16.5 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2006
- Brand Champagne Deutz
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
CHAMPAGNE DEUTZ 'CUVEE WILLIAM DEUTZ' BRUT 2006"This Cuvée William Deutz is a tribute to the brand's founder. Its distinctive..."$270.00 -
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- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2009
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Grand Sendree 2009"The glass of Champagne Drappier was lifted by the hands of the greatest men. ..."$149.99 -
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2010
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Grande Sendree 2010"The glass of Champagne Drappier was lifted by the hands of the greatest men. ..."$160.00 -
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Reserve De L'Oenotheque 1979"The history of the Drappier family began in the 13th century, when Saint Bern..."$699.99 -
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Vinous92 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Girard-Bonnet
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Girard-Bonnet - A Mi-Chemin Grand Cru NV"The inception of Girard-Bonnet champagne is synonymous with the identity of i..."$150.00 -
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- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Delamotte
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Delamotte Blanc De Blancs Champagne 2008"With a history of more than 250 years, Delamotte is the 5th oldest champagne ..."$185.00 -
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The Wine Advoca94+ points
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Antonio Galloni94 points
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James Suckling93 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Delamotte
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Delamotte Blanc De Blancs Champagne 2012"With a history of more than 250 years, Delamotte is the 5th oldest champagne ..."$179.00 -
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine, is a type of wine that contains bubbles of carbon dioxide. The bubbles are created by a secondary fermentation process that occurs inside the bottle, which gives sparkling wine its characteristic effervescence. There are several different types of sparkling wine, including:
- Champagne: Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced in the Champagne region of France using specific grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier) and winemaking methods. Champagne is known for its complexity and elegance, and it is often considered a luxury product. Click here if you wish to read more about what makes Champagne so special.
- Prosecco: Prosecco is a sparkling wine that is produced in the Veneto region of Italy, it is made from Glera grape variety. Prosecco is known for its fruity and floral aromas, and it is often considered a more affordable alternative to Champagne.
- Cava: Cava is a sparkling wine that is produced in Spain, it is made from the grape varieties Macabeo, Xarel·lo, and Parellada. Cava is known for its dryness and minerality, and it is often considered a good value alternative to Champagne.
Sparkling wine can also be made in other regions, such as England, Australia, and New Zealand. These sparkling wines are known for their fruit-forward flavors and have a wide range of styles, some are made using traditional method similar to Champagne, while others are made using the charmat method, where the secondary fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks.
Sparkling wines can vary in sweetness and dryness, the most common terms used are Brut, Extra Brut, Sec, Demi-Sec and Doux, which indicate the sweetness level. Brut is the driest, Extra Brut is the driest of all, Sec is a medium sweet, Demi-Sec is quite sweet and Doux is the sweetest.
Sparkling wine is created by:
- Grapes: Sparkling wine is typically made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes for Champagne, Glera for Prosecco and Macabeo, Xarel·lo, and Parellada for Cava.
First Fermentation: The grapes are harvested and then pressed to extract the juice. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels, depending on the winemaker's preference. This process converts the sugar in the grapes into alcohol and carbon dioxide. - Secondary Fermentation: The wine is then bottled and a small amount of sugar and yeast is added, this is called the liqueur de tirage. The bottle is then sealed and stored in a cool and dark place, where the secondary fermentation takes place. This process is called the traditional method or Méthode Champenoise. The yeast consumes the added sugar and produces carbon dioxide, which dissolves into the wine, creating the bubbles.
- Aging: The wine is then aged for a period of time, usually several months to several years, depending on the style of sparkling wine. During this time, the yeast cells and sediment settle to the bottom of the bottle, and the wine takes on a more complex flavor and aroma.
- Riddling: The bottles are then placed in a special rack called a pupitre, where they are slowly turned and tilted over a period of several weeks. This process, called riddling, causes the sediment to collect in the neck of the bottle.
- Disgorging: The neck of the bottle is then frozen, and the frozen sediment (called the "lees") is removed by a process called disgorging. The bottle is then topped up with a small amount of wine and sugar, called the dosage, which determines the final sweetness level of the sparkling wine.
- Corking and Labeling: The bottle is then corked and labeled, and it is ready to be sold and enjoyed.
It's important to note that there is another method of making sparkling wine, it is called Charmat method, the secondary fermentation process occurs in a large stainless steel tank rather than in the individual bottles, after this process the wine is then bottled and ready for consumption, this method is faster and less expensive than the traditional method but it can produce less complex wines.
Sparkling wines are typically enjoyed as aperitif, or during special occasions such as weddings, New Year's Eve, and other celebrations. They can also be paired with a variety of foods, including seafood, fruit, and desserts.