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James Halliday90 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Punt Road
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Airlie Bank Cuvee Sparkling Nv"Airlie Bank Cuvee Sparkling NV is a wine that will make you feel like royalty..."$24.99 -
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Huon Hooke97 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Arras
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Arras Vintage Rose 2015"Born of a long-held desire to craft world class sparkling wines, the House of..."$114.99 -
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- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage NV
- Brand Babo
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 11.0% Alcohol
Babo Prosecco NV"Peachy fragrance with fresh, floral aromas. Great vibrancy, texture and balan..."$26.99 -
- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage NV
- Brand Bandini
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 11.0% Alcohol
Bandini Prosecco DOC NV"Bandini makes handcrafted Prosecco in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Fo..."$23.99 -
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James Halliday96 points
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Jeb Dunnuck94 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage None
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose NV"A blend of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier aged on lees ..."$170.01 -
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Vinous98 points
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Robert Parker's95 points
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Decanter93 points
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2006
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 2006"Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 2006 is an exceptional champagne that ..."$1,199.00 -
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- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage 2021
- Brand Biscardo
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 11.0% Alcohol
Biscardo Diamond Bottle Prosecco DOC 2021"Harvesting is done by hand and, to avoid any form of fermentation or acetic f..."$19.99 -
- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage NV
- Brand Biscardo
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 11.0% Alcohol
Biscardo Millesimato Prosecco DOC NV"Founded in 1878 as a Veronese wine trader the company developed in the early ..."$29.99 -
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Tyson Stelzer92 points
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Huon Hooke90 points
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James Halliday90 points
- Variety Shiraz
- Vintage NV
- Brand Bleasdale
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz NV"Premium Langhorne Creek Shiraz grapes were selected and blended to produce th..."$22.99 -
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Tyson Stelzer95 points
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Jancis Robinson17 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Bollinger
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Bollinger 'Special Cuvee' NV Champagne"Some 30 crus go into the blend (including a large proportion - 80% minimum - ..."$94.99 -
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- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage NV
- Brand Ca'del Bosco
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Ca'del Bosco Franciacorta Prestige Cuvee Extra Brut DOCG NV"Ca’ del Bosco’s NV Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige Brut offers up an attractive c..."$79.99 -
- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage NV
- Brand Ca'Marian
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 11.0% Alcohol
Ca'Marian Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry NV"Nestled in the Alps' foothills, you'll find Prosecco's finest expression. The..."$34.99 -
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Michael Cooper4 points
- Variety Prosecco
- Vintage NV
- Brand Italo Cescon
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 11.0% Alcohol
Cescon 'Vino Dellamicizia' Prosecco NV""We are conscious that each of us, within its own limit, can give its active ..."$29.99 -
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International WSilver points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Autréau
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Autreau Brut 1er Cru Champagne NV"Made from 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meuneir & 20% Chardonnay from Premier Cru..."$84.99 -
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- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Autréau
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Autreau Brut Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru NV"100% Chardonnay Grand Cru fruit sourced from the "White Hillside" Vineyards o..."$99.99 -
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Cameron Douglas93 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Autréau
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Autreau Brut Premier Cru Rose NV"100% Premier Cru fruit. 85% Chardonnay lends an elegant floral character as w..."$85.00 -
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International WSilver points
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Wine Enthusiast90 points
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Cameron Douglas93 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Autréau
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Autreau Brut Reserve Grand Cru NV"100% Grand Cru fruit. Pinot Noir & Chardonnay blend. The nose is a combinatio..."$94.99 -
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James Suckling92 points
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Robert Parker's91 points
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Coessens Larfillier
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Coessens Largillier Blanc de Noirs NV"All of Coessens's champagnes come from the lieu-dit of Largillier. All are ma..."$139.00 -
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Robert Parker's94 points
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James Suckling92 points
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Coessens Larfillier
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Coessens Largillier Brut Nature NV"All of Coessens's champagnes come from the lieu-dit of Largillier. All are ma..."$160.00 -
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Alistair Cooper94 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2018
- Brand Champagne Delavenne
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Delavenne Nature Grand Cru Brut Nature NV"Champagne Delavenne are set to be superstar Grower Champagne producers. In Fr..."$115.01 -
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Alistair Cooper95 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Delavenne
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Delavenne Original 60/40 Grand Cru Brut Tradition NV"Champagne Delavenne are set to be superstar Grower Champagne producers. In Fr..."$95.00 -
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Sam Kim5 points
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Guide Bettane e4 points
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Cameron Douglas94 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier 1er Cru Brut NV"A blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier, only from Gr..."$89.99 -
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- Variety Chardonnay Blend
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Blanc de Blancs NV"As its name indicates, this white Champagne is made exclusively from white gr..."$129.99 -
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Campbell Mattin92 points
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Josh Raynolds91 points
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Wine Spectator91 points
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Wine Enthusiast91 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
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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.