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Robert Parker's87 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Veuve Clicquot
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV Champagne"Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV is known for its consistent excellence ac..."$88.99 -
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Tyson Stelzer94 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Agrapart
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Agrapart 'Terroir' Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru Brut Champagne Magnum Nv"A striking biodynamic Champagne of outstanding value. The wine spends four ye..."$485.00 -
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Tyson Stelzer94 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Agrapart
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Agrapart 'Terroir' Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru Brut Champagne Nv"A striking biodynamic Champagne of outstanding value. The wine spends four ye..."$145.00 -
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James Suckling92 points
- Variety Rose Blend
- Vintage 2018
- Brand Ashton Hills
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Ashton Hills 'Piccadilly Valley' Vintage Sparkling Rosé 2018"Hand-picked fruit was chilled before gentle, whole bunch pressing. Fermented ..."$40.00 -
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James Halliday92 points
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Huon Hooke95 points
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Mike Bennie93 points
- Variety Shiraz
- Vintage 2017
- Brand Best's Wines
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 14.5% Alcohol
Best's Great Western Sparkling Shiraz 2017"An opulent purple mousse with fine bubbles."$35.00 -
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Tyson Stelzer97 points
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James Suckling97 points
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Wine Enthusiast95 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Billecart Salmon 'Extra Brut' 2008"Extra Brut Vintage was conceived in 2004, a good vintage but without the stru..."$338.99 -
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Jancis Robinson17 points
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Stephen Tanzer92 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne NV"Billecart Salmon is known within France and around the globe for fashioning t..."$94.99 -
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- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Billecart Salmon Brut Rose NV Champagne"Regarded as among the best rose champagnes in the world, this is as good as e..."$150.00 -
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Billecart-Salmon 'Brut Sous Bois' Champagne NV"The typical Billecart non-vintage style is one of extreme elegance and finess..."$149.00 -
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Bimbadgen
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Bimbadgen Hunter Valley Cuvee NV"A new wine in the Sparkling range. The chance to blend Hunter Semillon with C..."$22.00 -
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2011
- Brand Bollinger
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Bollinger 007 Limited Edition 2011"To celebrate the release of the 25th Bond film, Champagne Bollinger has produ..."$319.99 -
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Tyson Stelzer94 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Agrapart
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Agrapart & Fils 7 Crus Brut NV""Based on the 2019 vintage and disgorged in April 2022, Agrapart's NV Brut 7 ..."$129.00 -
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- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2010
- Brand Champagne Deutz
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Deutz Brut Vintage 2010"Deutz Brut Vintage is created in only the best years when a vintage is declar..."$120.00 -
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James Suckling93 points
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Wine Enthusiast91 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2013
- Brand Champagne Jacquart
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Jacquart Blanc de Blancs 2013"A finely crafted and wonderfully complex Champagne demonstrating fantastic ri..."$129.99 -
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- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2009
- Brand Jacquinot and Fils
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Champagne Jacquinot 'Symphonie Millesime' 2009 Magnum"The nose is built on flavours of candied fruits, vanilla and toast. The train..."$199.00 -
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2016
- Brand Agrapart
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Pascal Agrapart Grand Cru Minéral Blanc de Blancs 2016"Pascal has managed to capture the essence of the Cote des Blancs. The chardon..."$265.00 -
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2013
- Brand Taittinger
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Taittinger Brut Millesime 2013"A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. Produced only when the harvest ..."$139.99 -
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James Suckling94 points
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Decanter94 points
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Wine Enthusiast94 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2014
- Brand Taittinger
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Taittinger Brut Millesime 2014"A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. Produced only when the harvest ..."$139.99 -
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Mike Bennie95 points
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The Wine Advoca93 points
- Variety Pinot Blanc
- Vintage NV
- Brand Vouette
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Vouette et Sorbée Textures NV Base 19, Disg 2021"Established in 2000, with massale cuttings from Anselme Selosse's vines in Av..."$250.00 -
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Huon Hooke96 points
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James Suckling93 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Charles Heidsieck
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Charles Heidsieck Rose Nv"This wine is a tour de force in rosé wine making - it just makes perfect sens..."$170.01 -
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- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Château de Lachassagne
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Chateau De Lachassagne Clos Du Chateau Crémant de Bourgogne NV"Château de Lachassagne is an exceptional place, located in the very south of ..."$39.99 -
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Tom Cannavan90 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 1995
- Brand Cloudy Bay
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Cloudy Bay Pelorus Vintage Sparkling 1995"Nutty, nettly nose with a great depth of fruit. Palate has a lovely, fine and..."$44.99 -
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- Variety Chenin Blanc
- Vintage 2018
- Brand Cullen
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Cullen Pet Nat New Moon Organic Chenin Blanc 2018"2018 was one of the great vintages for Wilyabrup and Cullen Wines. The fru..."$51.99 -
- Variety Rose Blend
- Vintage 2018
- Brand Cullen
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Cullen Sparkling Rose Moon Organic Pet Nat Rose 2018"2018 was one of the great vintages for Wilyabrup and Cullen Wines. The bal..."$50.00
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.