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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 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Brut Nature NV"Only the juices from first pressing – the cuvées - are used."$105.00 -
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Robert Parker's94 points
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Wine Enthusiast94 points
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Wine Spectator94 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Grande Sendree 2008"2008 is one of the highest rated vintages in history for Champagne. Only the ..."$349.99 -
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- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2007
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Reserve De L'Oenotheque 2007"The history of the Drappier family began in the 13th century, when Saint Bern..."$299.99 -
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Falstaff Magazi94 points
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Drappier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Drappier Rose de Saignee NV"We are one of the rare Houses producing Rosé by the saignée method. Several d..."$129.99 -
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Falstaff95 points
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James Suckling94 points
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Wine Enthusiast94 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Champagne Henriot
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Champagne Henriot Brut Millesime 2012"Henriot Millésime 2012 is characterized by aromatic heterogeneity and complex..."$160.00 -
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- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 1990
- Brand Jacquinot and Fils
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Jacquinot 'Harmonie Millesime' 1990"Pierre Jacquinot and his 2 sons Jacques and Jean-Guy have created "Champagne ..."$1,320.00 -
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2013
- Brand Jacquinot and Fils
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.4% Alcohol
Champagne Jacquinot 'Symphonie Rose Millesime' 2013"Champagne Jacquinot 'Symphonie Rose Millesime' 2013 is an exquisite champagne..."$149.00 -
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Jacquinot and Fils
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Jacquinot Symphonie Millesime 2012"The nose is built on flavours of candied fruits, vanilla and toast. The train..."$134.99 -
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Louise Brison
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Louise Brison 'Impertinente Brut' Brut Rose NV"Champagne Louise Brison is a tiny Organic and Biodynamically farmed vineyard ..."$110.00 -
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Louise Brison
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Louise Brison Chardonnay de la Côte des Bar 2015"Champagne Louise Brison is a tiny Organic and Biodynamically farmed vineyard ..."$139.99 -
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Wine Enthusiast93 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Louise Brison
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Louise Brison Extra Brut 2015"Champagne Louise Brison is a tiny Organic and Biodynamically farmed vineyard ..."$115.01 -
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- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2017
- Brand Louise Brison
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Louse Brison A l’Aube de la Côte des Bar Extra Brut 2017"Champagne Louise Brison is a tiny Organic and Biodynamically farmed vineyard ..."$119.99 -
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Mark Faber93 points
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Decanter90 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Pannier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Pannier Brut Rose NV"Established in 1899, Champagne Pannier is a well-established high-quality pro..."$95.00 -
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Guide Bettane eSilver points
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Mark Faber96 points
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Jancis Robinson16 points
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Alistair Cooper90 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Pannier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Pannier Brut Selection NV"Established in 1899, Champagne Pannier is a well-established high-quality pro..."$59.99 -
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Decanter91 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Pannier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Pannier Exact Extra Brut NV"Established in 1899, Champagne Pannier is a well-established high-quality pro..."$85.00 -
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Roger Voss90 points
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Tom Cannavan91 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Vranken-Pommery Monopole
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Champagne Pommery Brut Royal NV"Pommery Brut Royal is the essence of the Pommery style: liveliness, fresh, fi..."$88.99 -
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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 Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Moet n Chandon
- Cellaring Ready, but will Keep
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Chandon Sparkling Brut NV"If variety is the spice of life, then Chandon Brut is a perfectly seasoned li..."$25.99 -
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James Suckling95 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Champagne Charles Heidsieck
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Charles Heidsieck Vintage Brut 2012"The nose shows subtle toasted and smoked notes with a touch of liquorice and ..."$209.99 -
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- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Cloudy Bay
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Cloudy Bay Pelorus Sparkling Brut Nv"Established in 1985, Cloudy Bay was one of the first five wine makers to vent..."$41.99 -
- 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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James Suckling93 points
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Jamie Goode92 points
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Wine Enthusiast93 points
- Variety Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Delamotte
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.5% Alcohol
Delamotte Blanc De Blancs Champagne NV""Delamotte has always been somewhat of an insider’s house, producing high qua..."$129.00 -
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.