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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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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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- 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 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 -
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Decanter98 points
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Jancis Robinson17.5 points
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Antonio Galloni97+ points
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James Suckling98 points
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The Wine Advoca97+ points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Billecart-Salmon Elizabeth Rose Champagne 2008 Magnum"Billecart Salmon is known within France and around the globe for fashioning t..."$995.01 -
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James Suckling96 points
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The Wine Advoca96 points
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Falstaff96 points
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Jancis Robinson18 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2009
- Brand Billecart Salmon
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Billecart-Salmon Elizabeth Salmon Brut Rose Champagne 2009"Billecart Salmon is known within France and around the globe for fashioning t..."$399.00 -
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Andreas Larsson93 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Champagne Pannier
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Pannier Egerie Extra-Brut 2012"Established in 1899, Champagne Pannier is a well-established high-quality pro..."$199.99 -
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Mark Faber95 points
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Decanter90 points
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Alistair Cooper90 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Champagne Pannier
- Cellaring 1-3 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Champagne Pannier Vintage 2015"Established in 1899, Champagne Pannier is a well-established high-quality pro..."$105.00 -
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- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Duval-Leroy
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Duval Leroy Rose Prestige Brut Nv Champagne"The Rosé Prestige plays on themes of harmony and seduction in a modern contex..."$129.99 -
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The Wine Advoca94 points
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Roger Voss94 points
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Antonio Galloni93 points
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Wine Spectator93 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2008
- Brand Gosset
- Cellaring 3-5 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Gosset 'Celebris' Vintage 2008 Rose Champagne"The 2008 vintage in Champagne is being hailed by all and sundry as one of the..."$450.00 -
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Jamie Goode93 points
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Decanter18 points
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Stephen Tanzer92 points
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Antonio Galloni90 points
- Variety Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
- Vintage NV
- Brand Gosset
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Gosset 'Grand Rose' Nv Champagne"18/20 points - Decanter Magazine Chardonnay 56%, Pinot Noir 35%, with 9% s..."$160.00 -
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- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Champagne Henriot
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Henriot Rose Brut Nv Champagne"Salmon pink with copper highlights. Fine, persistent effervescence. Intense, ..."$130.00 -
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Wine Enthusiast90 points
- Variety Pinot Noir
- Vintage 2003
- Brand Jacquesson
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Jacquesson Dizy Terres Rouges Rose 2003"83% Pinot Meunier 17% Pinot Noir - Only 5,004 bottles produced. Bottled with ..."$190.00 -
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- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage NV
- Brand Josef Chromy
- Cellaring Drink Now
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.9% Alcohol
Josef Chromy Sparkling Rose NV"Whole bunches of hand-picked fruit are gently pressed to ensure delicate flav..."$34.99 -
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Wine Enthusiast94 points
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Wine Spectator91 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Rose 2012"A blend of around 65% Pinot noir and 35% Chardonnay. Brut Rosé is 100% estate..."$149.99 -
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Roger Voss93 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2013
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Rose 2013"In order for grapes to be used in the creation of a great rosé champagne, the..."$130.00 -
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Wine Spectator94 points
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Decanter94 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage 2015"Overview Fascinated by the diversity of aromas expressed by the Pinot Noir v..."$149.99 -
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Roger Voss93 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 5-10 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 12.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Rose 2015"In order for grapes to be used in the creation of a great rosé champagne, the..."$130.00 -
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Antonio Galloni98 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2012
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Cristal 2012"98/100, Antonio Galloni - "In the glass, the 2012 is radiant and luscious, ye..."$549.99 -
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Antonio Galloni98 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2013
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Cristal 2013"2013 was characterised by a particularly late growing cycle. A seemingly endl..."$399.99 -
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Antonio Galloni98 points
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Huon Hooke98 points
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Wine Spectator98 points
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James Suckling97 points
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Jeb Dunnuck96 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2014
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Cristal 2014"2014 is known as a radiant Cristal that is emerging, already quite a charmer ..."$499.99 -
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James Suckling97 points
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Vinous96 points
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Decanter95 points
- Variety Pinot/Chardonnay
- Vintage 2015
- Brand Louis Roederer
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Sparkling
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Louis Roederer Cristal 2015"Every glass of wine is a story and when it comes to the Cristal, the story is..."$499.99 -
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.