Sparkling wine can be made by
two main methods:
Cuve Close (tank method) and the superior, but more
expensive,
bottle fermentation (the champagne method).
The wines below have after them
either the initials CC to
signify 'Cuve Close' or MC to indicate use of the
‘Méthode Champenoise’.
France
New on the list this spring comes the stunning
Crémant de Bourgogne from
the Caves de Bailly.
From vineyards just outside the champagne region,
I would
defy anyone to spot the difference – except
that it is a better drink than many
cheap champagnes!
Highly recommended for weddings and parties
alike
is the superlative
Saumur from Ackerman Laurence:
packed
with apple fruit flavours, it is a delicious
champagne-method wine. From
the same distinguished
stable comes the Marquis de la
Cour: quite the
best ‘cuve close’ sparkling wine I
remember tasting!
Marquis de la
Cour
Sparkling Brut CC
Price:
£5.99
Bin No. SW01
Saumur
Remy Pannier
Brut MC
Price:
£7.48
Bin No. SW04
Crémant
-
de Bourgogne
- Caves de Bailly Brut MC
Price:
£9.98
Bin No. SW04
2000 Vouvray Pétillant
-
Gaston Huet Brut 2000 MC
Price:
£13.98
Bin No. SW05
Crémant de Bourgogne
- Caves de Bailly
BrutRosé
Price:
£9.98
Bin No. SW031
Italy
Prosecco is rapidly becoming Italy’s most popular
sparkling wine.
Sealed with a normal cork it is only lightly sparkling and it
can be
delicious drunk after lunch on a hot summer’s day.
Asti Spumante
Santa Orsola - Dolce CC
Price:
£7.49
Bin No. SW15
Prosecco
Il Cortigiano - Secco CC
Price:
£5.99
Bin No. SW45
Spain
Our excellent Cava
Castillo Perelada comes from a top producer.
Clean,
refreshing, but with balancing fruit, it is astonishingly good value
for money,
and bears little if any resemblance to the soapy flavoured
apologies for Cavas
in many of the multiples. The Castillo Perelada Rosado
is an attractive rosé with good fruit flavour and was chosen out of a cast of
hundreds as the official reception drink for the Spanish royal wedding – quite
an accolade! Their flagship Gran Claustro
is one of the world’s great
sparkling wines: rich, complex, biscuity and very
impressive
Castillo Perelada
Brut Reserva MC
Price: £6.99
Bin No. SW23
Castillo Perelada Rosado
Brut Reserva MC
Price: £6.99
Bin No. SW07
Cava Gran Claustro
Brut - Perelada MC
Price: £14.98
Bin No. SW21
South Africa
As you would expect from an estate owned
by the Cointreau family of
Champagne Gosset fame, this complex and biscuity Cape
Classique
exudes class. With the price of Champagne moving up, this really
offers a genuine alternative.
2003 Morgenhoff
Chardonnay/Pinot
Noir MC
Price:
£11.99
Bin
No. SW09
Australia
For the Krug of
sparkling wines you need look no further than stunning
sparkling wines from Taltarni. Their Brut Taché is a delicate salmon-pink
rosé that has the
acidity and fruit balance that so many cheap Australian fizz patently lack.
McGuigan's Black Label sparkling Chardonnay TM
Price:
£6.99
Bin
No. SW18
McGuigan's Black Label sparkling Shiraz (red) TM
Price:
£6.99
Bin
No. SW19
Taltarni Taché Rosé Vintage
Brut MC
Price:
£10.99
Bin
No. SW38
Taltarni Brut
Vintage Brut MC
Price:
£10.99
Bin
No. SW39
England
The
‘Classic Cuvée’ beat Dom Pérignon in a blind tasting and was
served by
the Queen at her mother’s 100th birthday celebrations.
Made from a
blend of the classic champagne varieties of Chardonnay,
Pinot Meunier and Pinot
Noir, it is the greatest sparkling wine from
outside the champagne region that I
have ever tasted. Also on our list
comes the supremely elegant
‘Blanc de Blancs’ made from 100% Chardonnay.
2001 Nyetimber
'Classic Cuvée'
West
Sussex MC
Price: £23.95
Bin No. SW25
2001 Nyetimber
‘Blanc
de Blancs’ West
Sussex MC
Price: £26.95
Bin No. SW29
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