2020 Birichino Grenache Pétillant Naturel Besson Vineyard Santa Clara Valley
This 2020 vintage pét-nat contains a small amount of the winery’s “Hommage à Georges Besson,” which is a multi-vintage assemblage in the appassimento tradition….
Sparkling Wines
Gosset to Ring in the New Year
On a sweeping tour of France in 2017, I had the good chance to visit Gosset at their gracious facility in Épernay, tasting their…
2015 Erpacrife Spumante Rosato Metodo Classico Langhe
Erpacrife is located in Castagnole delle Lanze, midway between Asti and Alba. The team of winemaker-owners — Erik Dogliotti, Paolo Stella, Cristian Calatroni, and…
2020 Medici Ermete Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco
Medici Ermete’s 2020 vineyard-designate Lambrusco is grown organically in the Tenuta la Rampata vineyard. The wine is 100 percent Lambrusco Salamino, and fermentation is…
NV Berlucchi Rosé ’61 Franciacorta
In 1961, friends Guido Berlucchi, Franco Zillani, and Giorgio Lanciani decided to launch a sparkling wine project: Franciacorta. This wine, a nonvintage rosé sparkler,…
2018 Ca’ dei Zago Prosecco Valdobbiadene
Ca’ dei Zago’s vintage Prosecco is a col fondo, the ancient method that gives the wine its glitter from a second fermentation in bottle….
Firriato Gaudensius Blanc de Noir Brut Metodo Classico Etna
Firrato’s traditional-method sparkling wine is made from 100 percent Nerello Mascalese sourced from the northeastern side of Mt. Etna. It spends 30 months en…
Pierre Sparr Brut Réserve Crémant d’Alsace
Sparr’s Brut Réserve sparkler is a negociant wine, a blend of 80 percent Pinot blanc and 20 percent Auxerrois, hand-harvested and fermented cold in…
2019 Haykin Family Cider Niedzwetzkyana Reserve Cider
This dry sparkling red cider is made from an ancient red-fleshed variety, Niedzwetzkyana, originally from Central Asia. The body is candy-apple red and animated…
Lantieri Extra Brut Franciacorta
This extra brut traditional method wine is 85 percent Chardonnay and 15 Pinot noir, aged 24 months en tirage prior to disgorgement. The robe…
2016 Brooks Sparkling Riesling Willamette Valley
Brooks’s traditional-method Riesling is fermented in stainless steel and, when dry, is cross-flow filtered and moved to its secondary fermentation in bottle. It spends…
Mittnacht Frères Extra Brut Crémant d’Alsace
Founded in 1958, Mittnacht owns vineyard area in the Grand Cru Rosacker and sites in Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. The estate was certified biodynamic in…