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$27.95
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France
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From the Jura region, 'Tant-Mieux' is a Poulsard-based sparkling wine, namely a Pétillant Naturel, meaning that fermentation was finished in the bottle without the addition of sugar. It has a dried cranberry color and a touch of cloudiness as the wine is unfiltered and was not disgorged. Aromas include dried tea leaves, orange rind and bright strawberries. On the palate, expressive strawberry notes dominate as hints of amaro, tea and a hints of sweetness round out the flavor profile. The fruit is ripe, but still reserved in an Old World fashion. Acidity is abundant and there is even a hint of coarseness to the wine giving it a balanced, but medium-weight texture. Throughout the nose and the palate there is a hint if ‘beery-ness’ to the wine as the wine finished fermentation in the bottle and the yeast remains.
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$16.95
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France
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Pineau des Charentes is regional French aperitif, made in the départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime in western France. While popular in Charente, it is less well-known in other regions of France and somewhat uncommon abroad. It is a fortified wine made from a blend of lightly-fermented grape must and Cognac eau-de-vie. Grape varieties include Semillon, Colombard and Ugni blanc. Oak aged for 3 years. Serve chilled. Alcohol 17%.
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$5.95
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France
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Wine Enthusiast: "Crisp, apple-flavored and touched by citrus, this is light and toasty. The finish is dry, fruity and fresh. Ready to drink. (Dec 2012)"
A blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Ugni Blanc. The Chardonnay imparts a depth and complexity for the overall balance while the Chenin Blanc lends citrus flavors and hints of honey for a creamy texture. Colombard's higher acidity provides structure and length as well as a pleasant minerality which is supplemented by the Ugni Blanc's fruit profile. Le Grande Courtage is the perfect balance of fruit, acidity and sweetness. It is a crisp, smooth and less yeasty sparkler which is versatile and very cuisine-friendly.
Tasting notes: A light bouquet with aromas of Granny Smith apples, honeysuckle, strawberry and toasted brioche. Perfect balance of fruit, acidity, and sweetness. Lingers nicely with a bit of Meyer lemon, honeydew and continuing apple finish. Great length, clean with a pleasant hint of yeast on the palate. An elegant sparkling wine with balanced acidity, fine bubbles and a light, crisp, refreshing finish.
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$16.95
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France
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Dave Phinney, the mastermind behind Orin Swift (The Prisoner) has once again created a one-of-a-kind wine. While standing on a curb waiting for a taxi at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, Dave noticed the ubiquitous country code stickers on the back of cars. The proverbial light bulb went on for a new idea. That idea was to make a wine combining the best grape varieties from great "locations" in Europe and apply the sticker as the label. What he has created is once again astounding. The second release, "F1" (for "France") from this project is a beautiful blend of Grenache from the Roussillon, Syrah from the Rhône, and assorted Bordeaux varietals.
Tasting Notes: "Opaque with ruby accents, the wine is intensely perfumed with aromas of vivid wild berry, warm spice, plum, kirsch, lavender and subtle oak nuances. The entry is juicy and penetrating with rich flavors of ripe blackberry, racy currant and blueberry that generously coat the palate. Easy drinking, the finish is long and clean with just the right amount of polished tannins to keep the fruit in focus. Alchohol 15%."
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$15.95
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France
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Producer notes: "Vinification: Ancestral Dioise Method. Blend of 75% Muscat and 25% Clairette. Clairette brings lightness and freshness and Muscat gives the wine its bouquet. After pressing, the juice is refrigerated and the half-fermented must is bottled. Fermentation continues in the bottle from the natural sugar in the grapes. After fermentation in bottle in air-conditioned cellar, the sediments are eliminated by riddling, then disgorgement takes place with neither decanting nor filtering. Carbonation is produced exclusively by fermentation. A party wine. Ideal for dessert and cocktail, suitable for aperitifs. Organic."
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$18.95
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France
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Importer notes: "An estate reflecting the image of an ever-changing Jura and family enterprise that was created in the early '40s by Désiré Rolet. A native vineyard consisting of 60 hectares distributed over the best hills of the Arbois and Côtes du Jura AOC vineyards, the Rolet Estate is the second largest winegrowing estate in the Jura. Tasting Notes: Salmon-pink, with bright copper reflections; fine, consistent bubbles. Fresh, slightly vinous aroma, with a delicate scent of morello cherry. Lively on the attack. A pleasant cremant that confirms the harmony of the nose. Fine and pleasant, with no bitterness. Suitable for any and all occasions. As an apetizer, with dessert or for a romantic evening!"
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$16.95
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WA 87
France
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87 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "[$22 list] Like the renditions of Patrick Bottex (reviewed elsewhere in this issue) and Domaine Renardat-Fache, Bernard Rondeau's non-vintage Bugey Cerdon is a pink, 8.5% alcohol -methode ancestrale- sparkling Gamay that only a hardened wine snob could resist, much less hate. Brimming with fresh strawberries and red raspberries tinged with lemon zest and salt, it displays subtle creaminess alongside its fresh fruit vivacity and fine mousse, and refreshes simply, yet with impressive persistence and less obvious sweetness than most wines of its ilk. Enjoy it on its own anytime or with fruits or cheeses but buy from a merchant who can vouch for the wine's having recently been bottled. (Aug 2009)"
Bugey is a lesser-known wine-growing region in France, located midway between Lyon and the Swiss border. It is often lumped in as being part of two other isolated regions, the Savoie (which it is not) or the Jura (of which it is also not). The sparkling wine Cerdon de Bugey is relatively sweet and is always pink. Its white wine world equivalents are perhaps Clairette de Die or Moscato d'Asti. Its red comparisons are perhaps Brachetto d'Acqui or Lambrusco. At Domaine Rondeau, the Cerdon is made with 100% Gamay, harvested by hand. Cerdon de Bugey, like most rosé wine, is best consumed in its first year of release. It is not a wine that one lays down. It is during this first year that all its aromas are present in their most flattering and enjoyable forms, including strawberry, cherry, cream and a hint of spice. Honestly, this is literally like a strawberry parfait in a glass. At about 40 grams of residual sugar, the wine does have some perceptible sweetness; however, with the very delicate tannin of Gamay and the supporting acidity, the wine comes across as being less sweet than it actually is. Cerdon is absolutely delightful as an aperitif. Better yet, it can serve as a wonderful accompaniment to fruit-based desserts, beignets with powdered sugar, or chocolate-based sweets.
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$24.95
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France
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David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "...finished with 5 grams of residual sugar, although Tissot does custom disgorgement and dosage for some of his U.S. clients -- displays a complex nose of toasted grains, yeast, Normandy apple cider, quince, smoky bacon, and lemon zest. With its residual sugar well-judged to support the richness of orchard fruits and nut oils on the palate, its persistent lemon, chalk, and salt notes help provide counterpoint. Stephane Tissot’s sparking cuvees of Chardonnay and Pinot remain among the finest traditional method sparklers for the money grown anywhere in the world."
Wine Enthusiast: "Made mainly from Chardonnay, this poised sparkling wine is deliciously crisp, packed with flavors of red apples and aromas of hedgerow flowers."
Wine Spectator: "Apple and beeswax aromas and flavors mingle with the bright acidity and rich mousse in this appealing crémant. Good length. Drink now."
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