By cork
Inexplicably, there are some people on this earth who say they don’t care for Champagne. Neil deGrasse Tyson is awfully good at explaining the cosmos, but we’ll wager he’d be hard-pressed to explain this phenomenon. These outliers probably find the real deal either too dry, too toasty/yeasty, or too “sharp.” While MUMM NAPA traces its roots back to a prestigious French Champagne house (G.H. Mumm), the Napa-based winery makes definitive California sparkling wine. The limited-availability (mostly only available for purchase at the winery) Brut Reserve, a mid-level offering between their entry-level and prestige cuvée lines, is top-flight bubbly—classy, sophisticated and eminently palatable. Absolutely no sharp or pungent or bitter edges—just clean and polished and brightly focused with rich, evocative fruit. Prominent is the Fuji apple and citrus acidity of sunny Chardonnay, which is 40% of the blend. The cherry and plum of the 60% Pinot in the blend provides exquisite balance, and then there’s notes of pie crust and baking spices underneath it all. There’s no mistaking this is bubbly from the Golden State, full of warmth and optimism. A “Champagne” that even those who say they don’t like Champagne, we’ll wager, will find hard to resist. –J.M.
Limited Availabilty – Purchase Only Available at Winery:
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