Domestic sparkling wine is an ap

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1 Page Count: 1 / 5 Best American Sparkling Wines BY Tlm FISH Domestic sparkling wine is an ap pealing alternative to Champagne offering good value for the quality And for those wine drinkers who still feel like splurging there s plenty of luxury to be found among the top U S bubblies Since our last report American Sparklers Dec an we have blind tasted nearly 90 sparkling wines from California Oregon New York Washington New Mexico and Pennsylvania in our California offices with 14 of them rating out standing 90 points or higher on the Wine Spectator 100 point scale That s the same impressive number of 90 plus wines we saw last year An alphabetical list of all wines tasted for this report is available at www winespectator com California wines lead the way Gloria Ferrer is regularly among my favorite California sparkling wine houses and the Brut Came ras Royal Cuvee Vintage Reserve points 32 is one of its best to date The wine is fresh and vibrant yet has a core of rich luscious fruit One of the state s top wines is also a great value the Schrams berg Brut Rose North Coast Mirabelle NV This blend of 65 percent Pinot Noir and 35 percent Chardonnay may have a delicate pink hue but it s a rose with serious intentions offering focused flavors of strawberry and spice Hugh Davies president of Schramsberg Vineyards says the blend comes mostly from the 2005 vintage and incorporates a higher percentage of older cuv es pro viding added richness Some of that toasty more aged element comes from that blending he says The Schramsberg J Schram North Coast a Brut style tete de cuvee dominated by Chardonnay is character istically bold and stylish yet refined with Asian pear lime and fresh ginger notes while the Domaine Cameras Brut Blanc de Blancs Cameras Le Reve offers an elegant beam of crisp pear lemon cream and cinnamon flavors Domaine Cameras wine

2 Page Count: 2 / 5 maker Eileen Crane explains that the 2002 is 98 percent Chardon nay with 2 percent Pinot Blanc which she says adds peach and floral aromas along with spice on the finish J Vineyards has produced very good sparkling wines over the years but owner Judy Jordan and new winemaker George Bursick are re fining the house style Bursick says the winery s vineyard sources in Russian River have traditionally produced fairly tart and lean wines We re trying to get a fatter mouthfeel and give the wine more cream iness The J Brut Russian River Valley RRV Vintage Late Disgorged PiJPfeMij j UA twuhcuno WINE ^f is Bursick s impressive first step a rich and distinc tive cuvge It s also one of the most expensive California sparkling wines ever released Rounding out the top wines are the fresh fruity Domaine Chan drm Pinot Noir North Coast Reserve Rosé NV and the Domaine Cameras Brut Cameras which is focused and refined There are also excellent sparkling wines to be found outside California Argyle Oregon s leading producer of bubbly has five outstanding bottlings in this report including the Extended Tirage Willamette Valley the state s first classic scoring sparkler and the elegant and creamy Blanc de Blancs Dundee Hills Knudsen Vineyard Julia Lee s Block Domaine Ste Michelle in Washington state is a reliable producer of very good sparkling wines for the price Leading the list this year are the Brut Columbia Valley NV and the Blanc de Blancs Columbia Valley MV which are both made in large quantities While prices for the leading American bubblies continue to edge higher good values can be found in nearly every sparkling wine region The Piper Sonoma Brut Sonoma County Select Cuvée NV isacrisp and creamy sparkler and with more than cases produced it should be easy to find Whether your wallet is fat or your budget is tight U S sparkling wine remains an excellent alternative for your holiday festivities Associate editor Tim Fish is based in California Various Wine Specta tor editors contributed reviews to this report

3 Page Count: 3 / 5 Recommended Sparkling Wines From the United States TOP WINES WINE SCORE For complete reviews see the Buying Guide of this or previous issues or www winespectator com An alphabetical listing of all wines tasted for this report is available at www winespectator com ARGYLE Extended Tlrage Willamette Valley Haunting sniff ethereal in texture with wave after wave of rich toast spice and baked apple flavors From Oregon DOMAINE CARNEROS Brut Blanc de Blancs 93 Cameras Le Mve 2002 Delivers rich complex flavors that offer an elegant beam of crisp pear lemon cream and cinnamon From California GLORIA FERRER Brut Cameras Royal Cuvee 93 Vintage Reserve 2001 Fresh and vibrant yet with a core of rich fruit showing fresh ginger pippin apple and cinnamon flavors From California SCHRAMSBERG Brut Rose North Coast Mlrabetle NV 93 Ariorf with serious intentions showing good focus to the fla vors of raspberry Gala apple ginger and fig From California ARGYLE Blanc de Blancs Dundee Hills 92 Knudsen Vineyard Julia Lee s Block 2000 Elegant creamy and refined balancing citrus and pear flavors against a judicious level of toasted brioche From Oregon DOMAINE CARNEROS Brut Cameras Beautifully focused and refined Gala apple and raspberry aromas and flavors are crisp yet layered From California DOMAINE CHANDON Plnot Now North Coast 92 Reserve Ros6 NV Lively raspberry and graham cracker aromas lead to crisp fes tive strawberry Gala apple and spice flavors From California J Brut Russian River Valley RRV Vintage 92 Late Disgorged 1998 Rich and distinctive with elegant well structured apple citrus zest and spice flavors From California SCHRAMSBERG J Schram North Coast A bold rich style with refinement and structure Offers Asian pear lime and fresh ginger From California ARGYLE Brut Dundee Hills Knudsen Vineyard Light refined and distinctive for its spicy pear and greengage plum flavors Really fine stuff From Oregon ROEDERER ESTATE Brut Anderson VMey 91 L Ermltage 2002 Sleek and complex The flavors show pinpoint focus with baked apple lime and toasty spice From California

4 Page Count: 4 / 5 TOP WINES continued HMCE WINE SCORE PRICE 50 SCHRAMSBERG Reserve North Coast This has substance and refinement with rich flavors of hazel nut vanilla cream and cinnamon From California 85 TOP VALUES WINE SCORE PRICE 32 MUMMNAPA Brut Napa Valley Prestige NV Creamy yeasty aromas blend with baked pear on the nose and palate in this lively fruit driven bubbly From California ^25 DOMAINE CHANDON Brut California Classic NV Lively aromas of apple blossom and citrus lead to crisp and creamy flavors of Asian pear spice and freshly baked bread gl GLORIA FERRER Blanc de Nolrs Sonoma County NV Festive and fun to drink with juicy raspberry watermelon and spicy vanilla flavors From California SCHARFFENBERGER Brut Mendoclno County NV Appealing for its sleek sense of focus and proportion with zesty baked pear and lemon zest flavors From California DOMAINE STE MICHELLE Blanc de Blancs Columbia Valley NV Crisp and peppery with a spicy note mingling with lime mar malade and toast flavors lingering gently From Washington DOMAINE STE MICHELLE Brut Columbia Valley NV A bit coarse but flavorful with pear lime and balsamic aromas and flavors From Washington GLORIA FERRER Brut Sonoma County Sonoma NV Fresh crisp and fruit forward with green apple and pear aro mas and lively lemon and mineral flavors From California 100 piper SONOMA Brut Sonoma County Select Cuvee NV Crisp and creamy with floral jasmine and citrus aromas and green apple anise and mineral flavors From California KORBEL Natural Russian River Valley shows an appealing mix of raspberry and green apple notes with fresh crisp Asian pear accents From California MS DOMAINE STE MICHELLE Blanc de Nolrs Columbia Valley NV Soft with a sweet edge to the watermelon and black pepper flavors finishing with refreshing balance From Washington

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