Hardly a month goes by that I do not enjoy a glass of rosé. I am also very partial to sparkling wine but enjoy it a little less often only because there is so much wine and so little time! This time of year, though, with the holidays upon us, I sip sparkling wine a bit more often and I bet you do too. Today we have four sparkling rosé wines, which we received as tasting samples, that will make perfect additions to your holiday table. The quality in this group of sparkling wines is excellent and the price range offers something for every budget.
La Vieille Ferme Réserve Sparkling Rosé NV — ballet slipper pink in the glass with generous bubbles. Aromas of white flowers, raspberries and citrus zest mingle with zippy acidity and finish clean and bright. 12% abv. SRP $16.99
The bright and complex flavor profile make this wine a steal at $16.99. Leave it to the Rhône Valley’s Famille Perrin to craft such a delightful wine. It is a blend of traditional Rhône varieties, Grenache Noir and Cinsault vinified by direct press, plus Pinot Noir.
Alma Negra Brut Nature Rosé NV, Mendoza — pale raspberry in the glass with energetic and long-lasting effervescence. Flavors and aromas of toasted almonds, mixed berries and citrus zest finish with juicy acidity. 13% abv. SRP $21.99
The level of effervescence in this wine is remarkably energetic and it is bursting with flavor. It is made, in the traditional method (second fermentation in the bottle) by Ernesto Catena, the eldest son of Nicolás Catena of Catena Zapata. Alma Negra is part of this “wine poet’s” group of wineries near Vista Flores in the Uco Valley south of Mendoza. If you must know it’s made with Malbec and Pinot Noir, but Ernesto would rather you focus on the flavors and not its composition…hence the mask on the label.
Champagne Delamotte Brut Rosé NV — pale rose in the glass with generous, tiny bubbles. Yeasty aromas are followed by flavors of berries, brioche, stony minerality and steely acidity. The flavors are focused and long lasting. Lovely! 12% abv. SRP $92.99
The gorgeous rose color and complex flavor profile are the result of color extracted from the skins of Pinot Noir using the saignée method. The Pinot Noir is sourced from Grand Crus of the Montagne de Reims and Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger. The wine rests in the bottle for about three years before disgorgement.
This is a lovely rosé champagne. Because I know the quality of this wine, and didn’t want one drop of this Champagne Delamotte to be wasted, we shared this bottle with a group of friends. When one friend described the wine as excellent, I asked him to tell me why. He said, “It’s crisp, clean with fruit flavor but isn’t sweet. I don’t know, it’s just really delicious.” That just about covers it.
Don’t stress about the SRP above. More than likely you will find it at a lower price. If not, just drink less of it and savor every sip — it’s well worth it.
Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé — pale rose in the glass with generous bubbles. Aromas and flavors of mixed berries, gravelly minerality and citrus finishes with nice acidity. There is plenty of flavor with a fairly long finish. 12.5% abv. SRP $23
The gorgeous color of this Crémant d’Alsace, made with 100% Pinot Noir, is the result of free-run juice that is released from a light, whole-cluster pressing of the grapes. The bubbles are achieved using the traditional method and the wine is aged in-bottle, on the lees for 14 to 16 months.
This reliably delicious wine made by Lucien Albrecht, a highly-respected producer in Alsace, is near and dear to me. We first discovered this wine years ago at a local wine shop, Fine Wines of Stockton, where we learned to taste wine. This wine was a staple in the shop and we have enjoyed many bottles of this delightful sparkler over the years.
Aside from the beautiful color and bubbles in the glass, sparkling rosé pairs beautifully with almost any kind of food. We enjoyed these wines over appetizers, Chinese food, cheese and crackers and leftovers. The other important point is the relatively low alcohol content. The holidays can become a time of too much food and too much drink, so consuming wine lower in alcohol is always a good idea.
However you celebrate the upcoming holidays I hope delicious sparkling rosé is in your glass.
Many thanks to Calhoun & Company Communications for sending the Lucien Albrecht our way and to Vineyard Brands for sharing the other sparkling rosé wines with us.
Cheers!
What a great lineup of wines. The one from Argentina particularly caught my attention, in part because it’s been years since I’ve had a sparking wine made from Malbec. No doubt about the quality of the DeLamotte and the Lucien Albrecht has been a frequent guest in our glass