Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Noirs

On January 4, 2010, In Sparkling, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Blanc de Noirs by Domaine Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley in Washington. This non-vintage sparkling wine is made from the Pinot Noir grape and was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass this wine is a brilliant copper color. It looks like liquid metal with a pink hue and is very attractive with decent bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it has very noticeable grapefruit followed up by lemon.

Flavor

On the attack the grapefruit is dominant with lime on the mid-palate and finish. This is a very sour wine. It has a quick finish and not a lot of complexity. It is definitely a dry wine and pairs with lighter fair.

Rating

Over all this is a decent wine. Not as good as the Blanc de Blancs but prettier in the glass. I rate it 88 points.

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Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Blancs

On January 3, 2010, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Blanc de Blancs by Domaine Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley in Washington. This non-vintage sparkling wine is made from the Chardonnay grape and was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass it is a lighter yellow with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it has an unusual egg aroma. There are also good grapefruit and lemon notes.

Flavor

On the attack the lemon is again present followed by grapefruit on the mid-palate. Then on the start of the finish it shows some cantaloupe melon. And then it lingers with a salty, yeasty component. This is a dry wine and pairs very well with food. It works well with seafood.

Rating

I really enjoyed this effort from Domaine Ste Michelle and think it is one of the best and most available sparkling wines in this price range. For me it is a good match. I rate it 90 points.

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Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva

On December 5, 2009, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today we are tasting the Non Vintage Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva from the Alt Penedès region of Spain. It is a sparkling wine known as Cava. This blend of 50% Macabeo (Viura), 15% Xarel-lo, and 35% Parellada was available for less than $9.

Color

This wine is a very light golden in the glass with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose we get a lot of white grape juice. There is also some subtle notes of oak and lime. One of the most intriguing aromas is a chemically note that is similar to the inside of a balloon.

Flavor

The lime continues on the attack and the mid-palate. This wine has a butter-like creamy mid-palate and grapefruit on the finish. As a Brut it is right in the middle of the spectrum for sparkling wine. It is not too sweet and not too dry. The acidity is above average and it makes for a nice food pairing wine. It pairs well with lighter dishes and desserts.

Rating

Given the low price this is a good value. We recommend you give it a try just to see if you are reminded of a popped balloon on the nose. We rate it 85 points.

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Domaine Ste Michelle Brut

On December 1, 2009, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Domaine Ste Michelle Brut sparkling wine from the Columbia Valley in Washington. I found this non-vintage bottle for under $8. Their Brut style is supposedly right in the middle of the sweet to dry scale. I am not sure what varieties are in this other than Chardonnay. Do you know?

Color

In the glass it is a light golden yellow with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it seems to have a sweetness showing with a hint of almond. There is also quite a bit of papaya.

Flavor

On the attack, grapefruit is dominant. Then there is quite a bit of lemon showing in the mid-palate and finish. The finish is quick and there is a hint of yeast at the end. It should pair well with appetizers or on its own.

Rating

For the price this is not a bad sparkler. It is a little drier which is a plus. I rate it 85 points.

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Domaine Ste Michelle Frizzante

On November 30, 2009, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Domaine Ste Michelle Frizzante sparkling wine from Washington’s Columbia Valley. I found this non-vintage blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for under $8. In Italy, sparkling wines are referred to as frizzante. Frizzante wines are considered to be slightly less effervescent than Champagne. Generally they are high in sugar and the bubbles mask the sweetness.

Color

In the glass this is a very light golden yellow.

Aroma

I don’t get a lot on the nose. There are some lemon and lime components.

Flavor

The attack is very sweet with lemon on the mid-palate. It finishes with a very interesting butterscotch component. I like the overall citrus components, but this is a bit simple. It will pair well with delicate flavors such as salads and desserts.

Rating

This is similar to other sparklers in this price range. I rate it 85 points.

Have you tried any American frizzante?

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Domaine Ste Michelle Extra Dry

On October 11, 2009, In Sparkling, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Domaine Ste Michelle Extra Dry sparkling wine from Washington’s Columbia Valley. I found this non-vintage “House Style” wine for under $11.

Color

This is a very foamy sparkler and is a nice yellow in the glass.

Aroma

It is not particularly aromatic. It has a fruity almost white concord grape smell to it.

Flavor

On the attack this wine shows a lot of sweetness and almost artificial lemon flavor. It has some pear on the mid-palate and finishes with a sour candy flavor. The attack and finish are substantially different. There are a lot of bubbles in the beginning which mask some of the fruit.

Rating

This is a drinkable sparking wine, but I would not recommend it. I rate it 83 points.

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