Avenue Vine

There’s a lot to be said for ambiance when it comes to tasting wine. If your comfort level is easily compromised by a cranky clerk does the wine sour like the banter? Are the repetitive “rules of the Alcohol Cops” being chanted at ever pour–redundancy add nauseam. Enough negative chatter about the hired help! On to the Wines?

First a concoction called “Wilson Creel Almond Champagne.” What’s that all about ?? not calling it sparking wine nor is it from the designated area of France known as Champagne! Oh, well–on to the wine:

1.) Wilson Creek, NV Almond Champagne: $12.99, (60pts)–Sweet, effervescent– remnant of marzipan with a smattering of bitter almond on a less at short and simple finish.

Award 1: BEST OF CLASS, 2003 California State Fair
Award 2: SILVER, 2003 Los Angeles County Fair Wine Comp
Award 3: BRONZE, 2003 Orange County Fair Wine Comp

What Wilson Creek has to say:
Almond Champagne--The "OH MY GOSH" champagne, because that is typically people's first reaction. Naturally fermented, with a hint of pure almond added. A unique champagne for special occasions. Great with desserts, cuddling, hot tubs, picnics, fireplaces, brunches, and parties. Very popular at all the weddings here.
Alc. by Vol.: 11%
Net Content: 750ml

2.) Shadow Creek, NV Blanc de Noir: $8.99/$7.99, (65pts.)–Bright, blush in color; nice big bubbles, apple, citrus, nutty yeast; off dry, unbalanced, acidic short finish.

About the winery:
Shadow Creek Cellars
P.O. Box 3159
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
USA
Phone: (805) 544-5800 Fax:
Established: 1981
Production: 40000 cases
Winemaker(s): John Clark
Region: Santa Barbara - Central Coast

3.) Pommery, NV Champagne Brut Royal: $34.99/$27.99, (89pts.)–Light gold, lively, bright; dry yeast--dough, ripe fruit–apple, pear; big bubbly froth lots of streaming bubbles; interesting, spicy on a nicely lingering finish. I liked it very much. Drink it now. 50,000 cases made.

Pommery link

4.) Mumm, NV Cuvee Napa Blanc de Noirs: $15.99/$13.99, (87pts.)–Bright apricot salmon in color; wet yeast, floral, fruity, green apple–Granny Smith, hints of strawberry; with a lively off dry, mineral finish.

Award 1: GOLD, 2005 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Comp
Award 2: SWEEPSTAKES, 2003 San Diego Nat'l Wine Comp

What Mumm has to say:
A soft, fruity style of sparkling wine reminiscent of black cherry and strawberry with a lovely pale pink salmon hue. A charming pale salmon color introduces this wine, followed by a bouquet of ripe Pinot Noir fruit.

Part of the wine is initially fermented in the press, producing a soft fruity character that gives Blanc de Noirs its directness, while a small percentage of Chardonnay gives the wine power and structure.

This more robust quality makes Blanc de Noirs a wonderful wine with many kinds of cuisine, ranging from Thai to Italian. Pair it with caviar and smoked fish, avocado and crab salad or sauced shellfish, vegetable and cheese soufflés.

Winemaker's Notes:
A charming pale salmon color introduces this wine, and follows with a bouquet of ripe Pinot Noir fruit. Part of the wine is initially fermented in the press, producing a soft fruity character that gives Blanc de Noirs its directness, while a small percentage of Chardonnay gives.

5.) Marie Stuart, NV Sparkling Wine Brut: $24.99, (82pts.)–Bright pale gold; dry yeast, soft citrus; full bodied, well balanced; elegant long finish, too!

From Marie Stuart:
APPELATION CONTROLEE :
Champagne

TYPE OF WINE:
A Brut that is fruity and full-bodied. It is dominated by the Pinot Noir that gives it a more noble character.

GRAPE VARIETY :
25% Chardonnay - 60% Pinot Noir - 15% Pinot Meunier

ORIGIN
Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs

VINIFICATION
Hand harvested in baskets. Pneumatic press. Separate vinification in thermoregulated steel tanks for each cru.
Malo-lactic fermentation.

BLENDING
The cru are carefully selected and blended in the traditional Marie Stuart style by Laurent Fedou, oenologist and cellar master.

CHAMPAGNE MAKING PROCESS
Bottle fermentation takes place during the second fermentation in bottles (champagne method). Aged in bottles on lattes for 3 years in cellars at 10 to 12̊.

ANALYSIS :
Alcohol : 12̊
Acidity : 5.40 g
Sugar : 12 g

6.) Gloria Ferrer, NV Blanc de Noirs: $14.99/$12.99, (87)–Bright in appearance, light peach in color; fine brisk moussse; hints of fruit–cherry, raspberry, strawberry, floral, spice, citrus; rich, clean, refreshingly complex on a delightful finish. I like this one very much! Drink it now. 25,000 cases made.

What Gloria Ferrer has to say:
WINEMAKING
• Whole cluster pressed to avoid bitter compounds
• Juice is naturally settled overnight (débourbage) to
encourage a clean fermentation.
• Proprietary yeast used for the secondary bottle
fermentation provides a delicate house signature
from year to year.
• The cuvée is a blend of 18 different base wines
fermented in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of
55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Five to seven percent cold-soaked Pinot Noir juice
(Vin Gris) is blended into the base wine for color
and to establish the creamy notes in the finish.
• The wine spent a year and a-half en tirage (on the
yeast).
• Small and numerous bubbles are encouraged by
autolysis, the process by which yeast imparts
complexity and a yeasty character to the wine. The
autolysis particles provide sites for the formation of
the mousse.
• After disgorgement, the wine was balanced with a
dosage of 1.3 g/100 mls.

FOOD AFFINITIES
Outstanding with crab, Thai cuisine, roast pork, quail,
foie gras or semi-sweet desserts. Seasoning affinities
include star anise, plum sauce and tarragon. Look to
triple aged gouda or hard aged cheeses with persimmons
and hazelnuts for the cheese course.
WINEMAKING TEAM
Since 1986
Bob Iantosca, Vice President of Winemaking
Mike Crumly, Vice President Vineyard Operations

Our Blanc de Noirs is predominantly made from hand-harvested Pinot Noir grapes, the hallmarks of which are a vibrant red fruit character. The creamy palate and rosy hue are a result of a small addition of Vin Gris, which was blended into the base cuvée. Over forty different clones and selections of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are planted on our 340-acre estate in the Sonoma Carneros district. This allows us to consistently produce cuvées with complexity and clear fruit expression.

BLEND
92% Pinot Noir
8% Chardonnay

ANALYSIS
pH: 3.07
Total acidity: 0.73 grams/100 ml
Alcohol: 12.5%

7.) Charles Heidsieck, NV Brut: $42.99/$29.99, (91pts.)–Brilliant, effervescent; citrus fruit like sweet grapefruit, discrete yeastiness; full bodied, great texture, balanced–harmonious; sophisticated and long, long finish. An excellent buy at $30.00–drink it now, or for a few more years. 15,000 cases were made I couldn’t find out how many were exported, though.

What Charles Heidsieck has to say”
Charles Heidsieck, Champagne’s rare jewel, a work of time...

The time to select from our precious collection of vintages the wines which allow us to reach the same perfection that we have attained season after season for 150 years. The time to age exceptional champagnes in our ancient chalk cellars until they achieve their subtle character.

With each cuvée, or blend, Charles Heidsieck expresses its vision and the richness of the champagne country through the talent of our cellar masters who know how to let time complement their work, resulting in an excellence recognized by the world's most prestigious wine competitions: the Chef de Cave prize from 1998 to 2002, winner of the Rosé Champagne of the year trophy at the International Wine Challenge in London...

At Charles Heidsieck, each cuvée is a work of art...