For us, champagne and sparkling wine go with any day that ends with a Y. But there is nothing like showing your love this Valentine’s Day with a bottle of bubbly. Here are nine bubbly wines worth a toast to your sweetheart this Feb. 14.
Ca’ del Bosco Annamaria Clementi Rosé
Ca’ del Bosco Annamaria Clementi Rosé ($120): This rare and wonderful Franciacorta Rose from Northern Italy is made from only the finest grapes in the most successful vintages. The rose color is obtained after brief maceration of red Pinot Nero grapes. Just a few hours are needed to get that special, bright color. Extraordinarily complex bouquet, exceptionally full and persistent taste.
2010 DVX Rosé Sparkling Wine
2010 DVX Rosé ($70): Mumm Napa’s flagship luxury cuvée honors the visionary work of the late Guy Devaux and is named for the founding winemaker of Mumm Napa. DVX Rosé is the most delicate and elegant wine in this producer’s portfolio. In appearance, the wine has a brilliant pink salmon color, with a mesmerizing stream of tiny bubbles rising to a persistent crown of white mousse. The rich and complex aromas are accentuated with hints of red apple, wild strawberries, cranberry, dried apricot, marzipan and honeysuckle. DVX wines capture the soul of Napa Valley fruit through meticulous selection of the best lots of chardonnay and pinot noir. The winemaking team is given carte blanche in crafting this release, using a variety of techniques to harness the strength, power and balance of these lots. The result is a powerful, elegant cuvée that represents one of Napa Valley’s finest sparkling wines.
2012 Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc
2012 Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc ($39): Blanc de Blancs (white from white), made from Chardonnay, was the first wine Schramsberg produced in 1965 and was America’s first commercially produced Chardonnay-based brut sparkling wine. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs gained international recognition in 1972 when then President Nixon served the wine at the historic “Toast to Peace” in Beijing, China. “The 2012 Blanc de Blancs has bright and fresh aromas of grapefruit, lime, green apple and white apricot,” says winemakers Keith Hock and Hugh Davies. The fragrance of fruit is complemented with hints of yeast, white flowers, spicy ginger and fresh honeycomb. The lime, tangerine and pear flavors are tart and refreshing on entry. The palate is crisp with long lingering acidity.”
Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV
JCB No. 21 Chardonnay Crémant De Bourgogne
JCB No. 21 Chardonnay Crémant De Bourgogne ($25): Each JCB wine is known by a number. And each number has deep significance for Jean-Charles Boisset, the collection’s creator and namesake. Boisset’s philosophy of wine has been profoundly shaped by the wine region where he was born and raised: Burgundy’s famous C̫te d’Or, which translates to the Gold Coast. No. 21 honors this connection and heritage, for 21 is the French government’s “Department” number for the C̫te d’Or. For Boisset, sparkling wine is not a special occasion beverage. It is a radiant moment in your otherwise typical day. While effortless to enjoy, the JCB No. 21 Brut is nonetheless a bit mysterious. Crisp and bracing, it also has the tiniest bit of luminous creaminess. Enjoy it today, on Valentine’s Day, every day!
Vilmart Grand Cellier Brut NV & Lolli and Pops Gift Set
Photo Credit: Courtesy KLAZ
Vilmart Grand Cellier Brut NV & Lolli and Pops Gift Set ($95) Grower champagnes have become a speciality for former Dean & DeLuca Wine Director and industry insider Kerrin Laz, who recently opened K. Laz Wine Collection in Yountville. For Valentine’s Day, she is offering a Valentine’s Day Gift set that includes one of her favorite grower champagnes — Vilmart Grand Cellier Brut NV — and chocolate from the SF-based candy purveyor Lolli and Pops. She is also offering a special Cult Tasting package available Valentine’s weekend that includes tastings from six of her favorite and most sought-after wines (including the impossible-to-find 2012 Screaming Eagle Second Flight). Couples will leave with a bottle of the Vilmart champagne and Lolli and Pops chocolates to take back home or to the hotel. Plus, Kerrin will use her insider Napa Valley status to help secure other tasting reservations at must-visit wine destinations in the area. It’s the ultimate Napa Valley wine getaway. ($425 for 2 people and reservations can be made through klazwinecollection.com).
Domaine Carneros Brut Rose
Domaine Carneros Brut Rose (non-vintage) ($37): The Domaine Carneros Brut Rose is named for Madame de la Pompadour, Louis XV’s great paramour. It is she who introduced sparkling wine to the court of Versailles and is famous for having said, “Champagne is the only wine that a woman can drink and remain beautiful.” A blend of Pinot Noir (58%) and Chardonnay (42%), the wine showcases the fruitiness of the Pinot Noir to a greater extent than our Brut. The wine’s aroma, delivered on a delicate mousse, hints at wild strawberry, ripe peach, apricot, pomegranate, honeysuckle and exotic spices.
SOFIA BLANC DE BLANCS
Sofia Blanc de Blancs ($19): Whether you’re celebrating or boycotting love this Valentine’s Day, break out the bubbly and have a good time with Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s Sofia Blanc de Blancs! Pre-wrapped in beautiful pink cellophane, this sparkling wine is the perfect pairing to go with your Valentine’s Day treats. Fruity and refreshing, Sofia Blanc de Blancs is a rare blend of pinot blanc, muscat, and riesling. Mellow flavors of apples and pears are topped by a hint of citrus and honeysuckle. Elegant in character, this wine is lightly textured and vibrant through the finish. Or enjoy the same crisp, light taste with Sofia Blanc de Blancs Minis, a single-serving of the effervescent Sofia Blanc de Blancs. Zesty, refreshing, cool and fun, each dazzling pink can comes with its own straw for sipping, so you can take it anywhere—anytime you feel like sparkling. Oh, how we love these minis! So fun! ($5.00 per single can, $20.00 per 4-pack)
Ca’ Rosa
Ca’ Rosa ($19): Ca’ Rosa, from Napa Valley’s Ca’Momi, is an alluring, bright-pink and off-dry bubbly that playfully sparkles with Italian style. This sparkling wine is made up of pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and muscat. This complex blend lends layers of flavors to this refreshing, pretty sparkler. Its sparkle is imparted during a second fermentation, just as Prosecco is done in the Veneto region of Italy. Saluti!
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