Sparkling Wine Reviews

I drank these 8 wines and tasted apple, aromatic, biscuit, brioche, cinnamon, creamy, creme brulee, lemon, pear, saline. The wines are grand cru, grower, lutte raisonee, my favorites, premier cru, small production, sur lies and came from a variety of sources, including wine clubs, wineries, and wine stores.

Wine reviews by: Jessyca Frederick

Blanc de Blancs Brut Réserve Sélection

NV Domaine Michel Turgy Blanc de Blancs Brut Réserve Sélection

The nose was all brioche, biscuit, and yeast. I tasted apple pie, cinnamon, and nutmeg (probably best characterized as “baking spice”) with a little crème brûlée running around in there.

Tasting notes: brioche, biscuit, yeast, apple pie, cinnamon, nutmeg, creme brulee

Blanc de Blancs Composition #3

NV Paul Launois Blanc de Blancs Composition #3

It’s hard to imagine a more food-friendly Champagne — it was super dry with tiny bubbles. The persistent flavors for me were the hallmark brioche and a bit of chalkiness.

Tasting notes: very dry, brioche, chalky

Brut Sélection

NV Champagne Juillet-Lallement Brut Sélection

The nose was subtle ginger cookies and cinnamon. It was mild and balanced, creamy in the mid-palate with notes of apple and pear as it reached the back of my mouth. I enjoyed the mysteriously long finish, of depth and complexity.

Tasting notes: ginger cookies, cinnamon, creamy, apple, pear

Sweet Sparkling Rosé

NV Laetitia Winery Sweet Sparkling Rosé

This was fruity and balanced and seemed more Demi-Sec than straight up sweet as the label suggests, but that could be because the wine had enough acid.

Tasting notes: balanced, red fruit, sweet

Premium Cuvée Brut

2019 Jansz Tasmania Premium Cuvée Brut

Wines, like this one, matured sur lie (on the lees) are always the most interesting to drink — aromatic, complex fruit combinations, strong floral notes, with incredibly long and creamy finishes.

Tasting notes: aromatic, floral, creamy

Brut Tradition

NV Champagne Lhuillier Brut Tradition

Delightful Champagne at a very fair price, it offered a subtle lemony essence and creme brulée while not being overly yeasty. More flavors developed while it was open.

Tasting notes: lemon, creme brulee, brioche, biscuit

Esprit Couture Premier Cru Brut

2012 Champagne Collet Esprit Couture Premier Cru Brut

We very much enjoyed this Champagne, but it didn’t leave us wanting more. I smelled lemon custard and baking spice, and tasted a bright, complex blend of toasted brioche and appreciable salinity.

Tasting notes: lemon, baking spice, bright, brioche, saline

Mes Racines Brut

NV Champagne Alfred Tritant Mes Racines Brut

I found the nose was predominantly apple and pear, with something I identified as baked brie in the mix. It was a bit tart and it had “edges.” There was a sharpness to the way it moved through my mouth that wasn’t just about the bubbles.

Tasting notes: apple, pear, creamy, tart

Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).

Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.

I don’t like wasting money (or anything for that matter). I’m careful about where I spend my money and my mindset as a reviewer is to be careful about where you spend yours. I don’t believe a high price tag equals quality and I know for sure there are wines of very good quality that are also a great value.

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