Browsing Tag

crémant

Reviews

Best Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024: Picks for Every Palate

Posted on December 5, 2024
Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024

How to choose sparkling wines for the holidays in 2024? Every year I get asked for my top picks. Happily, over the past couple of months, I have tasted a wide range of great sparkling wines, at all price points, for every palate preference. Check out my recommendations, tasting notes, and sparkling wine videos below.

Tis the season. Time to stock up on sparkling wines for the holidays. Festive gatherings abound this time of year and nothing sets a merrier tone that a nice bottle of fizz. They also make excellent gifts. After all, who doesn’t want a bottle of bubbly? Nobody…that is who.

Everyone’s needs are different when choosing sparkling wines for holiday gatherings – from budget-friendly options to supply big parties, to top of the line Champagnes for special occasions. And, we all have quite varied tastes. With this in mind, I have tried to make my recommendations as comprehensive as possible. There are categories for more affordable bubblies, mid-range sparkling wines , value Champagnes, and a few top drawer, premium Champagne – in everything from bone dry, to fruitier, natural to more classic styles.

Of course, there are so many other great sparkling wines out there. I would be remiss not to mention the fantastic Champagnes from Laherte, Dhondt-Grellet, and Deutz. Or, the fantastic Crémant wines from the likes of Stéphane Tissot and Domaine Pignier (Jura) or Domaine la Taille au Loups (Loire). We also have many delicious Canadian sparklings, though sadly these are not as well represented as they should be here.

But for now, the “Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024” list below should cover your festive feasts. Once you have made your selections, scroll to the bottom of this post for some bonus videos. A few years back, I made a series of sparkling wine videos. They offer helpful buying tips and a little education on what makes these wines so interesting. Check them out if you want to impress you friends at you next holiday gathering.

Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024

SPARKLING WINES FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2024: THE LIST.

Great Value (Under $25) Sparkling Wine for Any Occasion

Federico Paternina Cava Brut Rose 2019 – 88pts. VW (Penedès, Spain)

Pleasant aromas and flavours of crushed strawberry and rhubarb, with creamy undertones. Light and lively on the palate, with tangy red berry notes and a smooth finish. A simple, easydrinking rosé.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($17.25)

Fiol Prosecco – 89pts. VW (Veneto, Italy)

This is a clean, classic, well-made Prosecco with fine bubbles (no explosively frothy, “hamster cheek” bubbles here). Discreet aromas of spring blossoms, white pear, and anis lead into a light bodied palate with fresh, rounded acidity and a dry finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($18.05)

Vignato Primo Incontro Garganega Vino Frizzante – 92pts. PW (Veneto, Italy)

A natural, pét nat from the Veneto region with lots of personality for the price! Attractive earthy, sourdough bread, raw honey, and baked apricot aromas on the nose.  Crisp, dry and nervy on the palate with soft bubbles, and lingering earthy/ savoury hints over tangy apple flavours.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($23.50)

Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve – 89pts. PW (Bourgogne, France)

A smooth, crowd pleasing style of Crémant. This Pinot Noir dominant blend has charming, upfront orchard fruit and shortbread biscuit notes on the nose. The palate is fresh and broad, with big, rounded bubbles and a brut (aka fruity, rounded but not sweet) finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($23.85)

Juvé & Camps Reserva de la Familia Brut Nature 2019 – 91pts. PW (Penedès, Spain)

Inviting on the nose, with a nice balance of earthy, savoury, and citrussy notes, underscored by tempting hints of brioche. Crisp, medium-bodied, and layered on the mid-palate with pleasant sweet-and-sour citrus, apple notes, and a dry finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($24.50)

Mid-Range Sparkling Wine to Step up Your Game

Vincent Carême, Vouvray Brut 2022 (Loire, France) – 90pts. PW

Inviting nose of acacia, ripe lemon, quince, and hints of anis for this Loire Chenin Blanc bubbly. Crisp and dry on the palate, with nice tension, and quite vibrant mousse. Easy-drinking, refreshing style with a rounded, supple finish.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($27.70)

Domaine Bergeville Le Blanc Brut 2022 – 90pts. PW (Québec, Canada!)

The sparkling wine scene here at home is, well… pretty effervescent, with stand out wines from coast to coast (check out my Canadian sparkling wine article here). It is definitely worth seeking out sparkling specialists like biodynamic estate, Domaine Bergeville, who have been honing their craft for over a decade. The Blanc Brut is light, nervy, and taut with piercing, crystalline acidity, pure green fruit flavours and a dry finish – a perfect accompaniment for oysters.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($31.50)

Domaine Baud “Cuvée S” Crémant du Jura Brut – 93pts. PW (Jura, France)

A Chardonnay dominant blend, with Pinot Noir, aged for over two years on the lees. Really harmonious on the nose and palate, with pleasing notes of marzipan and ripe orchard fruit, a creamy, textural palate balanced by refreshing acidity, and smooth, persistent bubbles.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($32.75)

Vignoble des 3 Terres Mann Crémant d’Alsace Brut 2020 – 92pts. PW (Alsace, France)

This vivid, hightoned Crémant d’Alsace is made in large part with the local Pinot d’Auxerrrois grape. Initally discreet, notes of chalk and white flowers broaden to include ripe yellow apple and plum aromas with aeration. The palate is firm, yet juicy and long, with elegant, fine bubbles.

Where to Buy: SAQ ($40.25)

Affordable Luxury: Best Value Champagnes

Champagne Tarlant Zero Brut Nature – 92pts. PW

This cuvée from Tarlant is an excellent value for lovers of bone dry, zéro dosage style Champagne. Enticing gingersnap, baked apple, preserved lemon, and subtle nutty nuances on the nose. Bracing acidity sets the palate off with a zing. Offers vigorous fine mousse, lots of tension, and an austere, yet flavourful finish with lingering lemony, earthy, sourdough notes. 

Where to buy: SAQ ($60.00)

Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain – 94pts. PW

The Brut Souverain from Henriot is a regular contender for best value Champagne, for my palate. An elegant, vinous bubbly with ultra fine bubbles, racy acidity, and a subtly creamy, layered mid-palate. Aromas of wet stone, brioche, hazelnut, and red apple give this quite classic appeal. Well balanced throughout, to its extra-brut finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($63.75)

Champagne Forget-Brimont Brut Rosé Premier Cru – 93pts. PW

Pretty pale salmon in colour, this rosé Champagne has discreet aromas of elderflower, red currant and cinnamon on the nose. The palate is lithe and sleek with racy acidity, and lovely vibrancy. Finishes smooth.

Where to buy: SAQ ($63.75)

Champagne Drappier Brut Nature Pinot Noir Zéro Dosage – 92pts. PW

This Blanc de Noirs from Champagne Drappier is always an elegant option, buzzing with lively tension on the palate, in a long, vertical, bone dry style lacking austerity. Attractive red berry, white mushroom, wet stone, and ginger notes echo on the nose and palate.

Where to buy: SAQ ($65.75)

Posh Champagne to Treat your Guests (and Yourself)

Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut – 94 pts. LW

You really can’t go wrong with Bollinger’s Special Cuvée. This Brut NV offers fantastic balance of heady, indulgent flavours – shortbread, baked apple, yellow pear, with lively lemon and subtly mineral undertones. Creamy and textured on the palate, with balanced freshness, and a smooth, long finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($97.50)

Champagne Dame de Carreau Cuvée Bâtarde 2015 – 93pts. LW

This is an interesting cuvée from a small grower Champagne house in the Côte des Bar. A blend of 60% Pinot noir, 20% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot blanc, from 50 year old vines, grown on Kimeridgean soils (ie. the very same soils found in Chablis). The nose is quite delicate and pretty, with citrus blossom, wet stone, and white mushroom. The palate is crisp and textural, with tangy citrus, nutty, and toasty aromas, and a long, vertical finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($109.75)

Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Brut Rosé – 93pts. LW

Medium salmon in colour, the Laurent-Perrier Brut Rosé is immediately appealing, with its vivid strawberry, raspberry, red currant, herbal, and creamy notes. The palate is broad and harmonious, with smooth bubbles, bright red fruit flavours, and a long, lifted finish.

Where to buy: SAQ ($116.50)

Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru – 96pts LW

Incredibly complex and powerful, the Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru is most definitely a Champagne to serve with food. This barrel aged (10% new) Pinot Noir dominant blend is made of almost 50% reserve wines, giving pleasing tertiary notes, lots of weight, and textural appeal on the palate. The nose is commanding, with chalky, mineral-focused aromas and underlying notes of green almond, apple, ripe lemon, and toasted nuances.

Where to buy: SAQ ($162)

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Itération No. 26 Brut – 95pts. LW

 The iconic Grand Siècle Itération No. 26 Brut from Laurent-Perrier is a blend of three exceptional vintages (2012, 2008, 2007) of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from eight Grand Cru villages, aged 10 years on the lees, and a further few years in magnum.

The nose is incredibly elegant, with flinty, earthy intial notes, giving way to richer gingersnap, honeycomb, toasted almond, and lemon peel notes. Racy and lifted on the palate, becoming increasingly expansive to the creamy, layered core. Finishes bone dry with hints of toasty oak and savoury nuances, and a long, saline finish. Gastronimic and still quite youthful.

Where to buy: SAQ ($346.25)

Sparkling Wines for the Holidays 2024

Education Reviews Wines

Your Holiday Sparkling Wine Style Guide

Posted on December 22, 2023
Your holiday sparkling wine guide

Browsing the sparkling wine aisle in December can be a daunting prospect. The shelves seem to groan under the weight of the vast selection. Quality has never been better at every price point, but good sparkling wine is still a premium purchase. Knowing a little bit about the different styles will help ensure you buy a bottle you will love.

First consider the sweetness level. Most sparkling wines use the same terminology.

  • Brut nature or Zero Dosage: no dosage (added sweetness). Bone-dry, often quite taut, perception of acidity is often heightened.
  • Extra Brut: Very subtle dosage. Dry. Slightly less austere on the palate than a zero dosage.
  • Brut: Subtle dosage. Still quite dry, but more rounded and fruitier.
  • Extra-Dry: Confusingly this term actually means off-dry (subtly sweet).
  • Dry: Semi sweet sparkling wines with pronounced fruitiness

Then, think about the origin or production method. Some of the most popular sparkling wines include:

Prosecco: The Party Favourite

Prosecco, from the north of Italy, is an affordable option for holiday parties. The style is fresh and light (11% – 11.5% alcohol) with a subtle pear drop, peachy, floral perfume. It drinks well on its own but also works well in Mimosa-type cocktails.

Its bubbles are generally softer and frothier than traditional method sparkling wines (like Champagne or Cava). This is due to the winemaking process – whereby bubbles are formed during a brief passage in large, pressurized tanks before early rapid bottling.

For the best quality Prosecco, look out for the top tier DOCG mention on the label, which is helpfully accompanied by the term Superiore. These Prosecco wines hail from the region’s best growing areas.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Fiol Prosecco DOC Extra Dry rosé ($20.25 at the SAQ) – pretty in pink, good value, fruity, easy-drinking, smooth bubbly

Canavel Campofalco, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Superiore ($30.75$ at the SAQ) – dry, elegant, and well-balanced, with a discreet orchard fruit, floral perfume

Cava: The Oft Underrated Option

Cava hails from the Catalonia region in northeastern Spain. It is produced using the same “traditional method” as Champagne. After an initial fermentation, wines are bottled and dosed with yeast and (usually) sugar to provoke a second fermentation in the bottle. Carbon dioxide released during this process is trapped in the bottle and dissolves into the liquid, forming bubbles.

Cava has two key differences from Champagne: firstly, the grapes in the blend are not the same, and secondly, the grape-growing climate is warmer. This translates as a broader sparkling wine, with softer acidity. Green apple, lemon, and earthy flavours are common. Most are very dry, in the Brut Nature to Brut range.

The longer a traditional method sparkling wine remains in contact with the yeast cells (called lees) after the second fermentation, the more complex the wine can become, developing a creamier more layered texture, finer bubbles, and toasty, nutty flavours. Longer-aged Cava wines are called Reserva or – for the longest aged tier – Gran Reserva.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Muga Conde de Haro Brut Reserva 2020 ($23.10 at the SAQ): Surprisingly textural and persistent for the price, with vigorous bubbles, and tempting baked apple, biscuit, earthy notes.

Juvé y Camps Reserva de la Familia Brut Nature ($23.95 at the SAQ), Juvé y Camps Brut Cava Rosé ($24.50 at the SAQ) – consistently good value Cava in a very dry, textured, lively style

Mestres Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2016 ($38.00 at the SAQ) – Complex, nutty, rich, and layered. Bone-dry without austerity. Lovely freshness and verve.

Crémant & other non-Champagne Traditional Method Bubblies : The Affordable Luxury

Crémant is a name given to sparkling wines from 7 French regions outside of Champagne including: the Loire Valley, Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Jura, Limoux and Die. The grape varieties vary depending on the region.

Crémant wines often have bigger, more rounded bubbles than Champagne, making them feel a little rounder and more ample on the palate. The most affordable Crémants also tend to be fruitier as they are rarely aged for more than a year on their lees.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Louis Bouillot Perle Rare Crémant de Bourgogne 2019 ($24.45 as the SAQ) – broad, rounded, and fruity, in an easy-drinking, smooth style.

Domaine Vincent Carême Brut Vouvray mousseux 2021 ($25.65 at the SAQ) – clean, zesty citrus, honeyed undertones, fine, lively mousse, and zippy acidity

Domaine Baud Brut Sauvage, Crémant de Jura ($31 at the SAQ) – delicate floral, lemon, and brioche nuances, vibrant freshness, and a dry, earthy finish.

Side note… There are many countries producing first-rate traditional method sparkling wines outside of Spain and France. Canada is making excellent bubblies from coast to coast. Some of my favourite producers include: Lightfoot & Wolfville, Benjamin Bridge, Hinterland, Cave Spring, Henry of Pelman (Cuvée Catherine), Hidden Bench, Tantalus, Blue Mountain, Fitzpatrick Winery, and the list goes on!

Pét Nat: The Wild Child

Pét Nat stands for Pétillant Naturel (or naturally sparkling wine). It might seem like a recent trend, but the technique to make Pét Nat wines is actually the oldest sparkling wine process in the world. It is called the Ancestral Method.

The Ancestral Method, used for Pét Nat wines, consists of bottling a wine partway through its initial fermenting, as compared to the secondary fermentation of traditional method sparkling wines. There is quite a wide array of Pét Nat styles out there so they are hard to define.

They do tend to be quite low in alcohol (9.5 – 11%), with less vigorous bubbles, and flavours that are often more savoury, mineral, or herbal than fruity. Many are unfiltered so can be quite cloudy.

Recently tasted recommendations:

Domaine Fouet Pour Ma Gueule ($23.10 at the SAQ) – invigorating, ultra thirstquenching, bubbly with a rounded mid-palate and dry finish

Les Tètes, Tète Nat’ 2022 ($23.95 at the SAQ) – tangy green fruit flavours, piercing acidity, bone dry, precise palate with fine, well formed bubbles.

Francesco Cirelli Wines of Anarchy Frizzante ($25.10 at the SAQ) – earthy, savoury flavours mingle nicely with bright orchard fruit on this textural, bracing frizzante.

Champagne: The Luxury Choice

Champagne remains the obvious choice for special occasions. While many worthy contenders are cropping up from other wine regions, a well-made Champagne is still hard to beat in terms of its overall finesse.

What sets the best Champagnes apart? Firstly, the quality of their bubbles: ultra-fine, lively, and persistent. Secondly, the complexity of their aromas, blending mineral notes (flint, wet stone), with lees-aged nuances (brioche, biscuit), subtle florality, and tart fruit undertones.

The creamy, layered core of long lees aged Champagnes tempers their typical racy, high acidity, giving the wines a very harmonious mouthfeel. The long, vibrant finish of fine Champagne is another of its defining features.

Recently tasted recommendations:

There are so many lovely wines that I could list here, but I will stick to those sampled in the past few months that offer particularly good value for their price.

Champagne Fleury Blanc de Noirs Brut ($59.75 at the SAQ) – consistently good value blanc de noir with vivid fruit, smooth bubbles, a dry finish, and pleasing satin-like texture.

Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur ($68.50 at the SAQ) – attractive floral, orchard fruit nuances, ultra-fine mousse, lingering savoury, saline finish. Bone dry.

Champagne Palmer & Co Brut Réserve ($79.00 at the SAQ) – heady, tempting patisserie nuances balanced by racy, refreshing citrussy notes, lots of finesse.

Whether you choose to sip on light, fruity Prosecco, splash out on top Champagne, or venture further off-the-beaten track, I wish you all a very merry holiday season!

This Holiday Sparkling Wine Guide was originally published on Good Food Revolution. If you enjoy reading about artisinal food, wine, and spirits, check out this excellent online publication.