Tag: Pinot Meunier

Taltarni Taché Sparkling Rosé Lights Up July
July is a time for celebration around our house and we always look for a bottle of bubbles to match the festive mood.

We’re toasting this special month with a sparkling Australian Rosé known as Taltarni Taché (French for “stained”). In this case, it’s the stain of red wine added at disgorgement which results in a unique taste and an impressive salmon color.

Taltarni Taché 2011 is a classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The winemaker credits the extraordinary growing season for “creating complex and distinct varietal characters along with succulent natural acidity.”

Taltarni says their wine has:
- a lovely structure
- a hint of bread on the nose … balanced with a creamy texture
- beautiful complimentary strawberry and rose petal aromatics
- a balance of acidity and sweetness
We agree with almost all of the above except the Chardonnay acidity was a bit too much for our taste. Our bottle listed: Chardonnay 55% Pinot Noir 38% Pinot Meunier 7%. Other reviewers listed a different blend percentage of varietals.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

[from: Taltarni Taché Sparkling Rosé 2011 (K&L Wines)]
- (90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate) "The Non-Vintage Brut Tache is a delightful, well-priced sparkling wine composed of 52% Chardonnay, 41% Pinot Noir, and 7% Pinot Meunier … The nose offers rose petal, peach, apricot, and wheat thin scents … red berry and nutty flavors. … dry and refreshing, with a long, clean finish."
- (10/07) According to Wine & Spirits: "The bubbles look tiny but they power the strawberry and cherry fruit in this light pink sparkler, a brisk cut that leaves the finish clean. For rustic country pâté."
- (10/07) According to the Wine Spectator: "Pale pink in color, this dry, creamy-textured sparkler shows pretty watermelon and toast flavors. Drink now."
- (11/06) "Taché is a … fine rosé-colored sparkling wine … Crafted from a traditional blend of chardonnay (54%), pinot noir (36%) and pinot meunier (10%), Taltarni Brut Taché is bottle fermented and matured for a minimum of 18 months according to traditional ‘Mêthode Champenoise’ practices. Delicious!”
Taltarni Taché 2011

South Eastern Australia

Chardonnay 55% Pinot Noir 38% Pinot Meunier 7%

Alcohol 12% by Volume

We purchased our bottle of Taltarni Taché 2011 @ Bauer Wine & Spirits.

Here’s to July! Join Our Sparkling Resolution

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 1, 2016
April Sparkles with Chandon Brut, California’s French “Wine” Connection
There’s no doubt that the makers of Chandon Brut Classic are proud of their accomplishments in Napa Valley – it says so right on their label.

Founded by Moet & Chandon in the early 1970s, they’ve been praised as the “First French-owned sparkling wine venture in the U.S.,” having utilized, as they point out, their “French heritage and innovative American spirit to create vibrant and sophisticated sparkling wines.” And, although we’ve only tasted one of their sparklers, we’re impressed with the Brut Classic!
- Fresh fruit on the nose, tiny bubbles
- Clean, no excessive acidity on a smooth finish
- Food Friendly (paired well with pretzels)
- Great event wine (better value than most)
Chandon says:
- Apple, pear, citrus flavors & aromas
- Hint of spice leading to a soft, dry finish
- Crisp, fresh flavor profile
- Pairs well with salty, creamy, or nutty foods (Caesar salad, fried calamari, oysters, or fresh sashimi & sushi)
Chandon Brut Classic …
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier
- Made with lots of wines from multiple vintages
- Methode Traditionnelle
- ABV: 12.5%
Available at several locations, including: Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s

Suggested Retail Price: $22 (we paid $18)

During our opinion search, we often read, “If you’re in Napa Valley, visit Napa Domaine Chandon for both food and wine.”

As the winery explains, “We draw on our French heritage and innovative American spirit to create vibrant and sophisticated sparkling wines to enliven all occasions.”

We say, "A perfect way to toast the arrival of April and spring!"

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April 1, 2016
April Sparkles with Chandon Brut, California’s French “Wine” Connection
There’s no doubt that the makers of Chandon Brut Classic are proud of their accomplishments in Napa Valley – it says so right on their label.

Founded by Moet & Chandon in the early 1970s, they’ve been praised as the “First French-owned sparkling wine venture in the U.S.,” having utilized, as they point out, their “French heritage and innovative American spirit to create vibrant and sophisticated sparkling wines.” And, although we’ve only tasted one of their sparklers, we’re impressed with the Brut Classic!
- Fresh fruit on the nose, tiny bubbles
- Clean, no excessive acidity on a smooth finish
- Food Friendly (paired well with pretzels)
- Great event wine (better value than most)
Chandon says:
- Apple, pear, citrus flavors & aromas
- Hint of spice leading to a soft, dry finish
- Crisp, fresh flavor profile
- Pairs well with salty, creamy, or nutty foods (Caesar salad, fried calamari, oysters, or fresh sashimi & sushi)
Chandon Brut Classic …
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier
- Made with lots of wines from multiple vintages
- Methode Traditionnelle
- ABV: 12.5%
Available at several locations, including: Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s

Suggested Retail Price: $22 (we paid $18)

During our opinion search, we often read, “If you’re in Napa Valley, visit Napa Domaine Chandon for both food and wine.”

As the winery explains, “We draw on our French heritage and innovative American spirit to create vibrant and sophisticated sparkling wines to enliven all occasions.”

We say, "A perfect way to toast the arrival of April and spring!"

Check Out these Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

What's on your food lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne – One Happy Surprise!

Minutes before leaving for Provincetown, Penny quickly grabbed what she thought was a bottle of our favorite Charles de Cazanove brut from the wine rack. It wasn’t until we’d arrived on-Cape and had begun to unpack that she realized it was actually their rosé, which we hadn't tried.

After the long drive, we quickly settled in and treated ourselves to a couple of glasses of Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne.

Our first reaction, “Impressive!” Penny said this bubbly had, “a little bit of the yeasty flavor that I love in Bollinger and the flavor of the fruit without the sweetness of added dosage.”

Charles de Cazanove Rosé is a blend of 15% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 15% Côteaux Champenois Rouge.

The winemaker describes a “… volume, fullness and strength on the palate, with good substance.”

“This rosé has a lovely salmon-pink colour and delicious candied fruit and rose petal aromas.”

In a cocktail glass, I thought it looked like an inviting mixed drink. It was a great match with Chef José Andrés super light, olive oil potato chips.

We also had it with a good Cabot cheddar, some pretzel chips, and a fresh loaf of French bread.”

Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne, a very satisfying way to start a vacation and this new month. One Happy Surprise!

Here’s How Our Sparkling Resolution Began

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

(And, for those who came here seeking canine goodness, our Sunday Dog features will return next week. Here's a link to the past ones in case you really need a dose of dog.)

What's on your food lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

November 1, 2015
Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015
We toast June 2015 with Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 thanks to Chef and Partner Michael Serpa from Select Oyster Bar in Boston’s Back Bay.

Since the opening of this neighborhood spot back in April, we’ve enjoyed many glasses of sparkling wine with our meals and afternoon snacks at the Select bar. We picked one and then another as a possible wine to celebrate the arrival of June, but couldn’t decide. We finally asked Chef Serpa if he would choose for us and he agreed.

We slipped out onto the patio at Select while lunch customers were finishing up their meals to photograph this wine.

One of the first things we learned was that, in addition to having a sparkler to enjoy on June 1st, our newest wine mentor was offering us another importer to add to our list of great resources. He loves the wines from Vintage 59 and offers a number of selections from their portfolio on his current list.

Chef Serpa calls Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736, “Balanced.” We agree and love that he has picked so many wines like this that match perfectly with his food. As to this one, he pointed out, “Champagne is the ultimate food wine!”

You’ll notice that the glasses used for this tasting (which was generously shared with us) are not flutes.

Serpa has great reasons for his sparkling wine glass choice, “Any nicer sparkling wine, I think, just works much better in a standard kind of wine glass rather than a flute, just because you get the aroma…” “When you’re drinking great wine,” he said, “I think it should be in a proper glass where you’re going to get the full experience of the wine.”

He recognizes the celebratory feel of a flute and you’ll find flutes on hand at Select, but you may be offered the choice of a flute or a wine glass with a particular wine.

Between lunch and dinner service, we moved inside to the large table by the window to talk more about wine.

Wine Temperature

You may also have noticed that he did not put this bottle in a wine chiller. We often suggest drinking a great wine, like this one, through a range of temperatures. We were delighted that he agrees, “As it warms up, you taste a little bit more of the wine.” He explained that with the lower alcohol levels in many sparkling wines, you won’t experience that hot taste of alcohol as the wine warms, the way you might in a 15% ABV wine. You just enjoy more of the full flavor the wine has to offer.

A Toast for June

We asked Chef Serpa what he’ll be toasting on June 1st as he joins us in welcoming a Happy New Month! He has great reason to celebrate because he’ll be toasting his 30th birthday on June 2nd. He said, “I think it’s going to be a good year!” We agreed and wished him a good decade. He responded that the first 30 were good!

Click over to twitter @michaelserpa, (where he claims the title of, “Handyman @selectboston in Boston’s Back Bay,”) and wish him a Happy Birthday on June 2nd. Or post a birthday greeting on the Select Facebook page. He certainly has our best wishes for a happy and successful third decade of life.

A Big Thank You to Chef Serpa!

Thank you for the time you took out of a busy afternoon to share this wonderful wine with us and our readers. And, thanks for starting a new BostonZest tradition of letting people we trust select our sparkler of the month, from time to time.

About This Wine
- Name: Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736
- Type of wine: Champagne
- Year or N/V: N/V but based on 2008 harvest
- Blend: 53% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir, and 18% Pinot Meunier with reserve wines from 2007 and 2006 harvests (34%)
- Country of origin: Dizy, France
- Alcohol by Volume: 12%
- Importer: Vintage 59
- Distributor: Ruby Wines
- Price per bottle in the restaurant: $98.
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Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

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Here are all the wines we’ve covered. Since this is a category this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover’s Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino
June 1, 2015
Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.
One sip of Canard-Duchêne Authentic Brut and we knew we had discovered a special Champagne. Toast on the nose and luscious Pinot fruit on the palate – not overwhelming, just right.

The blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay captured our attention and never let go. Canard-Duchêne Cellar Master Laurent Fédou puts it best with the words “intensity … complexity … and balance” to describe their Champagnes.

He characterizes the Authentic Brut as having …
- “A straw-yellow appearance and delicate mousse."
- "Intense aromas of fresh fruit typical of the Pinot varietals."
- "Fruity flavours [that] jostle with pastry notes, a sign of excellent maturity.”
We always like to taste through the temperatures of our first glass of wine. In this case, moving from the initial chilled sip to that warmer last splash brought out more of the Chardonnay.

After lingering over the rest of the bottle, our only question was, “Why haven’t we heard about this Champagne before?” Well, it hasn’t been readily available in the U.S. until recently, but has been well-known and respected for more than a century in other parts of the world.

We found our bottle of Canard-Duchêne for $38 at The Urban Grape, South End

Clinking glasses to toast each new month has never been more enjoyable – à votre santé!

Watch for a few extra wine posts this month. We'll be telling you about some of our favorite value sparklers that are perfect for holdiay entertaining or as great value gifts.

Here's more about Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
November 1, 2013
Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.
One sip of Canard-Duchêne Authentic Brut and we knew we had discovered a special Champagne. Toast on the nose and luscious Pinot fruit on the palate – not overwhelming, just right.

The blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay captured our attention and never let go. Canard-Duchêne Cellar Master Laurent Fédou puts it best with the words “intensity … complexity … and balance” to describe their Champagnes.

He characterizes the Authentic Brut as having …
- “A straw-yellow appearance and delicate mousse."
- "Intense aromas of fresh fruit typical of the Pinot varietals."
- "Fruity flavours [that] jostle with pastry notes, a sign of excellent maturity.”
We always like to taste through the temperatures of our first glass of wine. In this case, moving from the initial chilled sip to that warmer last splash brought out more of the Chardonnay.

After lingering over the rest of the bottle, our only question was, “Why haven’t we heard about this Champagne before?” Well, it hasn’t been readily available in the U.S. until recently, but has been well-known and respected for more than a century in other parts of the world.

We found our bottle of Canard-Duchêne for $38 at The Urban Grape, South End

Clinking glasses to toast each new month has never been more enjoyable – à votre santé!

Watch for a few extra wine posts this month. We'll be telling you about some of our favorite value sparklers that are perfect for holdiay entertaining or as great value gifts.

Here's more about Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
November 1, 2013
Discovering November Bubbles! Canard-Duchêne Comes to U.S.
One sip of Canard-Duchêne Authentic Brut and we knew we had discovered a special Champagne. Toast on the nose and luscious Pinot fruit on the palate – not overwhelming, just right.

The blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay captured our attention and never let go. Canard-Duchêne Cellar Master Laurent Fédou puts it best with the words “intensity … complexity … and balance” to describe their Champagnes.

He characterizes the Authentic Brut as having …
- “A straw-yellow appearance and delicate mousse."
- "Intense aromas of fresh fruit typical of the Pinot varietals."
- "Fruity flavours [that] jostle with pastry notes, a sign of excellent maturity.”
We always like to taste through the temperatures of our first glass of wine. In this case, moving from the initial chilled sip to that warmer last splash brought out more of the Chardonnay.

After lingering over the rest of the bottle, our only question was, “Why haven’t we heard about this Champagne before?” Well, it hasn’t been readily available in the U.S. until recently, but has been well-known and respected for more than a century in other parts of the world.

We found our bottle of Canard-Duchêne for $38 at The Urban Grape, South End

Clinking glasses to toast each new month has never been more enjoyable – à votre santé!

Watch for a few extra wine posts this month. We'll be telling you about some of our favorite value sparklers that are perfect for holdiay entertaining or as great value gifts.

Here's more about Our Sparkling Resolution

And, Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
November 1, 2013
Toasting August with Billecart-Salmon: A Tale of Two Bruts

We can’t think of a better way to ring-in a new month than by toasting with two glasses of bubbly from one of our favorite Champagne houses, Billecart-Salmon! No, wait. Actually, that would be four glasses and two bottles.

In this post, we explore two Champagne styles: ours and that of some of our wine-loving friends. The right wine is the wine you like! Besides, anytime you’re able to justify opening multiple bottles of these French jewels, the happier the occasion becomes.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, we actually opened our Champagne Billecart-Salmon Extra-Brut at the beach, last summer. Extra Brut is the driest designation of Champagne styles containing less than 0.6% sugar per liter. While this Billecart-Salmon contains the big three: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, they point out that, “No sugar has been added to the dosage.”

Billecart-Salmon says, “A Champagne full of brightness and purity … harmonious minerality … balanced finish” Download More about Billecart-Salmon Etra Brut.

We say, “tight … a bit stern … but, focused”

As for the Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve, we lifted our glasses to welcome August 2013, took our first sips, and couldn’t stop grinning!

We say, “round … mellow … friendly … magical … drink slowly through the temperatures” (allow to warm in your glass)

Billecart-Salmon says, “harmony … balance … persistent and abounding mousse … freshness … rich bouquet Download More about Billecart-Salomn BRUT RESERVE.

We began our love affair with Billecart-Salmon many years ago by falling for their Brut Rosé. Since then, we’ve come to appreciate the depth of this outstanding Champagne house and continue to try their many other offerings.

Whatever your taste in sparkling wine, we hope you’ll join us in a toast to month number eight, à votre santé!

Here’s More About

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 1, 2013
Toasting August with Billecart-Salmon: A Tale of Two Bruts

We can’t think of a better way to ring-in a new month than by toasting with two glasses of bubbly from one of our favorite Champagne houses, Billecart-Salmon! No, wait. Actually, that would be four glasses and two bottles.

In this post, we explore two Champagne styles: ours and that of some of our wine-loving friends. The right wine is the wine you like! Besides, anytime you’re able to justify opening multiple bottles of these French jewels, the happier the occasion becomes.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, we actually opened our Champagne Billecart-Salmon Extra-Brut at the beach, last summer. Extra Brut is the driest designation of Champagne styles containing less than 0.6% sugar per liter. While this Billecart-Salmon contains the big three: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, they point out that, “No sugar has been added to the dosage.”

Billecart-Salmon says, “A Champagne full of brightness and purity … harmonious minerality … balanced finish” Download More about Billecart-Salmon Etra Brut.

We say, “tight … a bit stern … but, focused”

As for the Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve, we lifted our glasses to welcome August 2013, took our first sips, and couldn’t stop grinning!

We say, “round … mellow … friendly … magical … drink slowly through the temperatures” (allow to warm in your glass)

Billecart-Salmon says, “harmony … balance … persistent and abounding mousse … freshness … rich bouquet Download More about Billecart-Salomn BRUT RESERVE.

We began our love affair with Billecart-Salmon many years ago by falling for their Brut Rosé. Since then, we’ve come to appreciate the depth of this outstanding Champagne house and continue to try their many other offerings.

Whatever your taste in sparkling wine, we hope you’ll join us in a toast to month number eight, à votre santé!

Here’s More About

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 1, 2013