Tag: Chardonnay

Here’s to February and Early Spring with Champagne Charles de Cazanove Stradivarius
Here comes February! And, we’re reaching for another sparkling wine to welcome this often unpredictable weather month. Instead of relying on that pesky groundhog to predict an early spring and put us in a good mood, we’re placing our faith in a reliable Champagne house that has served us well.

Having featured and enjoyed the bubbles of Charles de Cazanove twice in 2015, it only makes sense that their Champagne Stradivarius has real promise (and besides, we’re intrigued by the name).

Here’s what people are saying ...

The winemaker calls Charles de Cazanove Stradivarius 2000 …
- A symphony of meaning and passion
- Its unique flavour … provides an original harmony
- Bouquet opens on ripe fruit, walnut, and almond aromas
- A powerful, hearty finish
Wine Enthusiast gave Stradivarius (91 points) describing it as a …
- Ripe, beautifully integrated Champagne
- Beginnings of nutty, toasty maturity
- Full in the mouth with a delicate and creamy mousse
- Not for aging … an impressive wine to drink now
Bauer Wine & Spirits, where we purchased our bottle, had the most intriguing tasting notes …
- Yellow-gold
- Deep, toasty aromas of orange marmalade, gingerbread, brown butter
- A hint of floral honey and a livelier touch of lemon curd
- Supple in texture and gently smoky
- Broad candied citrus, poached pear flavors, late notes of buttered toast & spices
- Fully mature Champagne finishes with strong thrust, clinging honey, pear notes & very good persistence
Talk about a morale booster, how could we pass up an opportunity like this? Our notes to follow.

Oh, and, maybe we’ll slip some to Punxsutawney Phil just to loosen the guy up, a little. Cheers!

Champagne Charles de Cazanove Stradivarius 2000

70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 12% ABV

$49.99 @ Bauer Wine & Spirits, 330 Newbury St., Boston

UPDATE (02.01.16) –

We toasted February with the Stradivarius, then chose the descriptions from above that we think fit best.
- Definitely a unique flavor
- Almond and brown butter aromas
- Nutty, toasty maturity
- Full in the mouth
- A hint of floral honey, gently smoky
- Broad candied citrus, pear notes
- Powerful, hearty finish
While this Champagne is not the lighter, everyday style we’re accustomed to, it is a nice change on the right occasion. And with certain foods, like the French onion soup we enjoyed with it tonight, it was outstanding.

UPDATE (02.02.16) – On a personal note, Thanks Phil.

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The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino, bottle display photo courtesy of Charles de Cazanove

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February 1, 2016
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?

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

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November 1, 2015
Our July Sparkler Is Bursting with Bubbles! Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009)

To me July has always been the month that means summer has really arrived with no shortage of reasons to celebrate – July 4th, vacations, warm weather, lots of daylight! And, because of its outstanding potential, we’re toasting month #7 with an equally impressive bottle of Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” (2009).

Made in the traditional champagne method, this sparkler (90% Chenin Blanc, 10% Chardonnay) is described as “vibrant and crisp,” having “a pleasant nose, with some white fruits and vine peaches aromas … Very much a celebration pre-dinner wine.”

Winemaker Jean-François Mérieau has been praised as ambitious and creative – one of the new stars of the Loire region, no argument here.

According to K&L Wines, Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” Touraine Sparkling is “a refreshing, crisp wine … has a bright nose of apple and pears with hints of citrus … palate is creamy and rich … finish is juicy and long.”

(Wine Spectator) – “This sparkler is forward, with a prominent spicy ginger note lading [sic] the way for pear, melon and brioche flavors. Stays racy on the finish, with the ginger note lingering.”

Other tasters detected “apple, quince, grapefruit, herbs, mineral accents.”

Our noses caught the pear aroma along with a good acidity. For a lighter feel, drink well-chilled. We liked it best with food having first enjoyed Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009) at Select Oyster Bar where it matched extremely well with their fabulous seafood preparations.

We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits ($19.99)

Read about Why We Toast Each New Month: “Our Sparkling Resolution”

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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!

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

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July 1, 2015
Our July Sparkler Is Bursting with Bubbles! Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009)

To me July has always been the month that means summer has really arrived with no shortage of reasons to celebrate – July 4th, vacations, warm weather, lots of daylight! And, because of its outstanding potential, we’re toasting month #7 with an equally impressive bottle of Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” (2009).

Made in the traditional champagne method, this sparkler (90% Chenin Blanc, 10% Chardonnay) is described as “vibrant and crisp,” having “a pleasant nose, with some white fruits and vine peaches aromas … Very much a celebration pre-dinner wine.”

Winemaker Jean-François Mérieau has been praised as ambitious and creative – one of the new stars of the Loire region, no argument here.

According to K&L Wines, Jean-François Mérieau “Bulles” Touraine Sparkling is “a refreshing, crisp wine … has a bright nose of apple and pears with hints of citrus … palate is creamy and rich … finish is juicy and long.”

(Wine Spectator) – “This sparkler is forward, with a prominent spicy ginger note lading [sic] the way for pear, melon and brioche flavors. Stays racy on the finish, with the ginger note lingering.”

Other tasters detected “apple, quince, grapefruit, herbs, mineral accents.”

Our noses caught the pear aroma along with a good acidity. For a lighter feel, drink well-chilled. We liked it best with food having first enjoyed Jean-François Mérieau Bulles (2009) at Select Oyster Bar where it matched extremely well with their fabulous seafood preparations.

We purchased our bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits ($19.99)

Read about Why We Toast Each New Month: “Our Sparkling Resolution”

Explore “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: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 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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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.

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The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover’s Companion

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino
June 1, 2015
Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61 – Celebrating a Sparkling Decade!

We’re toasting February with a bottle of Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61, a sparkler it’s producers say, “celebrates the magical decade of the sixties” with a “creative spirit” that lives on today.

We say, if that was their goal, they’ve succeeded. This is a really good, sparkling wine!

Tasting Notes:

Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61 Brut

75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 11.5 % ABV

We say … Full fruit, nice acidity, not oaky Chardonnay heavy

Berlucchi says … “Floral and fruit notes, fine acidity, full body”

We liked it so much, we added more to our wine rack.

$16.99 @ Bauer Wine & Spirits

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: © 2014 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.

February 1, 2014
Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61 – Celebrating a Sparkling Decade!

We’re toasting February with a bottle of Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61, a sparkler it’s producers say, “celebrates the magical decade of the sixties” with a “creative spirit” that lives on today.

We say, if that was their goal, they’ve succeeded. This is a really good, sparkling wine!

Tasting Notes:

Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61 Brut

75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 11.5 % ABV

We say … Full fruit, nice acidity, not oaky Chardonnay heavy

Berlucchi says … “Floral and fruit notes, fine acidity, full body”

We liked it so much, we added more to our wine rack.

$16.99 @ Bauer Wine & Spirits

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: © 2014 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.

February 1, 2014
Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61 – Celebrating a Sparkling Decade!

We’re toasting February with a bottle of Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61, a sparkler it’s producers say, “celebrates the magical decade of the sixties” with a “creative spirit” that lives on today.

We say, if that was their goal, they’ve succeeded. This is a really good, sparkling wine!

Tasting Notes:

Berlucchi Cuvée ‘61 Brut

75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 11.5 % ABV

We say … Full fruit, nice acidity, not oaky Chardonnay heavy

Berlucchi says … “Floral and fruit notes, fine acidity, full body”

We liked it so much, we added more to our wine rack.

$16.99 @ Bauer Wine & Spirits

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: © 2014 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.

February 1, 2014
Here’s Our Wine Pick for New Year’s Eve 2013

This year, our New Year's Eve wine selection is the Paul Bara Grand Rosé from the Champagne region of France. Specifically, this champagne comes from the village of Bouzy and is 100% Grand Cru.

We bought this bottle a while back at Gordon's Fine Wines and Liquors. (A special thank you to our longtime friends Peter and David for prodding us to get there for an outstanding selection of sparkling wines.)

While a very knowledgeable staff member recommended this rosé (after learning of our preference for champagnes with a strong Pinot Noir leaning), it was the Kermit Lynch label on the back of the bottle that sealed the deal. Kermit Lynch is one of our favorite importers.

Here's what the good folks at Kermit Lynch have to say about Paul Bara.

"The village of Bouzy and Champagne Paul Bara are practically synonymous. As the published village historian, Paul is indelibly linked to the lore of his hometown. Many argue that he is their most renowned producer, being one of the rare récoltants-manipulants in a region inundated with the mass-produced wines of the large, corporate champagne houses. These récoltants-manipulants, or R.M.s as they are known, are of the few that still grow their own grapes and make their own wines. Champagne Paul Bara is the quintessential example, where everything is done with a personalized touch."

The technical specs for this wine say it's a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. We can't wait to try it and will share our impression early in the new year.

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 thank you gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 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.

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December 31, 2013
Here’s Our Wine Pick for New Year’s Eve 2013

This year, our New Year's Eve wine selection is the Paul Bara Grand Rosé from the Champagne region of France. Specifically, this champagne comes from the village of Bouzy and is 100% Grand Cru.

We bought this bottle a while back at Gordon's Fine Wines and Liquors. (A special thank you to our longtime friends Peter and David for prodding us to get there for an outstanding selection of sparkling wines.)

While a very knowledgeable staff member recommended this rosé (after learning of our preference for champagnes with a strong Pinot Noir leaning), it was the Kermit Lynch label on the back of the bottle that sealed the deal. Kermit Lynch is one of our favorite importers.

Here's what the good folks at Kermit Lynch have to say about Paul Bara.

"The village of Bouzy and Champagne Paul Bara are practically synonymous. As the published village historian, Paul is indelibly linked to the lore of his hometown. Many argue that he is their most renowned producer, being one of the rare récoltants-manipulants in a region inundated with the mass-produced wines of the large, corporate champagne houses. These récoltants-manipulants, or R.M.s as they are known, are of the few that still grow their own grapes and make their own wines. Champagne Paul Bara is the quintessential example, where everything is done with a personalized touch."

The technical specs for this wine say it's a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. We can't wait to try it and will share our impression early in the new year.

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 thank you gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 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.

Related articles

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December 31, 2013