If you've been in Fresh & Easy recently, you've surely noticed the floor-to-ceiling displays of Montcadi's Rosé Cava. I wasn't particularly fond of the off-dry version of this wine, but the rosé is much more likeable. It's a dry wine made in the metodo tradicional (i.e. the fizz is produced in the same way as it is for Champagne) from Trepat and Garnacha grapes. The flavor profile is more appealing and complex than the earlier iteration, and features delicate, slightly sweet strawberry backed by a citrus astringency. The dry finish is clean and refreshing.
I'd give a slight edge to F&E's Pongrácz NV Brut, but hey, it's a pink wine for Valentine's Day, and it's half the price of the Pongrácz. If sparkling wine suits your taste (or the taste of that special someone), you might want to pick up a bottle.
Score
Drinkability: 7/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 11.5/15
Showing posts with label sparkling wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sparkling wine. Show all posts
Wednesday
Tuesday
Pongrácz NV Brut Sparkling Wine ~$15
The Cap Classique term used on the label is just the South African term for the French “champenoise” method. This just means that the wine in the bottle you hold in your hands is the same bottle in which both primary and secondary fermentation occurred. And there was some kind of riddling. The whole Champagne process is enormously fascinating but not, I realize, appropriate for right here and now.
The label language you do need to pay attention to is “Brut.” This is not a sweet sparkler like Ogio’s Prosecco. It’s a dry wine that features prominent grapefruit and lime on the palate. The promise of yeasty notes on the nose (a hallmark of tasty Champagnes) is unfulfilled.
The Pongrácz Sparkling Wine is not a bad wine (I prefer it to the Ogio, but I’m not a big fan of off-dry sparklers). Actually, it’s pretty good and I think it would pair up very nicely with spicy Thai food. It has some good depth. It’s just that if your “Champagne” budget is in the $15-20 range, I’d recommend going to a good local wine retailer and asking for a grower Champagne from France. The value-to-price ratio for these bottles is still quite stunning.
Score
Drinkability: 7.5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 11/15
The label language you do need to pay attention to is “Brut.” This is not a sweet sparkler like Ogio’s Prosecco. It’s a dry wine that features prominent grapefruit and lime on the palate. The promise of yeasty notes on the nose (a hallmark of tasty Champagnes) is unfulfilled.
The Pongrácz Sparkling Wine is not a bad wine (I prefer it to the Ogio, but I’m not a big fan of off-dry sparklers). Actually, it’s pretty good and I think it would pair up very nicely with spicy Thai food. It has some good depth. It’s just that if your “Champagne” budget is in the $15-20 range, I’d recommend going to a good local wine retailer and asking for a grower Champagne from France. The value-to-price ratio for these bottles is still quite stunning.
Score
Drinkability: 7.5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 11/15
Sunday
Montcadi Cava - ~$7
I had high hopes for this wine, as Spanish Cavas are often terrific sparkling-wine values. A pretty big disappointment, unfortunately.
Like the Ogio Prosecco, this is an off-dry wine. There’s not much to accompany the sweetness, though. Some simple green apple and a hint of grapefruit, with (though it may be a figment of my imagination) some nuttiness on the finish. The big bubbles are more reminiscent of Mountain Dew than the méthode Champenoise.
Like the Ogio Prosecco, this is an off-dry wine. There’s not much to accompany the sweetness, though. Some simple green apple and a hint of grapefruit, with (though it may be a figment of my imagination) some nuttiness on the finish. The big bubbles are more reminiscent of Mountain Dew than the méthode Champenoise.
For anyone interested in a better sweet Cava at this price point, I recommend Freixenet’s Carta Nevada NV.
Drinkability: 5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 8.5/15
Other Reviews:
Adam the Wine Guy
Tuesday
Ogio Prosecco Spumante ~$9
With the holiday season comes the sparkling wines. True, I do enjoy a variety of sparklers during the summer months (when they show their best, to me at least), but the end of the year - the celebration of getting through yet another one mostly unscathed, we hope - is the traditional "Champagne" season.
Fresh & Easy offers more than a few sparklers, and I plan to drink many of them. (At your implied behest, of course). This Spumante from Ogio is not a Champagne, as the Champagne advocates will not hesitate to tell you (sometimes in court). I stipulate the point, but the Champagne folks can get a bit pedantic.
But back to the bottle at hand. This is a nice, somewhat innocuous sparkling wine. There's a bit of citrus on the nose and the palate is pleasant balance of lemon zest and peachy sweetness. I should mention that the "Extra Dry" designation means that the wine is a bit off-dry (i.e. sweet). Blame the French for the confusion. All in all, a pleasing, simple confection, well-suited for the role of aperitif.
Score
Drinkability: 7/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 11/15
Fresh & Easy offers more than a few sparklers, and I plan to drink many of them. (At your implied behest, of course). This Spumante from Ogio is not a Champagne, as the Champagne advocates will not hesitate to tell you (sometimes in court). I stipulate the point, but the Champagne folks can get a bit pedantic.
But back to the bottle at hand. This is a nice, somewhat innocuous sparkling wine. There's a bit of citrus on the nose and the palate is pleasant balance of lemon zest and peachy sweetness. I should mention that the "Extra Dry" designation means that the wine is a bit off-dry (i.e. sweet). Blame the French for the confusion. All in all, a pleasing, simple confection, well-suited for the role of aperitif.
Score
Drinkability: 7/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 11/15
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