Mumm Napa Brut Rose

I had every intention of posting this review after yesterdays tasting, but ... 

So, here's one last sparkling wine to consider for your New Year's celebration.  

Mumm Napa Brut Rose (formerly known as Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs) ($23) is from Rutherford, California.  It is a blend of 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay.  The color is a very light pink. My palate just does not detect aromas and flavors in sparkling wine.  However, I can differentiate (flavor) between one that is bready/yeasty and one that is not.  Mumm Napa Brut Rose is not bready/yeasty and has lots of refreshing bubbles.  Although this is dry, it is not as dry as Gloria Ferrer Brut (reviewed on December, 26th).    

I tasted out both Mumm Napa Brut Rose and Gloria Ferrer Brut yesterday.  Customers enjoyed both and the favorite of the two was Gloria Ferrer.    

Winemaker's Notes:  Like an alluring rose, the radiant pink color accentuates this elegant sparkling wine, while displaying a wide range of red and black fruit tones, such as wild straw berry, bing cherry and dark plums. With its more robust quality, Brut Rosé is a wonderful wine with many kinds of cuisine, ranging from Thai to Italian. It is especially good as an aperitif, served with hors d’oeuvres or with a main course of steamed lobster.

Happy New Year!

Ruffino Prosecco and Riondo Prosecco

This year Ruffino released a new Prosecco.  With the holidays, and customers wanting recommendations, this was something I had to taste and review.  My personal preference between Cava and Prosecco is Prosecco.  On my palate, I find Prosecco to be less dry and more enjoyable.   

Ruffino Prosecco ($14) is from Italy and 100% Prosecco. Crisp and refreshing with a hint of lemon and minerality.  It was great with my appetizer of  arugala, burrata, and prosciutto.  

Winemaker's Notes:  "Color: Bright straw yellow with fine bubbles.  

Aroma: The bouquet is fragrant and intensely fruity. It shows clean notes of apples, pears and citrus, accompanied by slight hints of hawthorn, wisteria and elder.  

Tasting profile: Crisp, clean and delicate with fine bubble caressing the palate. Intense sensations of apples and peaches drive a pleasant aftertaste, that is reminiscent of fruity and floral aromas.  

Pairings: Ideal as an aperitif; it is very versatile as a food companion. Ruffino Prosecco perfectly matches with pizza, fish and shellfish dishes as well as white meat dishes. 

Best when young; drink within four months from the purchase." 

My favorite Prosecco has always been Riondo Prosecco ($14) reviewed on April 24th.  I  did do a comparison tasting between this and the Ruffino.  I was hard pressed to tell the difference, but find the Riondo had a hint more lemon on the palate.  I would purchase either of these in  heartbeat.  Resolving the dilemma of which Prosecco to buy would be based on availability and/or price (should one be on sale). 

Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava, Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut

The  other day the rep from my distributor asked me if I  ever tasted Jaume Serra Cristalino.  I said I hadn't.  She mentioned that at one of her other accounts it sells very well.  The next day in my trade magazine I read that Jaume Serra Cristalino has a 7% share of the imported sparkling wine market.  That's the same share as Veuve Clicquot and Moet & Chandon (excluding Dom Perignon), and just 3% below Freixenet (which is my old reliable stand-by).  I also noticed the label had a disclaimer - "Jaume Serra Cristalino is not affiliated with, sponsored by, approved by, endorsed by, or in any way connected to Louis Roederer's CRISTAL champagne or Louis Roederer."  Besides, it's that time of year when customers ask me for recommendations on sparkling wine.  Based on all of the above, this wine was a must try.   

Jaume Serra Cristalino ($9) is a non-vintage Brut Cava from Catalonia, Spain.  A nice bubbly Cava and I felt I couldn't tell the difference between it and Freixenet ($11).  So, I had to do what I had to do and open a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut (like I said, it's my stand-by and I keep it on hand in the house - I love to cook with it) and taste them side by side.  I must say they are quite comparable.  Hard pressed to tell the difference.  Not sure if I'll stick with my old stand-by or switch because Jaume Serra Cristalino is less expensive.    

Several of my tastings this week have been on Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut and it sells quite well.

Winemaker's Notes:  Straw color, smooth and fresh aromas; fine and fruity palate with a dry aftertaste. Clean, dry and crisp with citrus and apple flavors.

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut

I did tastings every day last week (for Christmas) and will be doing tastings every day this week (in anticipation of New Year's Eve).  A lot of wine and a lot of customers.  Because New Year's Eve is synonymous with Champage (at least in my mind it is), I will try to focus on sparkling wines this week.  Today I'll review Gloria Ferrer NV Sonoma Brut.  

Gloria Ferrer NV Sonoma Brut ($19) is from Sonoma, California and a blend of 91.2% Pinot Noir and 8.8% Chardonnay.  A lovely, refreshing sparkling wine with oh, so many bubbles.  I want to say it even had a delicate flavor of Meyer lemon.  I tasted this wine last year and found it to be extremely dry.  This year was much better and more enjoyable.  A great sparkling wine for the holidays.  Customers enjoyed this.  

Winemaker's Notes:  "Delicate pear and floral notes backed by toasty almond. On the palate, one finds lively citrus, toast and apple flavors overlaid with persistent effervescence, a creamy mid-palate and toasty finish.  

A tremendously versatile wine that is equally delicious with shellfish, crab, roasted chicken or sushi. Seasoning affinities include lemon grass, fennel and white pepper. Look to hard aged and triple crème cheeses with Meyer lemon compote for the cheese course."

J Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009

While shopping the wine section at BJ's I saw J Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles.  I do love a good wine from Paso Robles.  Plus when I visited J Lohr winery in May I enjoyed their wines.  This Cab was a must purchase and taste.  

J Lohr Estates Seven Oaks 2009 Cabernet ($11.50 at BJ's) is from Paso Robles, California. It is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Sirah, 5% Petit Verdot, 2.5% Merlot, 2.5% Syrah, and 1% Cabernet Franc. What a terrific jammy nose of black cherry and smoke, with a hint of cocoa and coffee.  The flavor was black cherry and cocoa.  Smooth and balanced.  This is a must have! 

Winemaker's Notes:  Aromas of black currant, plum and black cherry, lifted by a bouquet of vanilla, toasted pastry and spice.  Highly complimentary to a wide range of foods. Pair with a rich lasagna, roasted lamb, or a London Broil.

Pandemonium Red, 2009

A couple days ago, in my last post, I reviewed Pandemonium 2010 White and asked the question, "what possessed me to purchase this wine?"  I know what possessed me to purchase the red ... I was purchasing the white so I had to get the red too!

Pandemonium 2009 Red ($9) is from California; Lodi and Clarksburg.  It is a blend of Zinfandel, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot.  It has a great complex aroma of blackberry, tobacco, and charred wood.  The flavor is a hint of blackberry with tobacco slightly jammy.  Yum!  (Such as the wine term that it is.)  It is medium bodied. Low tannins and low acidity.  I enjoyed this wine.  For the price, it's a great everyday wine to keep on hand.

Winemaker's Notes:  Embracing its name, this wine shines through its unrestrained, unconventional blending of four red varietals. The rich spice and jammy flavors of Zinfandel mingle wildly with the dark cherry and blackberry fruit of Merlot. Zesty aromatics from Petit Verdot round out the palate while Malbec delivers a soft, silky finish resulting in a wine with intense fruit and depth of flavor. Each varietal is crafted independently to allow for the expression of its individuality and then combined to deliver a rich and smooth wine that only a little pandemonium could create.

Cranberry-Orange Mimosa

Just before Thanksgiving I found this recipe in my recipe box.  Not sure where I got it from.  I want to pass it on in case you would like to make it for Christmas.   

Cranberry-Orange Mimosa

Simple syrup:

2 c. sugar

1 c. fresh cranberries

1 c. orange juice

½ c. water

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher.  Pour through a wire-mesh strainer, pressing berries with back of a spoon.  Discard solids.

Refrigerate at least 24 hours.

Mimosa:

            To a champagne glass add ¼ cup simple syrup and ¾ c. sparkling wine.  Stir.

 

Enjoy!

Note:  If you enjoy sweet then the mimosa proportion of champagne to syrup (above) is perfect for you.  I on the other hand like it less sweet and changed the proportion to -  3 tablespoons cranberry-orange syrup and 3/4 cup Prosecco.  It was delicious for me and made my cooking in the kitchen more fun.  If you want it less sweet then play with the ratio of cranberry-orange syrup to sparkling wine.