By Guest Columnist Yossie Horwitz
I am presenting three sparkling wine suggestions: a luxurious kosher Champagne, an Israeli sparkling wine made like true Champagne, (traditional Méthode Champenoise) and a delightfully refreshing and well–priced Cava from Spain. L'Chaim!
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Blanc De Blancs, 2005: Fortunately, this wine finally made it to our shores as it is easily a YH Best Buy and the best substitute for a true kosher Champagne at a much lower price. After successive (and successful) releases in 1998, 1999 and 2000, the last marketed vintage of this wine was the delicious 2001 vintage. I am not sure why they waited four years to make another, but am happy they finally did! If I needed to sum up this wine in one word it would be an easy task (even for me) – delicious. Grapefruit, lime, apple, melon and hints of pineapple abound in this delicious wine, which is bone dry and loaded with crisp acidity. Toasted yeasty brioche and sharp, long-lasting bubbles make this wine a delight and an awesome match with almost any dish you care to throw its way. Stock up while you can since, at around $25 a bottle, it won’t be around for long but should cellar comfortably through 2020
Louis de Sacy, Grand Cru, Brut Champagne, n.v: One of the things to be wary of when buying non-vintage Champagne is how long it has been sitting around since bottling (the bottles are stamped with a code indicating the bottling time but these are highly secret). I purchased this straight from the cellar of Sherry–Lehman thus guaranteeing lf a good result. Made from a traditional Champagne blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (with some Pinot Meunier thrown in for good measure and character). Nice tangy berries including raspberries with plenty of lime and oranges to go with hazelnuts, some honey and yeasty bread all blend together for a delightful treat that went amazingly well with our celebratory dinner. Tons of tightly wound bubbles that lingered throughout the entire bottle also contributed to making this a wine to which I will return. $60
Elvi, Adar, Cava, Brut, n.v: A blend of some very strange–sounding Spanish-bred grapes (Xarel-lo anyone?) resulting in a delightfully dry and simple Cava. Fruitier (strawberries?) than I usually prefer in such a lightweight sparkler but somehow it works, accompanied by tangy citrus and good tight bubbles. An easy drinking, good-with-food Cava – just what simple Cava is supposed to be. $17
About the Author
Yossie Horwitz, a card-carrying oenophile for more than 20 years, has been writing a weekly newsletter – Yossie’s Wine Recommendations – on kosher wines, wineries and other wine-related topics for five years. Sign up for his free weekly newsletter at www.yossiescorkboard.com and follow Yossie on Twitter @yossieuncorked, where he dispenses daily wine recommendations and tips as well as other oenophilic tidbits.
Toast to a Sparkling 2012 from The KosherEye Team:
Hagafen Napa Valley 2007 Cuvée de Noirs: Toast the New Year with, a lovely sparkling wine. This beautiful wine is full of prolific small bubbles and has a wonderfully long finish. An extravagance, but worth it $36 (a personal favorite!)
Royal Wine, the largest importer and distributor of kosher wines in North America, recently introduced two exceptional champagnes: Drappier Carte-D’Or Brut and Drappier Carte Blanche. These are the first-ever kosher cuvees from the famed Champagne region, and are outstanding additions to the growing availability of kosher spirits.
• Carte-D’Or Brut is blended with the traditional Champagne grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. $65
• Carte Blanche is a blend made exclusively from the first pressing, fresh and fruit forward, considered to be a great “party wine” by the region. $65
December 26, 2011