Sparkling Wine Article in the WP

[James Roscoe]

Our friend Dave McIntire has another great article in the Washington Post on wine. This article is particulary good as it focuses on some of my favorite wines, French Cremants. Here is the link for those of you that do not read the Washington Post on a regular basis (The Compost as my conservative friends like to call it.) Enjoy and discuss. French Cremants are an undervalued segment IMHO.

edit - Evidently there are TWO David McIntires in the Washington area who are wine enthusiasts and I have morphed them into one person. I think the WP writer spells his name with a "y". Both seem to be good guys. My apologies if I have confused anyone else.

[David M. Bueker]

Cremant de Loire and Cremant de Jura = great value to make every day sparkle!

[James Roscoe]

Cremant de Loire and Cremant de Jura = great value to make every day sparkle!

I totally agree and they prove the point of the article that sparkling wines have great interest and character too.

Nice article.

Our friend Dave McIntire has another great article in the Washington Post on wine. This article is particulary good as it focuses on some of my favorite wines, French Cremants. Here is the link for those of you that do not read the Washington Post on a regular basis (The Compost as my conservative friends like to call it.) Enjoy and discuss. French Cremants are an undervalued segment IMHO.

edit - Evidently there are TWO David McIntires in the Washington area who are wine enthusiasts and I have morphed them into one person. I think the WP writer spells his name with a "y". Both seem to be good guys. My apologies if I have confused anyone else.

I'm the real David McIntire, the one with the correct spelling of McIntire - with an "i".

Seriously, I'm not the Washington Post McIntyre but I do enjoy seeing my name in print! I've had a few interesting experiences when people confuse me with the WP one ...

[Robin Garr]

edit - Evidently there are TWO David McIntires in the Washington area who are wine enthusiasts and I have morphed them into one person. I think the WP writer spells his name with a "y". Both seem to be good guys. My apologies if I have confused anyone else.

WP Writer Dave McIntYre is also a WLDGer and WLP contributor, although I think his contract with the Post (and the time required for it) pretty much have him fenced into that reservation nowadays. He's still a good buddy, though.

[James Roscoe]

That is what confused me Robin. I know he used to come around the old site and you have posted his articles from time to time. Our other David McIntire showed up just as the WP David McImtyre started his gig with the WP. It was all too much for my Pooh Bear brain

I hope people enjoy David's article on Cremants. I truly believe they are an undervalued category. As our David Bueker pointed out, Loire and Jura Cremants stand out especially.

Thanks for posting James,

I totally agree with the article. Champagne may have rights to the name and to the fame, but sure doesn't have a monopoly on quality sparklers (though the best undoubtably still come from there). Most of the luxury-conglomerate-factory-fizz being produced these days is a joke for the prices charged and I'm not playing that game. Grower-Champagne, Cremants d'Alsace et Loire, German and Austrian Sekt, and Franciacorta are all better values (well, maybe not Franciacorta, but I like it all the same!)

Cheers,
Bill

There was also an article re non-Champagne French sparklers in the NYT last week:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/dinin ... ref=dining

Unfortunately, they gave my beloved Foreau first place, so I'll probably no longer find in closeout bin in January. I look forward to trying 05 Huet, didn't even know it was released. Astor had a sale on sparking wines last Tues, by chance I bought a mag of the Moissenet-Bonnard (plus a Jura, a couple Loires, a mag of Champagne), look forward to it.

But......while I agree there's a lot of undervalued good French bubblies out there from regions other than Champagne, I hesitate to call them an undervalued category. Because there is a lot of truly bad (IMHO) cremant/petillant wines out there. I've had dreadful Vouvray brut, Cremant de Bourgogne, Cremant d'Alsace. If I don't know producer, I wouldn't generally take a chance unless it was a rec from someoneI know, or a store I trust like say Chambers. Come to think of it, I've never had a bad Cremant de Jura, my guess is with limited brought in, by primarily specialty importers, just better selection, not necessarily overall quality( but that's obviously a guess).

Every Christmas my dad pours "Champagne" right before we open the presents. It's normally bad stuff (as a baseline, he thought Dom Perignon (a splurge at the turn of the century) was awful so he just buys the cheap stuff) so I was joking around and corrected him every time he said "Champagne" I would say "sparkling wine". Then my nephew noticed that on the bottle it did indeed say "Champagne". And knowing that he bought the Costco Kirkland brand (apparently they have their own label), I had to investigate further. The label did indeed indicate it was a product of France (although I don't recall the specific town/region on the label).

With such frenzied protection of the Champagne name, I was a bit surprised that there are low-end producers that call their wine Champagne. And to brand it as Costco - the horror!

I will be enjoying a bubley from J Vineyards this Friday ...

David "Not the Washington Post Wine Writer" McIntire

Bill, I like Franciacorta too, but prices mean almost never on my buy list.

David, so it was "Kirkland"? I'd be curious next time was producer code was.I'm guessing MA (Marque auxiliaire), but if not the letters and numbers might tell us who made it. I'm guessing it's probably from one of the Champagne co-ops.

Bill, I like Franciacorta too, but prices mean almost never on my buy list.

David, so it was "Kirkland"? I'd be curious next time was producer code was.I'm guessing MA (Marque auxiliaire), but if not the letters and numbers might tell us who made it. I'm guessing it's probably from one of the Champagne co-ops.

Yes, it was Costco Kirkland. I remember making an smug elitist chuckle when my dad told me he got it at Costco. Turns out my elitism was correct in this case. (Not withstanding these reviews though: http://reviews.costco.com/2070/11180028/kirkland-signature-champagne-reviews/reviews.htm)

I was thrilled to receive an email this week that my local wine shop was having 40% off all bubblies through the end of the year, as a result of a poor turnout to a big sparkling tasting they had last week. What great finds!

- NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Brut Sainte-Anne
- NV Pierre Gimonnet Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuis 1er Cru
- NV Jean Milan Champagne Brut Carte Blanche Grand Cru
- NV Jean Lallement Champagne Brut Grand Cru
- NV Pierre Peters Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Le Mesnil

I have a feeling it is going to be a very happy New Year!

[Robin Garr]

NV Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Brut Sainte-Anne

I particularly like this one!

[James Roscoe]

Nice buys Joy!!!

Nice buys Joy!!!

Thanks! Can't wait to pop 'em open!

40% off is always fun. Especially when the original prices were 'fair'.

[Jenise]

And to brand it as Costco - the horror!

I've had Kirkland French bubbly twice. The first, from its inaugural appearance in our area about four years ago, was quite good: very old school with heavy brioche and yeasty flavors, unmistakeably French champagne. The second within the last year was light and uninteresting. It's a gamble!

I've had Kirkland French bubbly twice. The first, from its inaugural appearance in our area about four years ago, was quite good: very old school with heavy brioche and yeasty flavors, unmistakeably French champagne. The second within the last year was light and uninteresting. It's a gamble!

Sounds like maybe they're just buying whatever is cheapest, rather than a contract with a specific Champagne grower.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=264308

[Robin Garr]

I've had Kirkland French bubbly twice. The first, from its inaugural appearance in our area about four years ago, was quite good: very old school with heavy brioche and yeasty flavors, unmistakeably French champagne. The second within the last year was light and uninteresting. It's a gamble!

Our CostCo is too far out in the burbs and too big-lots for us to justify the membership, and during the year we tried it, I found their wine shop interesting, worth a peek when we went in, but not really distinct from the competition in selection or price. That said, they were excellent for (1) crazy good sale items on occasion, and (2) generally good QPR in the Kirkland wines. Let's face it, good wine and good QPR is a much better fit with CostCo than with, say, Sam's. I'd take home any Kirkland untried without too much trepidation.

i think MA= Marque D'Acheteur.

I think they are used interchangeably:
http://www.thewinedoctor.com/regionalgu ... wers.shtml
http://www.paris-champ.fr/definition-ch ... auxilaire/

I saw a link to this post re Kirkland Champagne at Dr Vino

http://www.goodcheapvino.com/kirkland-c ... ood-is-it/

And to brand it as Costco - the horror!

I've had Kirkland French bubbly twice. The first, from its inaugural appearance in our area about four years ago, was quite good: very old school with heavy brioche and yeasty flavors, unmistakeably French champagne. The second within the last year was light and uninteresting. It's a gamble!

WS just (highly) rated a Kirkland Merlot ...

KIRKLAND SIGNATURE
Merlot Columbia Valley 2009 (89 points, $9)

Supple, refined and distinctive for its coffee and smoke overtones around a silky core of black cherry and berry fruit, lingering on the generous finish. Drink now through 2014. 15,043 cases made. From Washington.
-Harvey Steiman


Interesting, I recently had the Kirkland Chardonnay, which was typical California but drinkable. I also had the the Kirkland Cabernet, which I though was terrible. (my Dad's contribution to the beach wine)