brvino Wine Tasting #4 - Sparkling Wines

This was a fun one! Theme of this tasting was sparkling wines, but more specifically, we compared different methods of making them. All four wines were made differently.
Of course, we had a Champagne to represent the traditional method and a Prosecco to represent the tank method. For méthode ancestrale, I really wanted to get something that wasn't disgorged, for a larger contrast, but it so happened that everything the wine store had was more expensive than I wished. Instead, I picked up the super fun "La Cueille". It was also my own first time having a Savoie wine. Last and least, I really wanted to try a wine made by direct carbonation. I am not sure if the "Brut Bubbles" are such because no one would write it on the label, but given the can, the absence of any mentioning of tank method and the price... I made an assumption.

• NV Original house wine Brut Bubbles 73 Points

  USA, American

  Very large soda-like bubbles. I’m sure it had CO2 injection.
  It smells like a slightly sweet Pinot Grigio. I get pear and a little bit of apple notes. Not much going on.
  In the mouth, it really has that soda like consistency and a little sweetness. Medium acidity and quite a bit of bitterness. Pear and slight honeysuckle. Because of the lightness of everything, I also get alcohol burn.
  It’s whatever. Kinda fun.
  5/18

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• 2022 Cecilia Beretta Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut Millesimato 83 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore

  Much finer bubbles, of course.
  I get honeysuckle, a bit of jasmine and a surprising waxiness. I also get some white peach and white grapefruit.
  On the palate, there is a fair amount of bitterness, medium+ acidity and no sweetness. Mousse is not very voluminous. I get pear and more white peach and grapefruit juice.
  7/18

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• NV Lanson Champagne Brut Black Label 88 Points

  France, Champagne

  08/2021 disgorgement. Base vintage - 2016.
  Beautiful tiny bubbles.
  Classic toasty nose, the said toast even appears slightly burnt. Maybe pie crust and caramelised apple. Lemon oil and a little bit of wool surprisingly. It’s actually quite a nice nose.
  Not a very full mousse but it’s coating. I get medium acidity, but I wish it was higher than that. A slight elegant bitterness. No sweetness. Apples and lemon in the mouth. Some burnt toast again.
  Nice and really long finish with apple pie notes. I think, this was the wine’s most impressive property.
  8/18

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• NV Patrick Bottex Vin du Bugey-Cerdon "La Cueille" Methode Ancestrale 87 Points

  France, Savoie, Vin du Bugey-Cerdon

  Completely clear with deep neon pink colour. Tiny champagne-like bubbles.
  I get very bright red or sour cherry on the nose. It almost smells like Belgian cherry beer. Maybe there is a little bit of overripe strawberry, too.
  On the palate, yeastiness shows much stronger. There is sweetness that is balanced by medium acidity, but the tension could be better, if the wine was more acidic. I get much more of the super ripe, even bruised strawberry, some raspberry and red cherry. A little bit of lemon zest.
  Decently long finish.
  This is definitely fun and worth a try but it’s not ground breaking, unfortunately.
  8/18

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First things first, the tasting definitely confirmed my theory that "Brut Bubbles" is just a white wine with CO2 injected. Instead of mousse, it just had big and offensive soda-like bubbles. It was not offensive or unbalanced in taste and aroma, though, so whatever.
To me, Champagne was the best wine in the tasting but definitely not by a very long shot. In addition, all the four wines seemed to lack in the acidity to me. Maybe it was just an unfortunate coincidence but maybe that was just the state of my palate today.
Anyway, what a fun one! I love how our club is turning out, I love the crowd and I'm pretty proud of my line-ups.