Opened, poured and not particularly dry; maybe a hint of sweetness, but more in the background. Fruit, but not really identifiable. Maybe a hint of biscuit at first sip, but faded quickly after that. A touch more acidity might have helped. All in all, not bad for the price.
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Elegant and perfumed in the nose, cantaloupes, watermelons, peaches, pears, grapefruits, and white flowers; acidic, creamy, and fruity, but on the light side, citrus fruits and peels, toasts, rock salts, and yeasts; medium-long finish; overall, 89-90 points at this stage; enjoyable with its own unique characteristics.
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I've often warned Cellar Tracker subscribers to take my ratings of sparkling wine with a grain of salt. No one else has rated this wine so high. Not complex, but goes down real easy. Fruity wine that has seen time in well toasted oak casks, but little or no yeastiness evident. If tasted blind, I would have guessed new world. Good value.
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Drink it very chilled and It will surprised you how good this sparkling is. Light and smooth and can keep drinking without feeling the pinch. Great value!
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Now for something a bit different........ Bought this bottle at BevMo on sale for $10-ish a bottle and drank with spicy eggplant and pork noodles for lunch. According to BevMo's website, Wilfred Wong states that this sparkler consists of 80% of the Macabeo grape, which I had never head of. According to Wikipedia: "Viura, also called Macabeo (Spanish) or Macabeu (Catalan and French) is a white variety of wine grape. It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern Spain, the Cava producing areas south of Barcelona, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The grape is used to make mildly acidic and young white wines mostly suitable for early consumption or blended with other varieties, both red and white. It is often the main grape of white Rioja and is known to be incorporated in small amounts with Tempranillo and red Garnacha, both in unoaked and oaked versions."
At first sip, I assumed, prior to my research, that there HAD to be something much more interesting than just Chardonnay going on in this bottle. Obviously, that was an understatement. Macabeo is a very earthy and (especially) minerally grape. This makes for a very interesting sparkler. The color has a golden hue to it and the wine tastes really nice in a different, interesting way. We've all had Chardonnay-based sparklers a millions times and this bottle makes for a nice change-of-pace. The tasting profile, besides the previously-mentioned earthiness and mineraliness, includes undertones of citrus fruits (a suggestion of lemons and/or grapefuit), a few rumors of tropical fruits (especially pineapple and mango), with a yeasty, crisp, clean finish. If you're up for something slightly different and interesting, give this bottle a chance. It's MORE than worth the $10 sale price.
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9/2/2023 - zhearr Does not like this wine:
traditional method and according to website at least 18 months of aging (for $10??). Somewhat sweet and drinks a bit too rustic. Not a fan
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6/24/2023 - Quiller wrote: 87 Points
Opened, poured and not particularly dry; maybe a hint of sweetness, but more in the background. Fruit, but not really identifiable. Maybe a hint of biscuit at first sip, but faded quickly after that. A touch more acidity might have helped. All in all, not bad for the price.
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7/23/2022 - red.red.vino wrote: 89 Points
Biscuits and pears. Very quaffable if super biscuity is your thing.
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8/27/2021 - CWang wrote: 89 Points
Elegant and perfumed in the nose, cantaloupes, watermelons, peaches, pears, grapefruits, and white flowers; acidic, creamy, and fruity, but on the light side, citrus fruits and peels, toasts, rock salts, and yeasts; medium-long finish; overall, 89-90 points at this stage; enjoyable with its own unique characteristics.
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2/2/2020 - melzar wrote: 90 Points
I've often warned Cellar Tracker subscribers to take my ratings of sparkling wine with a grain of salt. No one else has rated this wine so high. Not complex, but goes down real easy. Fruity wine that has seen time in well toasted oak casks, but little or no yeastiness evident. If tasted blind, I would have guessed new world. Good value.
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7/14/2018 - uncorked.fr Likes this wine:
Refreshing, dry blend of chardonnay and aligoté (the latter of which was surprisingly very present in both the nose and on the palate).
Full tasting note:
https://uncorked.fr/veuve-ambal-blanc-de-blancs-brut-cremant-de-bourgogne/
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11/16/2016 - timdavis130 wrote: 87 Points
Pretty dry, really good considering the price...and it actually came from France.
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11/18/2012 - dbcomposer wrote: 89 Points
Almost white with lots of fine bubbles. Mineral and peach notes.
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1/1/2012 - dfitzg2 wrote: 88 Points
GV sparkler for New Year's Eve.
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11/19/2011 - Rzai wrote: 87 Points
Drink it very chilled and It will surprised you how good this sparkling is. Light and smooth and can keep drinking without feeling the pinch. Great value!
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7/11/2010 - DaveZack wrote: 88 Points
Now for something a bit different........
Bought this bottle at BevMo on sale for $10-ish a bottle and drank with spicy eggplant and pork noodles for lunch. According to BevMo's website, Wilfred Wong states that this sparkler consists of 80% of the Macabeo grape, which I had never head of. According to Wikipedia: "Viura, also called Macabeo (Spanish) or Macabeu (Catalan and French) is a white variety of wine grape. It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern Spain, the Cava producing areas south of Barcelona, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The grape is used to make mildly acidic and young white wines mostly suitable for early consumption or blended with other varieties, both red and white. It is often the main grape of white Rioja and is known to be incorporated in small amounts with Tempranillo and red Garnacha, both in unoaked and oaked versions."
At first sip, I assumed, prior to my research, that there HAD to be something much more interesting than just Chardonnay going on in this bottle. Obviously, that was an understatement. Macabeo is a very earthy and (especially) minerally grape. This makes for a very interesting sparkler. The color has a golden hue to it and the wine tastes really nice in a different, interesting way. We've all had Chardonnay-based sparklers a millions times and this bottle makes for a nice change-of-pace. The tasting profile, besides the previously-mentioned earthiness and mineraliness, includes undertones of citrus fruits (a suggestion of lemons and/or grapefuit), a few rumors of tropical fruits (especially pineapple and mango), with a yeasty, crisp, clean finish. If you're up for something slightly different and interesting, give this bottle a chance. It's MORE than worth the $10 sale price.
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9/9/2009 - codewheeney wrote: 84 Points
Dry, mildly fruity and not at all yeasty. Big bubbles. Good value for money.
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4/21/2007 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 86 Points
Floral, white peach nose; sweet peach entry, tart stone fruit with large mousse; short-medium finish 86+ pts.
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