BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BUYING I GUIDE
the same time finally crisp. Imported by Pernod
Ricard. —R.V.
88
J. Dumangin Fils NV Rosé Premier
Cru Brut (Champagne); $54. Bright,
very crisp wine with fresh strawberry flavors. It is
dry, light, a grapefruit zest character over the red
fruits. This is great apéritif Champagne.
Imported by Palateur Imports. —R.V.
88
Lallier NV Rosé Premier Cru Brut
(Champagne); $65. Light pink in
color, this is a bone-dry wine, with raspberry as
well as an intense apple skin and grapefruit zest
texture. A linear wine, very direct in its fruit character.
Imported by Massanois Imports. —R.V.
88
Mailly Grand Cru NV Brut Rosé
(Champagne); $57. A soft wine that is
full of strawberry fruits to go with a sweet citrus
edge. The wine has good acidity, in a light apéritif
style with pure final raspberry juice. Imported by
Total Wine & More. —R.V.
87
Charles Ellner NV Rosé Brut
(Champagne); $50. On the dry side,
the red cherry flavor is concentrated inside acidity
and a fruit skin texture. Very fresh, very crisp,
for food. Imported by Massanois Imports. —R.V.
87
G. H. Mumm NV Brut Rosé (Champagne);
$75. Attractive strawberry flavors
give this bright wine both softness and
richness. It has a light bitter cherry character and
balancing acidity, while finishing softly. Imported
by Pernod Ricard. —R.V.
86
Drappier NV Rosé Brut (Champagne);
$NA. Soft, sweet wine with
crushed strawberry flavors that show a high
dosage and sweet acidity. It is full-bodied, rich,
but not well balanced. Imported by A. Hardy
USA. —R.V.
OTHER FRENCH
SPARKLING WINE
ALSACE
88
Gustave Lorentz NV Brut (Crémant
d’Alsace); $25. A crisp, appleand
grapefruit-flavored wine, with bright, light
acidity and a floral character. The wine has an
attractive mineral edge, great as an apéritif.
Imported by Quintessential Wines. —R.V.
88
René Muré NV Cuvée Prestige
Brut (Crémant d’Alsace); $25. Rich,
sumptuous wine that shows weight of ripe fruit, a
smooth texture and delicious peach and apple flavors.
The crisp edge comes from a lemon zest
burst, breaking out of the minerality. Imported
by Robert Kacher Imports. —R.V.
87
Gustave Lorentz NV Brut Rosé
(Crémant d’Alsace); $25. Based on
Pinot Noir, this attractive rosé is packed with wild
strawberry and fresh orange zest flavors. It’s
beautifully clean, crisp, with just a warmer touch
in the aftertaste. Imported by Quintessential
Wines. —R.V.
87
Lucien Albrecht NV Brut Rosé
(Crémant d’Alsace); $23. From
100% Pinot Noir, here is a delicious, crisp, wild
raspberry- and mulberry-flavored wine. The acidity
shines through the fruit skin texture, giving a
mouthtingling feel. Imported by Pasternak Wine
Imports. —R.V.
86
Lucien Albrecht NV Brut Blanc de
Blancs (Crémant d’Alsace); $23. A
creamed pear wine, with an attractive tang of
orange zest. It is light, bright, vibrant, very fruity.
The acidity does seem to be excessive, so give this
wine a few months in bottle. Imported by Pasternak
Wine Imports. —R.V.
86
René Muré NV Brut (Crémant
d’Alsace); $19. Very soft, ripe, this is a
gentle sparkler. White fruits dominate along with
crushed almond, layered acidity and a bone-dry
perfumed aftertaste. Imported by Robert Kacher
Imports. —R.V.
LOIRE
90
Chateau Moncontour 2008 Cuvée
Prédilection (Vouvray); $19. A
sumptuous wine, creamy and nutty, full of ripe
apples, touched by yeast. It is fresh and rich, very
dry, a toasty character yielding to final crisp, clean
acidity. Imported by USA Wine West. Editors’
Choice. —R.V.
88
Chateau Moncontour NV Brut
(Montlouis-sur-Loire); $14. A
creamy-textured wine, with soft nuts, star fruit
1 6 | W I N E E N T H U S I A S T | D E C E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 0
and rambutan flavors, along with some good crisp
acidity. There is a fine texture here, giving a wine
that is already delicious to drink. Imported by
USA Wine West. —R.V.
88
Couly-Dutheil NV Brut de Franc
(Vin Mousseux); $30. A richer version
of a Saumur sparkling wine, this is soft, ripe
and creamy. The dosage feels on the sweet side,
although it is labeled Brut. There is just a touch
of fruit skin texture to give it a firm edge, but
there is also great final acidity. Imported by
Frank-Lin International. —R.V.
87
Chateau Moncontour NV Tête de
Cuvée Brut (Touraine); $NA. Bright,
apply acidity with just an edge of nuttiness gives a
bone-dry, very fresh wine, textured with green
herbs and lemon zest. To enjoy now. Imported
by USA Wine West. —R.V.
86
Hospices de Saumur NV La Rosée
Brut (Vin Mousseux); $22. Fresh
raspberry-flavored sparkling wine, with vivid acidity
but also some softness. It has a bright, crisp
texture, lively and refreshing. The wine comes
from a small parcel next to the Hospices de
Saumur. Imported by Bourgeois Family Selections.
—R.V.
83
Domaine de Vaugondy NV Brut
(Vouvray); $15. Biting acidity, tight
with a tart edge, give this wine a seriously crisp
character. It is all sharp edges, with grapefruit
intensity and a final almond character. Imported
by European Wine Imports. —R.V.
OTHER REGIONS
88
Domaine Sarrabelle NV Méthode
Gaillacoise (Gaillac); $12. Lightly
sparkling, just off-dry wine, deliciously appley and
fresh. There is a lovely edge of crisp, crunchy
fruit along with a gentle acidity. Low in alcohol,
this is a great apéritif, made by the single fermentation
Gaillac method. Imported by Jon-David
Headrick Selections. —R.V.
83
Domaine du Grand Cros NV Le
Grand Cros Rosé (Vin Mousseux);
$17. Full and fat mousse over peachy fruit, acidity
and an earthy character. This sparkling wine
from Provence finishes with some crushed
strawberry sweetness. Imported by The Barter
House. —R.V.