Tasting Room
Bubbly $25 and UnderWINE OF THE WEEK
Roederer Estate
NV Brut, Anderson Valley - Sparkling wines ($23)
Showy and lively. Aromas and flavors of mango, kiwi, pear, baked apple, spice and yeast. Great structure. Good acidity. Excellent finish.
NV Brut Cuvee White Label, California - Sparkling wines ($6)
Controversial. Proponents liked its fruitiness. Detractors said it was sweet and sour and slightly bitter.
NV Cava Brut, Spain - Sparkling wines ($8)
Aroma of rose perfume. Flavors of candy apple, honey and spice. Medium complexity. Undermined by some off aromas.
2003 Brut, Carneros - Sparkling wines ($25)
A lovely, complex sparkler. Flavors of apple, green plum, lime, caramel, taffy, bread dough and spice. A nice finish.
NV Brut, Columbia Valley - Sparkling wines ($14)
Elegant, rich and ripe. Aromas and flavors of rose water, tangerine, melon, lemon, honey and yeast. Earthy.
NV Brut, Spain - Sparkling wines ($10)
A good sparkler, rich and toasty. Nutty, with notes of apple, persimmon, green pea and mineral. Creamy. Slightly sweet.
NV Brut, Sonoma - Sparkling wines ($20)
Lovely. Full-bodied, with medium complexity. Aromas and flavors of red apple, peach, apricot and lavender.
NV Blanc de Noir Champagne, California - Sparkling wines ($10)
Tasty fruit, but a bit one-dimensional. Balanced mousse. Aromas and flavors of apple, poached pear, cherry and spice.
NV Brut Prestige, Napa Valley - Sparkling wines ($19)
Lively, with a nice mouth-feel. Medium complexity, with a creamy texture. Notes of green apple, pear, lemon and yeast.
NV Blanc de Noir, Sonoma County - Sparkling wines ($18)
A lovely blanc de noir. Fleshy, with hints of strawberry, cherry and plum. Note of red apple. Great finish.
NV Reserva Heredad Cava Brut, Spain - Sparkling wines ($20)
A fair example of a cava. Green apple, dough, mineral and slight petroleum aromas and flavors. Off dry.
TASTING PANEL: Larry Van Aalst, Equus; Stefen Soltysiak, Rodney Strong; Dan Berman, Pacific Markets; Ziggy Eschliman, radio's "Wine Gal;" Tom Simoneau, KSRO's "Wine Guy;" and PD wine columnist Peg Melnik.
CRITERIA: The panel samples eight to 12 wines a week in a blind tasting. Wine of the Week is based on quality, value and availability and is not necessarily the top wine of the tasting. Price is suggested retail; actual price is often lower.You can reach Staff Writer Peg Melnik at 521-5310 or e-mail pmelnik@pressdemocrat.com