Fizz in December, a couple of nice ones to try……

There was a time in my life when virtually half of the wine that I consumed was sparkling. While at University and working in an ancient version of The Wine Warehouse, there had to be a decision made about which wine was going to be brought home to have with dinner. For the selection criteria to be met, first and foremost the wine had to be ready to drink. Invariably, all of the Champagne in the cooler was ready to drink, chilled and at a good price. The nice price on Champagne was due to The Wine Warehouse buying Champagne at great prices for nearly thirty years now. You will find that the 2007 holiday season is no exception.

A couple of sparkling wine properties from the Taittinger family:

The mother ship of the Taittinger wineries is in the heart of Champagne. Until recently the Taittinger family headed a group of businesses producing luxury goods, but in 2005 the group was sold to Starwood Capital, an American investment group. Starwood then broke up the group of businesses and in the end Taittinger was purchased by a partnership between Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, grandson of the original founder, and the French bank Crédit Agricole with a value of 660 million Euros. Now that’s full circle……..

The winery was originally founded in 1734 by Jacques Fourneaux who was a merchant of champagne wines, establishing the company that would eventually become Taittinger. Taittinger is thus the third oldest Champagne house. Located in the finest regions of Champagne, the Taittinger vineyards cover nearly 720 acres in 34 different sites. The varietal mix is 47.2% Pinot Noir, 16.2% Pinot Meunier and 36.6% Chardonnay - a good reflection of the style of wines produced by the House and in which Chardonnay plays an essential role. Regionally, only 27% of the vineyards of Champagne are planted with Chardonnay. Taittinger’s own production is supplemented by contracts with local grape growers operating the finest vineyards in Champagne.

Produced each year from the first pressings of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, the wine is a carefully styled blend from up to 25 different crus. The final blend includes a proportion of reserve wines to ensure consistency from year to year. Prior to release, the Brut reserve is aged for 3-4 years giving the wine depth while allowing the component parts to become fully integrated. The house style at Taittinger is of elegance with creamy richness.

Shows elegance and finesse, but also an understated power, as the initial richness gives way to the firm structure, setting the stage for biscuit, honey and ginger notes. Fine length. Drink now through 2010. 91 points Wine Spectator magazine.

Taittinger Brut Reserve n/v, Retail $44.99 Warehouse $35.99

The other sparkling property from Taittinger is in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley. The Domaine Carneros château is a landmark of the Carneros region. Completed in 1989, the classic 18th century château-style building was architecturally inspired by the historic Château de la Marquetterie owned by its principal founder, Champagne Taittinger.

Domaine Carneros farms four separate Carneros sites organically. Vine clones were selected for subtle differences of flavor and intensity. The winemakers blend the wines from the different clones, each of them adding complexity and depth to the final cuvée.

Winemaker Eileen Crane’s career path has taken her to Domaine Carneros after a few stops. After graduating from college and teaching nutrition for two years at the University of Connecticut, Eileen made the decision to turn her passion for wine into a profession. Heading west, she enrolled in the U.C. Davis Enology and Viticulture program. Upon completion of her studies, she was hired by Domaine Chandon, where she progressed to the position of assistant winemaker. Eileen was then hired as winemaker and vice president of Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves and the onto Domaine Carneros. She oversaw the planning and development for both Gloria Ferrer and Domaine Carneros.

A venture between Champagne Taittinger and its American importer Kobrand, Domaine Carneros is located in the heart of the Carneros Appellation. Carneros is famous for the production of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes which are both integral in producing a premium sparkling wine in California. The Carneros region is blessed with long, cool growing seasons, which tends to produce grapes which are well suited for sparkling wine as they have near perfect fruit maturity, which is the perfect balance between fruit character and acidity.

The 2004 vintage for Domaine Carneros happened well before their normal harvests. 2004’s early spring was followed by nearly ideal ripening conditions resulting in the first presses being filled as early as July 29 which is 2 to 3 weeks earlier than normal.

The 2004 cuvée is comprised of 61% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 2% Pinot Blanc. Approximately 9% of the cuvée underwent malolactic fermentation prior to blending the cuvée for bottle aging. The final wine was aged for three years prior to release and will continue to improve for several years.

Appealing aromas of Gala apple, toasted almond and vanilla lead to focused, creamy Asian pear and spice flavors that finish with a vibrant crispness. Drink now through 2012. 89 points Wine Spectator Magazine

Domaine Carneros Brut 2004, Retail $24.99 Warehouse $19.99