There's nothing that sets the celebratory tone like the evocative "pop!" of Champagne or Prosecco. Today, we're offering a selection of French and Italian bubblies that'll ring in the New Year--or bring the fun to any gathering--with taste, style, and love.all, joy.
Featured Wines
French Champagne
Bereche et Fils
Brut Reserve NV, 750ml, $55.67
Rich, acidic, lively and bright, this is an unusual Champagne with a flavor profile that calls for food. This organic wine shows fine bubbles and a palate of lemony citrus, peaches and pears, white flowers and a touch of nutmeg. This Champagne rarely makes it across the Atlantic--so get it while you can.
José Dhondt
Blanc de Blancs Mes Vieilles Vignes 2006, 750ml, $82.50
Pale gold and gorgeous, this Champagne has an explosive personality. A bewitching mélange of mouth-watering acidity, minerals, green apples, pear and custard, this wine exemplifies the beauty of grower Champagne and has become an IWM staff favorite.
José Dhondt
Blanc de Blancs Brut NV, 375ml, $33.05
One of those wines that you drink and remember with a tongue-twitching lust for years to come. Crafted from grapes grown in Champagne's Chardonnay territory in the Côte des Blancs, this flinty, crisp, and charming Champagne shows lots of plum, green apples, and a yummy streak of minerality.
Guy Charlemagne
Brut Extra NV, 750ml, $41.19
A lovely round mouth-feel sits on a nicely structured frame in this Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) Champagne. Quite dry, this bubbly exhibits hazelnut, apples, honey and brioche. It's the perfect brunch bubbly.
Alfred Gratien
Rosé Brut NV, 750ml, $59.00
Elegance in a glass, this Rosé Champagne shows a textbook pink color in the glass. Tiny, persistent perlage, and a complex nose of tangerine, pears, Indian spices and honey make it a graceful beauty, despite its fairly powerful fruit.
R.H. Coutier
Brut Grand Cru Tradition NV, 750ml, $44.53
It's a pretty, classy Champagne showing the sweet-tart flavors of golden raisins and berries, a nice bread dough yeastiness and a surprising smokiness. From the grand cru village of Ambonnay, this Pinot Noir (75%) and Chardonnay (25%) blend has a lot of poise and balance.
Gerard Loriot
Brut Tradition NV, 750ml, $59.84
Splendid and unusual, this Brut is composed entirely of Pinot Meunier. Lots of lilac and lavender greet your nose; apple and breadfruit greet your palate; and a gracious streak of minerality finshes your experience. It's a lovely Champagne.
Diebolt-Vallois
Rosé NV, 750ml, $59
A stunner of a Rosé that shows a happy pink hue, throws scents of rose petal, and blushes with a palate of cherry, berry and pomegranate. A touch of seven-grain toast and a spike of minerality complete the profile of this Cramant Champagne.
Demière-Ansiot
Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV, 750ml, $66.00
This is one complex, riveting Champagne. Generously textured, this sparkler exhibits spiced apples and pear preserves layered over the scent of warm bread and it tingles the tongue with acidity. It's a twirling ballerina in a glass.
Billecart-Salmon
Brut Rosé NV, 750ml, $93.50
Racy, fresh, and structured, this Rosé is like the Lauren Bacall of Champagnes: surprisingly sexy and a complete class act. Strawberries and cassis layer over brioche and roses in this medium-bodied, beautifully blush, quintessentially elegant wine.
Billecart-Salmon
Brut Blanc de Blancs NV, 750ml, $79.95
A wine with serious structure, this Blanc de Blanc owns its place in the camp of creamy, minerally, chalky, and subtly floral Champagne. It's a wine of power, finesse and balance, with notes of Asian pear, honeysuckle flowers, and satisfying flinty finish.
Billecart-Salmon
Vintage Brut Blanc de Blancs 1999, 750ml, $125.00
Impeccably clean and showing a laser-like focus, the '99 Billecart-Salmon might cause you go a bit weak in the knees. The flesh of white fruits, a touch of hazelnut, a bouncy acidity, a charming streak of minerality, and a proliferation of perfect perlage create the magic that can only be Champagne.
Italian Sparklers
Fantinel
Prosecco Brut Rosé NV, 750ml, $19.80
This tank method Prosecco crafted from Pinot Nero and Chardonnay blushes a bewitching pink. A charming perlage, a palate of berries and cherries, and hints of bread and marmalade make this wine brim with fun.
Fantinel
Prosecco Brut Extra Dry NV, 750ml, $16.00
Take a walk on the soft side with this velvety Prosecco, a bright, lively wine that's quite elegant, with delightful floral aromas. Straw yellow with agreeable floral notes touched by tropical fruits, this versatile Prosecco can serve as an aperitif, a complement to food, or lightly sweet palate cleanser before dinner.
Frecciarossa
Riesling Frizzante NAI 2008, 750ml, $19.14
Oltrepò Pavese's Frecciarossa uses only the very best crus for its whites, and that includes the Frecciarossa Riesling Frizzante Nai. A rich and intense white with hints of apricots, tropical fruits and minerals that carry through to the long finish.
De Conciliis
Selim Spumante Brut NV, 750ml, $21.45
Crafted from Fiano and Aglianico, two grapes indigenous to Campania, this tank method Spumante has a refreshing nose of tropical and citrus fruits, peach and apple. Intense, unusual and beautifully balanced, Selim is a fitting tribute to its namesake, Miles Davis.
Cima da Conegliano
Prosecco Extra Dry NV, 750ml, $22.14
Made entirely of Veneto's Prosecco grape, this dry Spumante is straw-colored with aromas of green apples and a soft, long-lasting finish on the palate. It's perfect as an aperitif or with smoked fish.
Villa Sparina
Brut NV, 750ml, $29.94
This sparkling version of Gavi is made from the native white grape Cortese, a vigorous vine that thrives in southeastern Piemonte. Expect a fresh bubbler with subtle flavors of apple, citrus, and honeysuckle, a touch of mineral and a squeaky clean profile. It's a celebration waiting to pop with hors d'oeuvres.
Movia
Puro Rosé 2002, 750ml, $49.50
This is the showstopper. If there is a Movia wine that represents the passion, the principles and the panache of the estate, Puro is it. A sparkling wine, Puro is made from biodynamically farmed grapes, and Ales Kristancic, Movia's owner, has chosen to ship this sparkler without removing the naturally occurring yeast plug that other winemakers remove after the second fermentation. Ask your Portfolio Manager how to uncork this wine for a unique experience.
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