Happy New Year with my first fizzy Sangiovese ... and a few not so shabby compains

Happy New Year everybody with my very first fizz made from 100% Sangiovese. The Chiaro di Bolle Methodo Classico Brut 2021 from the hilly area around Arezzo in the umbrish influenced south-central part of Tuscany appeared surprisingly pale yellow with some pretty vigerous vital mousse. In the nose I got slightly kitschy Amarena cherries, buttloads of sage, a few wild white flowers and traces of citric fragrances. On the palate it appeared relatively lean and stingy sharp equippted aromas of red cherries, sage, white pepper, shy shortbread and some really lively acid. With its 6,5 g residual sugar it seemed a bit heavy on the sweeter side. However not in a awkward way! Actually it was rather useful alongside tons of seafood and most certainly quite an unusual first timer experience. Quite so la-la*** decent**** I should say ...

Happy 2026! May it be less shitty than 2025!!! 

Happy New Year! Ninfa Platinum Brut Nature Reserva 2017 & Friends, Tejo

 

A Happy New year to everybody out there … with a to its dry bones reduced and rather yeast shy Pinot Noir Fizz from calcerous shores of Tejo River not all too far from Lisboa. With some air its really reserved character of chilled red fruits, very mild cinnamon buns, fresh and slightly unripe nuts and delicate yeasts opend up a bit. Just a bit! After another while the near by Atlantic ocean chose to say Hi with a whispering salty and slightly fish-saucy voice - a very delicate whiff of fish sauce of course. Probably a fizz for more calmer occasions I suppose. Not bad at all! I actually liked it quite a bit! Just a bit too lean and too quite! Most certainly pretty much the opposite of the much more well known fellow to the left ... which was definitely more suitable! Anyway … Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year and Marie-Courtin Résonance Champagner Extra Brut, Aube

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!

Well, as you can see for yourselves … a bit dull this time, right? Just Champagne? Nothing weird? Nothing exotic? Can't I don better? Cause I could! Sometimes I just have to surrender to my inherent laziness ... to have something really good, I guess! And by the way this stuff wasn't that dull at all!!!  I just love this Marie-Courtin shit! Not just this Extra Brut Résonace made from 100% Pinot Noir without sugary dosage. I love all the others as well! Even the Blanc de Blanc stuff ... which I am normally not so much into! Yesterday the Résonace showed a very vital and almost sturdy mousse. I must have got myself a recently disgorged bottle. The nose appeared very filigree, nicely accentuated, mostly flowery, however very well equippted with some shy brioche, a whiff of ginger and fragrances which reminded me of mild almond stollen.The fruitful components appeard more yellow citrus'y and packed with red apples. Pretty much the same sensations on the palate. Can't elaborate more properly ... hangover issues, I guess. Anyway, everything was very lean, a hint too juvenile zippy, nevertheless quite seductive and downright zero-dosage-style resolute. Plenty of very crisp and smile-inducing Pinot characteristics, too. Hellishly vivid acid (in a downright positive sense), overall quite elegant and even a bit elevating (sorry for my unusual pathos)! Again, very resolute, vitalizing, very clear, very precise, super crisp and totally sans make-up! Doubtlessly a very decent ***** start into the new year! Let's hope it will be better! At least the starting fizz was much better ...

Prost Neujahr mit Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru

Prost Neujahr!

St. Innocent Winery Justice Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007, Eola-Amity Hills

Keine Angst! Dieser Blog verkommt nicht zu einem reinen Pinot Noir oder Oregon Weinblog. Bevor die warme Jahreszeit beginnt, wenn sie überhaupt noch beginnen sollte, bei aktuellen 13 C und Regen ist ein klein wenig Zweifel angebracht, werde ich nur wenig Pinots über meinen Gaumen gleiten lassen. Deshalb muss nun noch etwas vorgesorgt werden ...

Sparkling from England (don't be afraid): Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2000

 
I simply can't write too much about this sparkling wine. Try it, if you have a chance to do so. It consists of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, which I think by the way is a very adequate mixture. The perlage was very well and quite noisy. The mousse was just magnificent. I hardly can remember a better one (slight exagg.) . The taste itself was wonderful and almost sublime, too. The concentration was very dense, which provided this very fizz a rather strong body. Only the acid was slightly too strong. Just try it. I think it was a really great fizz. Unfortunately you will have problems to get it outside the UK. I assume in the future it won't be so difficult anymore, because the winery is about to enlarge their vineyards. I wonder if they can maintain this high level quality in a substantially lager company. I very much hope so!