In my final column for 2024, I would like to recommend some sparking wines to ring in the New Year on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars 2020 Brut Rose ($35.00, available from winery website)
This is what I gave to clients and friends because of its high quality-to-price ratio. This sparkling wine is a blend of 70-per-cent Pinot Noir and 30-per-cent Chardonnay grapes and is aged 30 months on lees (or yeast). Lees aging gives the wine more complexity and richness. The wine is then aged in a bottle for another 12 months before release. You will get strawberry notes and crisp acidity.
Mumm Napa Brut Prestige ($32.99)
Mumm is a well-known Champagne house in France. I have been very impressed with their Napa Valley offering of sparkling wine, which uses the same methods they use in Champagne, France. However, the price of their U.S. sparkling wine is about half the price of the Mumm Champagne (produced in France). This sparkling wine is a blend of 49-per-cent Pinot Noir, 46-per-cent Chardonnay, five-per-cent Pinot Gris and Pinot Meunier grapes. You will get red apples, pear, nectarine and strawberry on the nose with apples, stone fruit and citrus notes on the palate as well as a toasty aftertaste.
Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut, Extra Old ($112.99)
This is currently my favourite non-vintage champagne. This champagne is in fact a blend of six older reserve vintages of Veuve Clicquot champagne. It is an extra brut or very dry champagne with less than three grams per litre of residual sugar. It is a great champagne to pair with turkey, caviar and an assortment of holiday foods. You will get a complex bouquet of toasted nuts, candied peel, orchard fruit, peach and smoke aromas and tastes.
Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Brut
Ruinart is the oldest established Champagne house which has been producing champagne since 1729. This is unique champagne in that it is made with 100-per-cent Chardonnay grapes so it will have a different taste profile than most other champagnes. You will get apricot and candied ginger flavours with kumquat and salted Marcona almond notes as well. It has eco-friendly packaging that is made with 100 percent paper and is entirely recyclable.
Dom Perignon 2013 Gift Pack ($326.99)
I saw this at the Richmond Brighouse B.C. Liquor Stores. It is a special offer, while supplies last, where if you purchase a Dom Perignon 2013 Champagne, you get 2 champagne glasses for free.
The glasses were good quality and Dom Perignon always produces great champagne. Dom Perignon is a single vintage champagne named after a Benedictine monk who is credited with many innovations in the champagne-making process and the management of the vineyards. This will be a less fruity champagne that will have brioche, cocoa, grilled almond, pear and spice components.
Please be reminded that until February 15, 2025, you will save 5% GST on the purchase of all of these products. I wish all my readers a very safe and joyful holiday season and a prosperous and healthy 2025. Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
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