Tag Archives: November Bubbly Club

November Bubbly Club Iowa

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Bubbly Wine ClubPhilippe_Fontaine_Champagne-brut-millesime-bottlePhilippe Fontaine Champagne
Brut Millésime 2015
Champagne, France

BUBBLY WINE STYLE

A bright yellow hue with subtle reflections of copper, this elegant and fine Champagne offers aromas of lychee and peach. On the palate, this wine is lively and bright with a soft texture of almond paste, brioche, and subtle notes of blueberries.

Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Analysis: 12% alcohol / volume
Terroir: Balnot sur Laignes and Les Riceys: 30 year old vines and marly soils from the superiors Jurassic era
Elevation: 590 feet
Farming: Sustainable farming
Aging: 48 months sur latte
Bottled: At the estate, minimum 3 months before release
Food Pairing: Enjoy with this Smoked Salmon Tart recipe. Or serve as an apéritif, with sushi, Oaxacan food, or desserts.

ABOUT PHILIPPE FONTAINE:
Located in Balnot-sur-Laignes in the Côtes des Bar region, Champagne Philippe Fontaine is all about history of family and tradition.  The Fontaine family has indeed been cultivating their land for centuries.  Nowadays, Philippe, his daughter Salomé, and her husband Louis-Antoine run the estate.  Most of the vineyards are located in the prestigious Les Riceys part of the region.  All of Philippe Fontaine Champagnes are handcrafted at the estate, small production, sustainably farmed, and represent a tremendous value in the Grower Champagne category.

Information ©  Philippe Fontaine and JP-Bourgeois – All Rights Reserved.

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November Bubbly Club: Iowa

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Tuff-nutt-pet-nat-biancoBubbly Wine ClubDelinquente Wine Co.
Tuff Nutt
Bianco Pet Nat
Riverland, South Australia

BUBBLY WINE STYLE

The 2021 “Tuff Nutt” Bianco Pet Nat is bright and clean with intense tropical citrus bursting from the glass. Fresh and persistent bubbles pop in the mouth while the fruity flavors become more savory and herbaceous on the end. After being fermented with wild vineyard yeast in stainless steel, the wine was bottled under crown seal to finish fermenting – this resulted in the naturally sparkling style. 

WINEMAKER NOTES:
2021 was the kindest vintage we have experienced in 9 years of Delinquente – a La Nina cycle bringing good spring rainfall, mild summer temperatures and cool, crisp nights. The Sherwood Estate vineyard in Loxton has the only planting of Bianco d’Alessano in Australia – the vines are now coming up to 15 years old, are looking as healthy and strong as ever, and producing some wonderful fruit year on year. – Delinquente Wine Co.

Weeping-juanDelinquente Wine Co.
Weeping Juan
Pink Pet Nat
Riverland, South Australia

BUBBLY WINE STYLE

The “Weeping Juan” Pink Pet Nat blend has super bright red fruit that cut through the citrus and stone-fruit notes of the wine. It is hazy blush in the glass, and the nose is super clean with a pleasant yeastiness. The fine spritz of the “Weeping Juan” makes this wine perfect for all-day and all-night drinking. Each variety used in this blend was picked and fermented separately. The final wine was blended and bottled just before the ‘Nero d’Avola’ finishing ferment, which created the natural sparkling style.

WINEMAKER NOTES:
2021 was the kindest vintage we have experienced in 9 years of Delinquente – a La Nina cycle bringing good spring rainfall, mild summer temperatures and cool, crisp nights. The Bassham Family Organic and Biodynamic vineyard, bursting with natural vitality and life, took full advantage of Mother Nature’s gift and produced beautiful quality fruit – sweet, layered, and with piercing acidity – and plenty of it too! – Delinquente Wine Co.

ABOUT DELINQUENTE WINE CO.:
Delinquente, meaning ‘delinquent’ in Italian is a winery making small batch, minimal intervention wines from Southern Italian grape varieties grown in Riverland, South Australia. These organically grown, hand-made wines reflect the sun and the red dirt that are unique to the Australian terroir of the Riverland. Since their climate can become so hot and dry, Delinquente Wine Co. chose wine varieties suited for these extreme conditions. This decision allowed them to create more environmentally sustainable wines with lower alcohol levels, yet loads of freshness and flavor.  Learn more about the winery here.

© Photo by Delinquente Wine Co.
© Photo by Delinquente Wine Co.
© Photo by Delinquente Wine Co.
© Photo by Delinquente Wine Co.
© Photo by Delinquente Wine Co.

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November Bubbly Club

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Bubbly Wine ClubBouteille Fiche BrutRidgeview
Bloomsbury Brut
Ditchling, Sussex, England

BUBBLY WINE STYLE

“Our sole focus in the winery at Ridgeview is minimal intervention, to let our exceptional grapes speak for themselves and nurture the juice into making the best wine possible. Balance is at the heart of all of our wines, making the most of the full fruit flavors in harmony with our wonderful cool climate acidity.”

Bloomsbury is light golden in color with a fine, persistent mousse. Citrus fruit aromas with hints of melon, peach and honey. Chardonnay dominance brings finesse, along with crisp freshness. The Pinots add depth and character leading to a beautifully balanced finish. Will age gracefully over time as the Chardonnay matures.

Analysis: 12.5% alcohol / volume
Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Altitude: 5m-65m ASL
Vineyard Age: Between 8 and 22 years old
Exposure: South & Southeast
Soil: Clay & Limestone, Flint & Loam
Bottle fermentation on the Lees: 12-18 months
Memorable Moment: Official wine served for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Critical Acclaim:

  • SILVER Decanter World Wine Awards 2018
  • SILVER OUTSTANDING International Wine and Spirit Competition 2018
  • 90 pts. – Decanter 2013
  • 90 pts. – The Wine Advocate (NV)
  • 91 pts. – AG Vinous (NV)
  • 90 pts. – Wine Enthusiast (NV)
  • 92 pts. – Wine Enthusiast 2015
  • 91 pts. – Wine Enthusiast 2014
  • 92 pts. – Wine Enthusiast 2013
  • 90 pts. – Wine & Spirits (NV)

PRODUCTION:
Whole-bunch pressed to limited pressure, and to give a low yield of 62% volume to weight. A natural cold settling takes places without the use of enzymes. Fermentation at a moderate temperature of 60.8-64.4°F in stainless steel using natural yeast. Malolactic fermentation is carried out.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
The Ridgeview story began in 1995, when Mike and Chris Roberts decided to release a vision, nurtured for many years. With a love of England and a passion for wine, they investigated the English wine industry with a view to understanding the type of wine production they felt would thrive best in the cool climate of Southern England. Their research pointed towards traditional method sparkling wine made from the three classic varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. At the time, sparkling wine production in England was largely unexplored and unproven, so the dream to create world class sparkling wine in Sussex was a certainly a risk.

Nestled at the base of the beautiful South Downs with their chalky soils, the perfect site was found – the ridge with an unforgettable view. It was here the journey began. Whilst the vines were gently nurtured towards their first harvest, we were busy creating one of England’s only underground cellars and building a state-of-the-art winery. Ridgeview’s first grapes were harvested and pressed; the wines were bottled, then hidden away in the cellar to age.

Over 20 years later, production has increased to more than a quarter of a million bottles and Ridgeview is sold across the world. Their winery continue to invest in the most modern, specialist machinery and proudly crafts every element of their production methods on site- from hand picking all of their grapes, gently pressing them to extract maximum flavor, bottling, riddling, disgorging and labelling. Learn more about Ridgeview Winery here.

Simon Roberts

Head Winemaker: Simon Roberts

WINEMAKER:
Founder, Mike Roberts MBE, was originally at the winemaking helm ably assisted by his son Simon, to whom he passed his considerable knowledge and experience. Simon Roberts is now Ridgeview’s Head Winemaker, supported by a highly experienced and talented winery team.

A natural winemaker with a skilled palate, Simon likes minimal intervention as a Winemaker and would rather let the grapes speak for themselves. Simon trained at Plumpton Wine College and gained experience in Australia. Now responsible for the day-to-day Winemaking at Ridgeview, Simon has the support of a fantastic team. In his spare time Simon can be found coming up with culinary creations in the kitchen. Learn more about the Ridgeview team here.

© Photo by Ridgeview Wine
© Photo by Ridgeview Wine – Winemaker, Simon
© Photo by Ridgeview Wine
© Photo by Ridgeview Wine
© Photo by Ridgeview Wine

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