Very Nice Bubbles

Since last Sunday was a semi-holiday (Super Bowl Sunday) I opened a bottle of sparkling wine, in this case a non vintage Scharffenberger, Brut Excellence from Mendocino County in northern California.  I had not tried this wine previously.

The wine is 2/3 chardonnay and 1/3 pinot noir and spends about two years on the lees before being disgorged. 

This was an incredibly balanced sparkling wine.  There was the sharpness of the acid balanced by a suggestion of sweetness that never really went too sweet.  Toasty aromas gave way to a crisp fruity taste with hints of lemon and vanilla.  A refreshing and tart finish had great length to it.

It was even better with dinner which was spinach pasta with roasted chicken meat, mushrooms, tomatoes and prosciutto in a light cream sauce. 

I would never mistake this for champagne, but it is obvious what it was trying to emulate, and it did a great job.  I liked this wine a lot and it goes on the repurchase list. 

Scharffenberger Brut Excellence, Mendocino Sparkling Wine.  12% alcohol and $20.