Isabelle Rosé exhibits aromatics of lavender, floral notes, wild strawberry, and Bing cherry. It maintains a zesty acidity throughout and has a refreshing finish. It is always a crowd-pleaser.
Isabelle is a handcrafted American sparkling wine in true Méthode Champenoise style. Our winemaker selects only the finest grapes to create a well-balanced wine with bright fruit notes and elegant bubbles. Ideal for all occasions!
Precept Wine is one of the fastest-growing wine companies in the United States, with a unique portfolio representing emerging American wine regions throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and New Mexico. As trailblazers in American winemaking, we offer the best quality-to-price wines of any producer in the country, with critical acclaim to match. Comprised by a combination of owned vineyards, estates and passionate employees, we are uniquely poised as an industry leader and trusted partner.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Classique Isabelle Méthode Champenoise Rosé - $20 = 14.28%
In a lovely change of pace, Mrs. Z was invited to labrat today’s bottle. I was happy to come along for the ride as the scrivener. This bottle was a good choice for us; we drink a lot of sparkling wine, particularly rose, and especially during summertime, pandemic or otherwise. We are frequent purchasers of bubbly from Casemates. (Regrettably, our palates are sensitive enough that we can tell the difference between the good stuff and the cheap stuff, but we still happily gulp down the cheap stuff on a regular basis.) If it helps in identifying where our tastes fall, our mutual favorite recent purchase was the Marta cava reserva, where we thought the QPR was especially good.
For the sake of a control, we shared the bottle with two guests who have good taste but are NOT frequent drinkers of sparkling wine, to see how their reactions differed from ours. We also served it side-by-side with a bottle of Gruet Blanc de Noirs, the better to, um, experience the full panoply of all that New Mexico has to offer. We drank outside on an 80 degree evening with a loosely Mexican dinner of corn salad, chicken mole, and brown rice. Both bottles started at fridge temperature but warmed up over the course of sipping.
On initial pour, everyone immediately noticed the very fine mousse of the Isabelle. The bubbles were easily half the size or less of the fizz in the Gruet bottle. It certainly reads as a more refined wine by the look and the nose.
Your primary labrat, Mrs. Z, got a strong taste of strawberry as she drank it. My first impression was orange blossom (think Ramos Gin Fizz if you’re a cocktail person). As the wine warmed up a bit, I came to agree with her and also noticed quite a bit of strawberry. One of our guests described the flavor as being “like the wine version of cranberry LaCroix.” (He meant this as a compliment.)
All four of us agreed that this wine was noticeably sweeter than its white counterpart. It’s not like you’re drinking a demi-sec or anything, but the residual sugar is definitely on the high side for a dry sparkler. We would both characterize it as being on the creamy side of the spectrum. (One of our guests described the pink wine as “more crisp and tart” than the control white; not sure Mrs. Z or I agree with that, but doesn’t make it any less valid.)
All four tasters liked the wine; all four thought it paired well with the food; all four thought it improved as it warmed up a bit and also thought that the sweetness became more noticeable after an hour out of the fridge.
We asked both guests which of the two wines they preferred. Neither strongly felt one was better than the other - both thought the Isabelle was better for an outdoor summer evening such as this, but both also thought they would prefer the Gruet white if drinking inside, eating seafood, etc.
As for your primary tasters, we disagreed - Mrs. Z thought the white was overall the better tasting wine - “it reminds me more of champagne.” I’m 180 degrees opposite - I find the Gruet sharp and one-note, while I really enjoyed the subtlety of the Isabelle and would choose the latter 9 times out of 10. (On the other hand, if my alternate choice was something more bone-dry like Sauvage, it would become a 50/50 split depending on the food and the occasion.)
Bottom line: this is a good wine and everyone liked it. We correctly guessed $20 retail or so; the Casemates price is a nice QPR and we will buy a case. Let’s be clear, you will never mistake this for Billecart-Salmon or Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee. Nor is it quite as good as was that lovely Marta pink cava. But if you like properly crafted pink bubbles, especially if they come creamy and with a hint of residual sugar, this is a solid buy.
@jakezim fwiw neither of the bottles are New Mexico wine, the Gruet or this offering. But perhaps you know that and I’m off base…wouldn’t be the first time ha!
@kaolis Um, where do you think Gruet is made? I must have been to some other high desert winery.
No, seriously. Gruet is made in NM. And the label for this says Albuquerque.
Edit: I am destroyed. I read further on, and I am really unhappy with this Precept. I was at some other winery and it’s gone now. Their Pinots were wonderful.
@jakezim Great review. I am still working through the sterling sparklers, so passing on this one. On a side note, I would buy 3 cases of the marta if it showed up again.
@kaolis Like I edited, things have changed since I was there. Very sad. I understand the whole economics of the matter, but Gruet used to be very special.
Not wanting to start an argument, but do you have a source? Their website states the 3 vineyards from which they source grapes are located in NM. We like their sparkling wines either way, but I am genuinely interested.
@kaolis@knlprez@sandbarhappy
It’s a typical story, Precept bought Gruet and wanted to capitalize on their strong brand and be able to make/sell a hundred thousand + cases of wine but they only had a few relatively small vineyards which cannot produce that much wine so they started shipping in grapes from Washington. I’m not saying the wine is bad I just don’t like that kind of thing.
@kaolis@sandbarhappy@ScottW58
Good to know. Checked the couple bottles we have and the do say ‘American’ for the region. Any clue which wines get the NM grapes? I’d guess the reserve sparkling wines but we do not have any at the moment…
It is disappointing, but they still make a solid QPR sparkler. I doubt our consumption will decrease!
@kaolis@knlprez@sandbarhappy
I’m sure they are good! They just lost their uniqueness of that’s a word? I don’t know if they make any wines with just New Mexico grapes?
@knlprez@sandbarhappy@scottw58@InFrom Well my source is Brad Mayer, Senior VP of Marketing for Precept, at least he was as of the date of our last correspondence which was December '18. So I think he has some cred.
My humble opinion is the website is intentionally vague on sourcing. As is some of the info I got from Brad. When I asked about estate fruit for Gruet his response was “Since the acquisition the amount of estate grown fruit has actually increased as Precept owns vineyards across multiple states.” If you read between the lines he does not say New Mexico fruit, but estate fruit in other states because they have ownership.
That being said, he also is the one who told me “Currently our Still Rose is our only New Mexico appellated wine”
Note he says appellated wine, not even estate wine.
So, that’s my source since you asked
I was delighted to be the recipient of this sparkling rosé wine - thank you Alice and Casemates for the opportunity! I immediately placed it in the fridge to chill and began to plan a menu around it. Since my sister was visiting a few days later for a socially distanced backyard lunch, I decided to serve crab rolls on brioche, an apple walnut salad with a citrus vinaigrette, preceded by some goat cheese (Humboldt Fog and a Honey variety) plus an Irish Cheddar. The menu was based on the pairing suggestions (shellfish, fresh fruit, soft cheese) offered on the bottle’s back label, because I thought, why not?
Out of the bottle, the wine was a clear pale salmon color, with a good amount of bubbles in the glass. On the nose, white flowers and peach. On the palate, a lot of strawberry (I love strawberries!), and some apricot. It’s a very light and crisp dry sparkling wine, without a noticeable finish.
We all thought the wine worked best on its own, without the food pairings. It was definitely easy drinking and my glass emptied pretty quickly.
The crab rolls were a nice contrast to the wine; the honey goat cheese also complimented it. The apple salad was too tart to match well.
This is a great sparkling wine to end the summer with, sipping on the patio. I don’t drink a lot of sparkling wines, and have passed on similar offerings in the past from Gruet, but now I understand why so many people are fans. I’m a convert - in for six.
The front page write up says from New Mexico. Although American is stated above. Mixed messages?? But I believe this is an “American” wine, as is Gruet from Precept. In fact I thought I’ve seen this marketed along with/part of the Gruet lineup. Could be wrong there.
Decent words here, also noting it is American wine, not a New Mexico wine
@jakezim The grapes are not from New Mexico…hence the American designation. They are based in New Mexico, but that’s it. 99% of Gruet wine is not from New Mexico either anymore, hasn’t been for years. But I do believe they still bottle one maybe
@kaolis@TimW it’s where the grapes are getting vs where the wine is made. If you have grapes from multiple states then you have “American” wine no matter where in the country it’s made.
@TimW I’m talking about where the grapes are sourced. Back in the day, Gruet made New Mexico wine, as in the grapes were sourced in New Mexico. Even before the Precept takeover things started to change. Grapes are sourced from Washington, California. Oregon, perhaps New Mexico, perhaps elsewhere. That is why the wines are designated “American”. Because the grapes are from, America. Going back through my notes the only wine from Gruet that I’m aware of that is actually a New Mexico designated wine is their still rosé, not a sparkling New Mexico wine in the lineup
Love rosé. Love bubbles. I’m in for a case. If anyone in Midlands, SC (or even Atlanta if you don’t mind a bit of a wait, since we’ll be there 3 times over the next 12 weeks) wants a few bottles, hit me up. I’ll share up to 6.
Promised myself no more cases of wine unless there was a very well priced box of bubbles, and this one would come in right in time for my birthday. Thank you for the great rattage folks!
For those sparkler aficionados out there, what is the general shelf life on a bottle like this (properly cellared, of course)? Will these last a year or two?
@CObrent my experience is that even cheap stuff like this can comfortably sit for a couple years without anything meaningful happening to it. Store it upright, not on its side.
@CObrent@jakezim
I’m definitely not an expert, but we have had some bottles stored in our cellar on their side for several years (4 or so is the max) with no signs of oxidation from the cork drying out. For us it is mainly due to storage logistics, no room to keep more than 2 or 3 bottles upright.
I’m not saying it’s the correct way, but for every expert claiming to keep sparkling bottles vertical is another claiming best to keep them horizontal. I haven’t found any scientific studies comparing the two. Does anyone else have insight?
More important in my opinion is to keep them out of the fridge and away from light, especially clear bottles of rosé.
I was excited by to receive a golden ticket.
I was more excited when the bottle that showed up was pink bubbles!
Obligatory bottle images:
The bottle was sitting in the refrigerator for multiple days, as I was traveling over the weekend. There was a nice pop upon opening, though it is a bit of a “short” cork.
The wine is a really nice “light salmon” color. It was pretty hard to show in a photo, but here are a few attempts:
Small bubbles, the way you would want for a chilled sparkling wine.
Not overly much on the nose… just a light citrus.
First sip was fairly bitter, like some grapefruit zest. Not unpleasant, but a bit unexpected. As the wine opens/warms, it settles into more prominent sour cherry, some additional citrus zest, and a bit of light yeastiness.
Overall, seems like a decent pink sparkler. So long as you aren’t expecting a high end French Pink Champagne, this would be great with a bowl of popcorn for a Tuesday movie night.
Stored overnight in the refrigerator with a sparkling wine cap at roughly 2/3 full. Another nice pop on the open. The flavor mostly the same, though a bit less “sharp” and more “mellow” on the fruit, and possibly more yeast.
From Michelle:
I don’t like drinking bubbles to begin with. This tastes almost bitter but… I’m also not feeling well. My opinions today should probably not affect your decisions for or against this wine. It’s a lovely color - like a rose gold. The bubbles are bubbling as expected and fun to watch.
Thanks, as always for letting us share our thoughts on the offer!
@strongry@ddeuddeg@Winedavid49 They are good sized though. Somewhere around #12 in the US in wine production responsible for around 2.7 million cases of wine. Not being argumentative and that doesn’t make them bad people or bad partners. And certainly not the 70 million cases of wine Gallo pumps out. But a major player. And a little evasive when it comes to sourcing
@chipgreen@strongry@Winedavid49 #12 in the US of A is “medium”? Industry stats say they jumped from 2.3 million cases a year to the present 2.7 million in just the last year…
Classique Isabelle Méthode Champenoise Rosé
Tasting Notes
Food Pairing
Specs
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $239.88/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 21 - Tuesday, Sep 22
Classique Isabelle Méthode Champenoise Rosé
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.66/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
NV Classique Isabelle Rosé
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Classique Isabelle Méthode Champenoise Rosé - $20 = 14.28%
In a lovely change of pace, Mrs. Z was invited to labrat today’s bottle. I was happy to come along for the ride as the scrivener. This bottle was a good choice for us; we drink a lot of sparkling wine, particularly rose, and especially during summertime, pandemic or otherwise. We are frequent purchasers of bubbly from Casemates. (Regrettably, our palates are sensitive enough that we can tell the difference between the good stuff and the cheap stuff, but we still happily gulp down the cheap stuff on a regular basis.) If it helps in identifying where our tastes fall, our mutual favorite recent purchase was the Marta cava reserva, where we thought the QPR was especially good.
For the sake of a control, we shared the bottle with two guests who have good taste but are NOT frequent drinkers of sparkling wine, to see how their reactions differed from ours. We also served it side-by-side with a bottle of Gruet Blanc de Noirs, the better to, um, experience the full panoply of all that New Mexico has to offer. We drank outside on an 80 degree evening with a loosely Mexican dinner of corn salad, chicken mole, and brown rice. Both bottles started at fridge temperature but warmed up over the course of sipping.
On initial pour, everyone immediately noticed the very fine mousse of the Isabelle. The bubbles were easily half the size or less of the fizz in the Gruet bottle. It certainly reads as a more refined wine by the look and the nose.
Your primary labrat, Mrs. Z, got a strong taste of strawberry as she drank it. My first impression was orange blossom (think Ramos Gin Fizz if you’re a cocktail person). As the wine warmed up a bit, I came to agree with her and also noticed quite a bit of strawberry. One of our guests described the flavor as being “like the wine version of cranberry LaCroix.” (He meant this as a compliment.)
All four of us agreed that this wine was noticeably sweeter than its white counterpart. It’s not like you’re drinking a demi-sec or anything, but the residual sugar is definitely on the high side for a dry sparkler. We would both characterize it as being on the creamy side of the spectrum. (One of our guests described the pink wine as “more crisp and tart” than the control white; not sure Mrs. Z or I agree with that, but doesn’t make it any less valid.)
All four tasters liked the wine; all four thought it paired well with the food; all four thought it improved as it warmed up a bit and also thought that the sweetness became more noticeable after an hour out of the fridge.
We asked both guests which of the two wines they preferred. Neither strongly felt one was better than the other - both thought the Isabelle was better for an outdoor summer evening such as this, but both also thought they would prefer the Gruet white if drinking inside, eating seafood, etc.
As for your primary tasters, we disagreed - Mrs. Z thought the white was overall the better tasting wine - “it reminds me more of champagne.” I’m 180 degrees opposite - I find the Gruet sharp and one-note, while I really enjoyed the subtlety of the Isabelle and would choose the latter 9 times out of 10. (On the other hand, if my alternate choice was something more bone-dry like Sauvage, it would become a 50/50 split depending on the food and the occasion.)
Bottom line: this is a good wine and everyone liked it. We correctly guessed $20 retail or so; the Casemates price is a nice QPR and we will buy a case. Let’s be clear, you will never mistake this for Billecart-Salmon or Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee. Nor is it quite as good as was that lovely Marta pink cava. But if you like properly crafted pink bubbles, especially if they come creamy and with a hint of residual sugar, this is a solid buy.
@jakezim fwiw neither of the bottles are New Mexico wine, the Gruet or this offering. But perhaps you know that and I’m off base…wouldn’t be the first time ha!
@kaolis Um, where do you think Gruet is made? I must have been to some other high desert winery.
No, seriously. Gruet is made in NM. And the label for this says Albuquerque.
Edit: I am destroyed. I read further on, and I am really unhappy with this Precept. I was at some other winery and it’s gone now
. Their Pinots were wonderful.
@sandbarhappy Gruet is in New Mexico, the grapes in the wine however are not from New Mexico
@jakezim Great review. I am still working through the sterling sparklers, so passing on this one. On a side note, I would buy 3 cases of the marta if it showed up again.
@kaolis Like I edited, things have changed since I was there. Very sad. I understand the whole economics of the matter, but Gruet used to be very special.
@sandbarhappy Sorry, not paying attention…hard to believe…ha! And I agree, change is not always a good thing.
Cheers!
@jakezim Super loved this detailed rat report - thank you
@kaolis @sandbarhappy
Not wanting to start an argument, but do you have a source? Their website states the 3 vineyards from which they source grapes are located in NM. We like their sparkling wines either way, but I am genuinely interested.
https://www.gruetwinery.com/our-vineyards
@kaolis @knlprez @sandbarhappy Well, they don’t source exclusively from NM, at least not for the still wines. https://www.gruetwinery.com/our-wines
@kaolis @knlprez @sandbarhappy
It’s a typical story, Precept bought Gruet and wanted to capitalize on their strong brand and be able to make/sell a hundred thousand + cases of wine but they only had a few relatively small vineyards which cannot produce that much wine so they started shipping in grapes from Washington. I’m not saying the wine is bad I just don’t like that kind of thing.
@kaolis @sandbarhappy @ScottW58
Good to know. Checked the couple bottles we have and the do say ‘American’ for the region. Any clue which wines get the NM grapes? I’d guess the reserve sparkling wines but we do not have any at the moment…
It is disappointing, but they still make a solid QPR sparkler. I doubt our consumption will decrease!
@kaolis @knlprez @sandbarhappy
I’m sure they are good! They just lost their uniqueness of that’s a word? I don’t know if they make any wines with just New Mexico grapes?
@knlprez @sandbarhappy @scottw58 @InFrom Well my source is Brad Mayer, Senior VP of Marketing for Precept, at least he was as of the date of our last correspondence which was December '18. So I think he has some cred.
My humble opinion is the website is intentionally vague on sourcing. As is some of the info I got from Brad. When I asked about estate fruit for Gruet his response was “Since the acquisition the amount of estate grown fruit has actually increased as Precept owns vineyards across multiple states.” If you read between the lines he does not say New Mexico fruit, but estate fruit in other states because they have ownership.
That being said, he also is the one who told me “Currently our Still Rose is our only New Mexico appellated wine”
Note he says appellated wine, not even estate wine.
So, that’s my source since you asked
@InFrom @kaolis @knlprez @ScottW58
Well. I’d say that’s the definitive answer. Also the definitive answer on Precept.
@InFrom @kaolis @sandbarhappy @ScottW58
I would agree, thanks for sharing!
@InFrom @kaolis @knlprez @sandbarhappy @ScottW58
Does he still work for Precept, or is he now running for elected office?
Isabelle Rosé Sparkling Wine
I was delighted to be the recipient of this sparkling rosé wine - thank you Alice and Casemates for the opportunity! I immediately placed it in the fridge to chill and began to plan a menu around it. Since my sister was visiting a few days later for a socially distanced backyard lunch, I decided to serve crab rolls on brioche, an apple walnut salad with a citrus vinaigrette, preceded by some goat cheese (Humboldt Fog and a Honey variety) plus an Irish Cheddar. The menu was based on the pairing suggestions (shellfish, fresh fruit, soft cheese) offered on the bottle’s back label, because I thought, why not?
Out of the bottle, the wine was a clear pale salmon color, with a good amount of bubbles in the glass. On the nose, white flowers and peach. On the palate, a lot of strawberry (I love strawberries!), and some apricot. It’s a very light and crisp dry sparkling wine, without a noticeable finish.
We all thought the wine worked best on its own, without the food pairings. It was definitely easy drinking and my glass emptied pretty quickly.
The crab rolls were a nice contrast to the wine; the honey goat cheese also complimented it. The apple salad was too tart to match well.
This is a great sparkling wine to end the summer with, sipping on the patio. I don’t drink a lot of sparkling wines, and have passed on similar offerings in the past from Gruet, but now I understand why so many people are fans. I’m a convert - in for six.
@kfroehlich Fun how you matched your menu to their suggestions. Awesome photos too. Thanks for the pics and the great report.
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
The front page write up says from New Mexico. Although American is stated above. Mixed messages?? But I believe this is an “American” wine, as is Gruet from Precept. In fact I thought I’ve seen this marketed along with/part of the Gruet lineup. Could be wrong there.
Decent words here, also noting it is American wine, not a New Mexico wine
https://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/Isabelle-NV-Sparkling-Rose-American-USA-10-15-2019.aspx
@kaolis It’s all from Precept and it’s definitely a New Mexican wine, so I assume it’s just Gruet’s second label.
@jakezim The grapes are not from New Mexico…hence the American designation. They are based in New Mexico, but that’s it. 99% of Gruet wine is not from New Mexico either anymore, hasn’t been for years. But I do believe they still bottle one maybe
@kaolis je ne comprends pas… can someone educate me on the subtleties of “American sparkling wine” vs being made in New Mexico?
@kaolis @TimW it’s where the grapes are getting vs where the wine is made. If you have grapes from multiple states then you have “American” wine no matter where in the country it’s made.
@TimW I’m talking about where the grapes are sourced. Back in the day, Gruet made New Mexico wine, as in the grapes were sourced in New Mexico. Even before the Precept takeover things started to change. Grapes are sourced from Washington, California. Oregon, perhaps New Mexico, perhaps elsewhere. That is why the wines are designated “American”. Because the grapes are from, America. Going back through my notes the only wine from Gruet that I’m aware of that is actually a New Mexico designated wine is their still rosé, not a sparkling New Mexico wine in the lineup
@kaolis @TimW
I will never forgive Precept for what they did with Gruet. Well maybe that’s a bit harsh but yeah.
@kaolis @ScottW58 @TimW That’s what happens when production must be way larger than the winery could legitimately support. SIgh.
Rats are on point tonight! 2 great reports, and both published minutes after the offer went live…awesome!
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
@TimW @kfroehlich @jakezim
Timely Rats are always appreciated!
@TimW and AMAZING!
Love rosé. Love bubbles. I’m in for a case. If anyone in Midlands, SC (or even Atlanta if you don’t mind a bit of a wait, since we’ll be there 3 times over the next 12 weeks) wants a few bottles, hit me up. I’ll share up to 6.
Promised myself no more cases of wine unless there was a very well priced box of bubbles, and this one would come in right in time for my birthday. Thank you for the great rattage folks!
/giphy magenta-austere-bard
/giphy dreamy-neurotic-badger
Love me some bubbles!
Yay bubbles!
/giphy lazy-jumping-dumpling
In for a case for a friend’s birthday and a half for ourselves.
/giphy titled-innocent-healer
/giphy fierce-inquisitive-seed
/giphy playful-obligated-move
For those sparkler aficionados out there, what is the general shelf life on a bottle like this (properly cellared, of course)? Will these last a year or two?
@CObrent my experience is that even cheap stuff like this can comfortably sit for a couple years without anything meaningful happening to it. Store it upright, not on its side.
@CObrent @jakezim
I’m definitely not an expert, but we have had some bottles stored in our cellar on their side for several years (4 or so is the max) with no signs of oxidation from the cork drying out. For us it is mainly due to storage logistics, no room to keep more than 2 or 3 bottles upright.
I’m not saying it’s the correct way, but for every expert claiming to keep sparkling bottles vertical is another claiming best to keep them horizontal. I haven’t found any scientific studies comparing the two. Does anyone else have insight?
More important in my opinion is to keep them out of the fridge and away from light, especially clear bottles of rosé.
@CObrent @jakezim @knlprez upright vs side makes no difference as far as corks are concerned.
@CObrent I’m up for a case split if you want to go for it.
In for 6 because it’s my birthday month and I’m worth it.
/giphy decorative-moldy-degree
Friendly labrat reporting for duty!
I was excited by to receive a golden ticket.
I was more excited when the bottle that showed up was pink bubbles!
Obligatory bottle images:
The bottle was sitting in the refrigerator for multiple days, as I was traveling over the weekend. There was a nice pop upon opening, though it is a bit of a “short” cork.
The wine is a really nice “light salmon” color. It was pretty hard to show in a photo, but here are a few attempts:
Small bubbles, the way you would want for a chilled sparkling wine.
Not overly much on the nose… just a light citrus.
First sip was fairly bitter, like some grapefruit zest. Not unpleasant, but a bit unexpected. As the wine opens/warms, it settles into more prominent sour cherry, some additional citrus zest, and a bit of light yeastiness.
Overall, seems like a decent pink sparkler. So long as you aren’t expecting a high end French Pink Champagne, this would be great with a bowl of popcorn for a Tuesday movie night.
Stored overnight in the refrigerator with a sparkling wine cap at roughly 2/3 full. Another nice pop on the open. The flavor mostly the same, though a bit less “sharp” and more “mellow” on the fruit, and possibly more yeast.
From Michelle:
I don’t like drinking bubbles to begin with. This tastes almost bitter but… I’m also not feeling well. My opinions today should probably not affect your decisions for or against this wine. It’s a lovely color - like a rose gold. The bubbles are bubbling as expected and fun to watch.
Thanks, as always for letting us share our thoughts on the offer!
@jasisk Thank you for the report. I like the popcorn pairing.
Need to remind myself to check the delivery states before I pulled the trigger. How disappointing. Whomp-whaaaaaa
Anyone in iowa want to split a case? Cedar Rapids to Des Moines
Still on the fence on this one… Looks tasty, but the big company buying out Gruet irritates me.
@strongry i wouldn’t call Precept as big. one of my favorite partners.
@Winedavid49 Good to know. Thanks. You haven’t disappointed us yet.
@strongry @ddeuddeg @Winedavid49 They are good sized though. Somewhere around #12 in the US in wine production responsible for around 2.7 million cases of wine. Not being argumentative and that doesn’t make them bad people or bad partners. And certainly not the 70 million cases of wine Gallo pumps out. But a major player. And a little evasive when it comes to sourcing
@Winedavid49 Thanks for the feedback. I grabbed a case. I’m sure it won’t disappoint.
@strongry @Winedavid49
Big enough to be considered a “mega-producer” by the state of Ohio, preventing any of their wines from shipping here.
@chipgreen @strongry well they feel medium.
@chipgreen @strongry @Winedavid49 #12 in the US of A is “medium”? Industry stats say they jumped from 2.3 million cases a year to the present 2.7 million in just the last year…
@chipgreen @kaolis @strongry alot of private label behind the scene stuff i don’t touch.
@chipgreen @kaolis @strongry @Winedavid49
So when we gonna get a ~good~ CM branded offering?
@chipgreen @kaolis @rjquillin @strongry @Winedavid49 exactly…waiting on the can’t miss CM branded offering! 2018 Pinot Noir glut, maybe?
Anyone in the DMV area want a few bottles?
/giphy clear-dark-low
In for a case… I like bubbles
/giphy sober-listless-plot
