Maybe it’s because the winery is relatively new.  Founded in 2004- and dedicated to methode champenois – they’ve probably been more busy hand-riddling than selling & marketing up to this point.  Capacity here is small to medium sized – but not so small that you wouldn’t expect to find it in major North American wine markets – and it is a very well-funded operation (supposedly with serious Chilean money behind the venture.)  It has a real word-of-mouth thing going on in Argentina fine dining circles, but even in B.A. we didn’t see it on the shelves at wine retailers (even the fancy ones like Winery) or at the otherwise miraculously comprehensive airport duty-free shop.   Cruzat makes only sparkling wines – a Brut, a Rose, and a higher-end “Nature.”   We tasted the Brut on several occasions and were impressed – not how much like a fine Champagne it was, but on it’s own merits.  So lively & bright- with honey and hay on the nose – and a mysterious bottle bouquet that just can’t be placed.  We liked how bracing and fruit-driven the wine is, a little riper than the driest bruts, which really rounds out the mid-palatte without sacrificing complexity.  We hear it’s available in the U.S. but have seen zero evidence of this.  So if anyone knows any different, please let us know.

Movia produces a whole range of cool, funky wines biodynamically, but nothing as weird as the Puro. What, you might ask, the geographic weirdness aside, qualifies this as WWOW- we at The UnCorker can’t think of another bottle of bubbly that hits the market without being disgorged- but the Puro Rose is, and man, that’s weird- strange, unusual, and very difficult. You see the secondary fermentation in the bottle(see glossary- methode champenoise) is started by adding unfermented must from the new harvest along with some indigenous yeast. And why not disgorge at the winery, for instance as every producer of Champagne does? It seems the respectable thing to do, right? At Movia they believe disgorging robs the wine of flavor, and the Puro Rose sure has a bunch of that, and also claim that because it isn’t disgorged, its capacity to age is endless. We at The UnCorker have had some damn fine sparklers we didn’t have to disgorge ourselves, and as for the aging, well, only time will tell. We did like the novelty- one must store the bottle upside down for a day or two, then open it under water; a mass of goo is disgorged, the wine best decanted.

100% pinot nero(noir) spends 4 years in French oak barrique, and a furthur 32 months in bottle before release, it has a pale salmon color and scents of apples, apple cider and raspberries with some grapefruit on the palate- a little toast and yeast but not as much as we would have thought, some savory notes as well; cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg- a fine persistent bead helps give this a long pleasant finish- all pinot but unlike any brut rose we’ve ever had- less then 2000 bottles produced, well worth the search.

With that in mind, its high time to take another look at American sparklers- and why not, its been a tough year for a lot of us, the times feel ugly, we have to work all the time, the rest of the world hates us, our currency is virtually worthless abroad- but we have something to be proud of- hope is in the air, and a burgeoning American wine industry is producing loads of quality sparkling wines at good prices. So this New Year’s Eve, remember- Buy American, Drink American!

Now, without ado, here’s some to consider.

Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs
This is a methode champenoise*,100% chardonnay grapes sourced from Napa, Sonoma, and the North Coast and man is it good stuff. Nice citrusy smell, grapefruit and key lime, crisp, mildly yeasty, clean-as-can be flavors, some green apple in the mix. This energetic sparkler hits all the right notes as Blanc de Blancs and has an added measure of complexity by way of its toasty, yeasty finish, with great lasting little bubbles. Schramsberg makes them all, Blanc de Noir, Rose, brut, Demi-Sec, all method champenoise, so keep an eye out.

Gruet Brut NV/ Gruet Rose NV
New Mexico! These friggin wines are from New Mexico! And they’re good- real good.
Both produced in the methode champenoise, Gruet makes the whole line, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noir, Demi-Sec, Brut, Roses, just like Schramsberg, but keeps it on the real budget minded side.

The Brut NV has pleasant apple and citrus aromas with creamy flavors that end on a spicy note; This Brut offers a crisp, full-bodied sparkling wine. The Brut spent some time on its lees, giving it a nice doughy mouth feel. Brilliant with ultra fine bubbles.  The Rose NV has It has a lovely, bright floral bouquet with hints of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. On the palate, it is rich and fruity in a dry, brut style. The flavor of berries continues on the palate, revealing more strawberry, raspberry, cherry. This sparkler is loads of fun and very festive.

Chateau Frank
New York’s Finger Lakes region has a rich viticultural history, and since 1962 Dr. Frank has been a big part of it. Taking advantage of a climate similar to Germany’s Pfalz and Mosel regions, Dr. Frank makes wines from cool climate grapes- Pinot Noir, Pinot Muenier, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Still wines are the bulk of production, but the sparklers take pride of place. A Cremant is made from Riesling, but it is the Blanc de Blancs, and the Blanc de Noirs that can be compared to fine Champagne; the Blanc de Blancs 2002 has complexity and delicate flavors, this wine exemplifies the traditional Blanc de Blancs style. A crisp acidity accompanied by complex aromas of yeast, citrus, lemon, ginger, floral and hazelnut makes this medium-bodied sparkler very pleasant. Extended lees aging gives it earthy and toasty notes with a tropical finish.

The Blanc de Noirs 2002 is a rich and complex sparkling wine with great structure and length. With aromas of pear, apple, peach, vanilla and hazelnut that combine with the toasty yeast character, persistent foam and tiny bubbles, this style creates a full-bodied sparkling wine which makes for a perfect accompaniment to a fine meal.

Argyle Blanc de Blancs
Argyle is at the fore of fine Burgundian varietals in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, so it makes sense that they would take that Pinot Noir, and that Chardonnay, and make fine sparklers in the traditional method- the 2000 Blanc de Blancs, a single vineyard cuvee, is elegant, creamy and refined, balancing delicate citrus and pear flavors against a judicious level of toasted brioche and a fleck of white pepper as the finish lingers gently.

* For this and other terms needing explanation, please, see the glossary.