NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs

  

NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs 

Vintage: NV
Region: New Mexico, USA
Winery: Gruet
Varieties: 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay
Price: $13.99 (Should be able to find everywhere)
Rating: 90 Points
My Rating: 91 Points

The Review: As a firm believer in drinking sparkling wine for no reason other than the fact that I can, I've always been on the search for Champagne quality sparklers for an affordable price. This wine comes with an interesting story. The Gruet family, owners of the Gruet et Fils Champagne house in France, discovered while on vacation in the Southwest that New Mexico had perfect conditions for sparkling wine. The area had high elevation, drastic day and night temperature swings, and sandy soils- all conditions that make for excellent sparkling wine. They planted an experimental vineyard in the 80's, and soon some of the Gruet children moved to run the winery. With their first vintage being released in 1989, Gruet has been a staple on the American wine scene ever since. The quality and the price are unmatched, and their wines are consistently receiving high praise.

I'm actually going to say that both of Gruet's wines are all well worth it, despite only writing about the Blanc de Noirs. Their "traditional" blend is just as high of a quality, I'm just lazy and don't feel like writing two reviews at once. "Blanc de Noirs" (white of black) is the French term for sparkling wines made with predominantly red grapes (Pinot Noir). You've probably encountered a Blanc de Blancs (white of whites), which is a sparkling wine made from all Chardonnay grapes.

So, the Gruet Blanc de Noirs is made from majority Pinot Noir, and will as a result show a bit more fruitiness. The nose presented aromas of fresh apple, strawberries, and cranberry with undertones of vanilla, toasted brioche, and ginger. Remember that Champagne Method wines will traditionally show a little bit of a bready note and this is something that we're actually looking for as a mark of quality! The texture was super mousse-y, with fine bubbles. The taste had really high acid (a hallmark of Champagne Method sparklers) and presented notes of ripe red berries such as raspberry, cranberry, and a little strawberry jam. There were also undertones of cinnamon apple and a pleasant yeasty finish.

As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches and you might be considering serving sparkling wine as an aperitif, I would definitely recommend Gruet wines as an alternative to a Champagne (which can sadly run your bill up for more than I care to admit). These wines are great because they'll please all at the table, and will even fool "Champagne Snobs" without you breaking the bank.

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving! You probably won't be hearing from me until after the holiday because it's finals season... yay! Hope everyone's holiday is safe, restful, and filled with good food and drinks.

drink what you like,

db

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