NV Paula Kornell Brut
NV Paula Kornell Brut
Vintage: NV
Region: California, USA
Winery: Paula Kornell
Winery: Paula Kornell
Varieties: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir
Price: $18
Critic Rating: 94 Points
My Rating: 93 Points
The Review: Ladies and gentlemen, I've done it! My endless quest for cheap sparkling wine that could pass for good Champagne has come to a (temporary) pause with the discovery of Paula Kornell's California Brut. I've been reading about this wine for a couple of months now, and it's been on my radar, but I hadn't been able to find it until a few days ago. I found it at a Kroger, and I'd be shocked if other stores (especially Wegmans) don't start carrying it soon.
This wine is the first effort of Paula Kornell, a descendant of a Champagne family turned California winemakers, and boy has it gotten some good press. It's received several high scores and was listed as Wine Enthusiast's #5 best wine of 2020, thus marking the inaugural release quite the success. It's majority Chardonnay, with the rest being Pinot Noir, and is a selection of grapes from various cool-climate sites in California (sustainably farmed, of course). It really shows off the agility and power of California wine, and I personally think it's one of, if not, the best sparkling wines America has to offer...
In terms of aromas, this wine checks all the boxes of things we want in a Champagne-caliber sparkler. Its got aromas of lemon zest, combined with softer peach and some tart red fruits. There's also an interesting floral note and some dough (as we'd expect from a wine that's spent a year on the lees). The taste presents really flashy acidity that's balanced by a touch of sugar. This is actually what traditional Champagne was like, but people have pushed the wine drier and drier in recent decades... that touch of residual sugar is starting to make its way back into fashion though. There are tastes of crisp apple, white peach, lemon zest, and toast, as well as a really interesting honeyed note that plays nicely with the ripping acidity. This one had layers of depth and an infinitely long finish (2 things that usually are lacking in cheaper sparklers).
Like I said, this wine goes toe-to-toe with any nonvintage Champagne on the market right now. I'd be willing to bet that you could serve this to a Champagne fan and trick them into thinking it's good Champ. Is it better than Dibon, the other one I rave about? Yes, but it is an $8 price difference, so Dibon will probably still be my every night sparkler with this Kornell acting as a treat or as a party bottle. That being said, for $18, this wine punches WAY above its weight. I was actually shocked when I drank it, so be sure to keep an eye out for it in stores here soon, especially if you'd consider yourself a Champagne fan.
drink what you like,
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