12/20/2024
You don't have to wait for New Year's Eve to start breaking out the bubbly. Here are 11 highly recommended bottlenecks to get a celebratory grip on before everyone else crowds the aisles and registers to buy the (yawn) same boring brands we see all year, every year! Treat yourselves!
Bubbly from Champagne, France $56-$100 SALE!
1 Bollinger PN AYC18
SALE $99.98
Reg $129.99
"Based on the 2018 vintage, complemented by reserve wines aged in magnum dating back to 2009, Bollinger's newly released NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN AYC18 was disgorged this year with six grams per liter dosage. Foregrounding the village of Aÿ, a commune crucial to Bollinger's distinctive style, the wine wafts from the glass with aromas of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, buttered toast, freshly baked bread and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vinous, with an ample core of fruit that's girdled by lively acids and animated by an elegant pinpoint mousse, this suave, charming Champagne concludes with a chalky finish. This has turned out beautifully."
2 Roederer 2015 Brut Rosé
SALE $79.98
Reg. $99.99
94WA
The 2015 Brut Vintage Rosé is generous and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of peach, orange and pear mingled with hints of red berries, fresh bread and ginger. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it's rich and enveloping, its textural attack segueing into an ample, fleshy core that's girdled by bright acids and enlivened by a pillowy mousse. Long and expansive, it's more generous and gourmand than its racier 2014 predecessor, but just as good."
3 Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs
SALE $69.98
Reg. $74.99
96JS
"Aromas of Italian croissant, cooked apple and tarte tatin. Medium-bodied with a roundness and freshness. Steely. Floats on the palate like you are in the clouds. 75% from 2019 and 25% perpetual reserve. 5g/L dosage." -James Suckling
4 Billecart-Salmon Le Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
SALE $99.98
Reg. $105.99
WE93
"A creamy sensation with a chalky and meringue texture, associated with nuances of fresh almonds, citrus zest, and lemony notes. An exquisitely refined and persistent smoothness, finishing with a delicate touch of salinity." -Winemaker's Notes
5 Lanson Brut Rosé
V91
"Fresh and aromatic, with an overtone of orchard blossom to flavors of black cherry candy, gumdrop, pound cake and fresh ginger. Offers a clean, minerally finish. Drink now through 2017. 85,000 cases made." -Josh Raynolds, Vinous
SALE $59.98
Reg. $64.98
6 Philipponat Royal Reserve Brut
SALE $55.99
Reg. $59.99
93WS
"There's a plush creaminess to this finely meshed Champagne, which integrates a chalky overtone and lemon acidity with a detailed range of poached pear, dried white cherry, chopped hazelnut and dogwood blossoms. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged May 2022. Drink now."
93 points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator (Sep 2022)
7 Henriot Brut Rosé
SALE $59.97
Reg. $69.98
93WE
"With a high percentage of reserve wines from older vintages in the blend, this is a rich and maturely ripe wine. It has touches of red fruit along with acidity, but its main pleasure is the ye**ty edge and the depth of flavor. Drink this wine now." -Roger Voss, WE
Sparkling Wine Values from Cali, France & Italy $18-30 VALUES
These bubbly wines offer the best pops for their value if you're on a budget, with all but the Prosecco made in the same traditional method as Champagne (but that's all the rage right now)!
8 J Cuvée 20 Russian River Valley Brut, Sonoma, California
SALE $29.98
Reg. $34.99
91WE
"Broadly defined in honeysuckle, peach, brioche and moderate acidity, this is a crowd-pleasing and immensely likable sparkling wine. The finish lingers on a deep, nutty tone." — Virginie Boone
9 Lambert de Seyssel Petit Royal Brut Methode Traditionnelle, France
$19.99
"The village of Seyssel, in the French Alps, has a history of viticulture dating back centuries, having built a reputation for floral-scented charmers from the local grapes, Molette and Altesse. Produced in the méthode traditionnelle and aged for two years sur latte, the Petit Royal is unequaled in the world of sparkling wine: alpine flowers, dried fruit, wildflower honey, and a toasty, ye**ty note give this value sparkler an utterly delightful aromatic richness and complexity. Serve it with various salty toasts to kick off your next dinner party, or pop one open to liven up a night at home with a big bowl of mac and cheese."
—Anthony Lynch
10 Ruggeri Giall'oro Extra Dry Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Italy
$21.99
91WE
"This wine is a joyous wine. The nose is full of Meyer Lemon, green-apple and citrus-blossom aromas. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with a slightly creamy texture giving way to subtle chalky notes and a very pleasing finish." — Jeff Porter, WE
11 Mercat Brut Rosé Cava, Spain
SALE $17.98
Reg $19.98
"Pale salmon-pink in color with zesty aromas of citrus, wild strawberry and fennel. Apple, berry and brioche flavors are balanced on a firm structure of mineral acidity and fine bubbles. "
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