Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Russian River Valley, California – USA
Cost: $25 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Straw, yellow-gold color with aromas of yeast, hazelnut, honey, and apple. Nice acidity, with hints of green apple and pear. A refreshing wine with tiny bubbles and good balance. Pairs well with oysters on the half shell, crab, scallops, roe, smoked trout, and soft cheeses.
My Review: For the second time in a week I was able to compare a wine that I’d had the previous vintage of. I’m on a roll. After a long week, and a long day of shopping for Christmas presents for family, my wife and I sat down for some dinner, home made spicy tuna rolls, and decided to open up some bubbles to go with it. Enter the Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs.
I need to start this by saying that I’m having a string of bad luck with the Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs. This is the second bottle of it I’ve opened that has exploded on me. Now, this time the cork wasn’t bad, but as soon as it came out I was greeted by a fountain of sparkling wine hitting the floor of my kitchen. I don’t know if it’s the bottles or me, but something about Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs and me don’t mesh when it comes to opening, so be warned that you may want to open yours near a sink.
As for the wine itself, I mostly grabbed aromas of yeast with some green apple notes poking through occasionally. In the mouth it was all green apple all the time for me, which was perfectly fine. The wine was crisp with nice small bubbles that made it a nice pairing for our spicy tuna rolls and edamame.
I like this wine well enough, but hesitate to give it a resounding thumbs up if only because of the price. I’m not saying it’s expensive, but I’ve had sparkling wines that were as good or better for less money, which always gives me pause. That being said, as holiday parties come into full swing, if you’re looking for a decent bottle of bubbles to make available, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs.
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