It’s time to put a little twist into these sparkling rosé wines we’ve been reviewing lately.  So, you’re probably familiar with malbec and know it to be a tasty, full red wine with deep, inky-dark color.  Would you believe that you can get a sparkling rosé wine out of it?  Well, not only can you get a sparkling rosé out of it, but you can get a downright awesome sparkling rosé from it.

Enter, Alma Negra Rosé Malbec.  This wine, like much malbec that we see in the US these days, comes from Mendoza, Argentina.  The winery is relatively young, starting with the 2003 vintage, although the vineyards where the grapes for this wine were grown have been planted for 18-20 years.

Calling this a rosé may even be a stretch.  It looks more like a sparkling white, but there is the slightest pink hue to the color.  Quite amazing to come from a grape normally known for its deep purple colors.

The nose offers a beatiful and harmonious blend of yeast, floral, lemon peel and raspberry aromas.  The palate is equally beautiful, with a mineral and citrus flavor that just tastes clean and refreshing.  It has a wonderfully creamy mouth feel too.  The floral notes return on the finish, which is also a touch salty.  This is a superb bottle of bubbly.

The suggested retail price is above our normal $20 limit, but I have seen this wine for as low as $16 at retail.  And the creepy face on the label is an added bonus.

Wine: Alma Negra Rosé Malbec
Variety: Sparkling Rosé Malbec
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 12.8%
Rating: 90
Price: $24.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

Yet again, we’re tasting some pink, bubbly wine.  And again it’s a brut rosé Cava.

If you love sparkling wine, but haven’t discovered Cava yet, you’re missing out on some awesome bargains.  Cava is Spain’s version of Champagne.  Of course, Champagne being not just a generic name for sparkling wine but being a sparkling wine from a specific region in France.  Similarly, Cava not only represents a style of sparkling wine, but also a region—in this case the region (or regions) are in Spain.  It is regions (plural) because Cava can be made in six different wine regions within Spain.

The methods used to produce Cava are very similar to the methods used to produce Champagne, however the grapes often differ.  In the case of this Brut Rosé from Juvé y Camps, however, the grapes used are pinot noir, which is acceptable in either region.

The nose of this bubbly is predominantly yeast, although there are some strawberry and floral aromas tucked underneath that.  The palate is bone dry, showcasing the mineral side of this wine.  It also offers tart cherry, cranberry and citrus flavors.  The finish leaves you with a nice balance of mineral and fruit, that I can only describe as salted berries.

Wine: Juvé y Camps Brut Rosé
Variety: Sparkling Rosé Cava – Pinot Noir
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 86
Price: $17.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

We’ve been reviewing some rosé wines lately, and more specifically we’ve tasted a number of sparkling rosé wines.  So, let’s continue that theme with another rosé cava that’s an absolute bargain.

Segura Viudas Brut Rosé is made from 90% Trepat and 10% Garnacha.  The grapes come from an estate in Torrelavit, Alt Penedès in Spain.  I’d say this would make a nice salad wine, or would go great with fish.

The nose is a well-balanced blend of light strawberry and yeast aromas.  The palate is more on the citrus side, with flavors like orange peel and lime juice.  It also shows some light strawberry flavors, particularly in the mid palate and toward the finish.  There’s a touch of mineral on the finish as well.  The mouth feel is beautifully bubbly.

At a mere ten bucks, this one is a steal!

Wine: Segura Viudas Brut Rosé
Variety: Sparkling Rosé Cava
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 87
Price: $12.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

It’s time to talk about more pink bubbly stuff.  Wine, that is.  Cava, to be more specific.

Yesterday, we highlighted a unique rosé cava from Freixenet, their Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut.  But if you’re looking for an even better bargain, then it may be the Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut that piques your interest.  It’s a few dollars less expensive and comparable in quality, although the flavor profile is different, so read on.

The Cordon Rosado Brut is made from a blend of trepat and garnacha.  One interesting note about trepat is that there are only about 1,000 hectares of it grown.  It is an indigenous Spanish variety and needs a special type of soil to grow well.  Garnacha (or grenache), on the other hand, is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world.

The nose offers a beautiful balance of yeast, apple and berry aromas, with moderate intensity.  The palate brings a delicate mouthfeel with vibrant flavors.  A good bit of acidity give this wine a burst of granny smith apple flavor up front followed by cranberry and raspberry flavors.  It finishes dry and with a touch of mineral.  This is a really tasty bottle of bubbly rosé at an absolute bargain of a price.

Wine: Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut
Variety: Sparkling Rosé Cava
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 87
Price: $12.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

Freixenet is a pretty big name in the bubbly wine aisle as they are a pretty reliable brand for tasty-yet-affordable sparkling wines.  They are known for their cava, which in simple terms is Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional champenoise method… yes, there are more specifics to cava, but let’s keep it simple for now.

While Freixenet is best known for their black bottle sparkling wines, my eye was caught by the elegant bottle design of their Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut.  It’s simple, sleek and stylish with a ribbon connecting the neck to the label.  The color of the wine inside this bottle makes this one stand out.  And fortunately, the taste of that wine is also something that stands out.

This sparkler is made of 85% pinot noir and 15% trepat.  Resulting in a tasty sparkling rosé brut.

Tangy raspberry aromas and a touch of yeast give this wine a pleasant and intriguing bouquet.  The palate continues the raspberry theme, but also offers a bit of blackberry and some white pepper.  The bubbles and acidity give the wine a vibrant mouth feel.  It’s quite a harmonious and elegant wine and a bargain at this price.

Wine: Freixenet Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut Cava
Variety: 85% Pinot noir, 15% trepat
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 88
Price: $18.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

Some guys might say it’s not too masculine to drink sparkling wine.  Some might say it’s not too masculine to drink rosé, or “pink” wine.  Well, I’m going to throw all caution to the wind and drink a wine that’s both pink and sparkling… and I’ll admit that I love every sip of it!

Mumm Napa has become one of the names that I trust for good, yet surprisingly affordable sparkling wine.  We’ve reviewed their Brut Prestige in the past, so we figured it was about time to check out another of their wines, the Brut Rosé.

This wine has a seductive bouquet with an elegant and perfectly balanced blend of aromas like black cherry, strawberry and orange peel.  There’s also some yeastiness to the nose.  The acidity on the palate is superb, giving a crisp and fresh expression to green apple, citrus and wild cherry flavors.  The finish is nice and dry, with a salted green apple characteristic.

Wine: Mumm Napa Brut Rosé
Variety: Sparkling Rosé
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $15.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

Similar to the Hacienda Brut and the Domaine Laurier Brut that we reviewed earlier this week, the Pol Rémy Brut comes from the Bronco Wine Company portfolio.  But one thing that’s different about it is that it’s from France.  I don’t know if the brand is owned by Bronco or just imported, but it is part of their portfolio.

In addition to being French, another thing that’s different about this wine is what’s in it.  It’s made from 60% Aïren, 20% Ugni Blanc and 20% Colombard grapes.  Which may not be grapes you’re tasting every day.

This wine doesn’t offer much on the nose, except light apple aromas and, if you really dig for it, some very faint yeast aromas.  The palate offers a nice, bubbly mouth feel with tart, granny smith apple flavors, as well as some fresh-squeezed lime (as I said, it’s tart) and a touch of mineral, particularly on the finish.  It has a hint of bitterness on the finish too.  It’s nothing fancy, but it’s acceptable for the price.

Wine: Pol Rémy
Variety: Brut
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 11%
Rating: 83
Price: $10.99

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Just because the New Year’s holiday is over is no reason to stop drinking sparkling wine.  And so, here are a couple more bubblies worth checking out.

Both of these wines come from the Bronco Wine Company.  You won’t see that name on the labels anywhere, but Bronco owns both of these brands, as well as numerous other “value” wine brands.  Bronco is probably best known as the company that produces the Charles Shaw brand (aka “Two-buck Chuck”) sold at Trader Joe’s.  While these wines are quite as cheap as two-buck, they are still quite reasonably priced, particularly for bubbly.

There is one thing you might not like about these wines.  If you’ve ever paid $30 or more for a bottle of bubbly, you may feel foolish after tasting one of these.

Hacienda Brut

The nose is a little on the tight side, but shows some yeast, straw and apple aromas.  The palate has a creamy and bubbly mouth feel and offers apple, pear, lime and mineral flavors.  It has a very harmonious balance of texture, fruit, acid and mineral.  I honestly didn’t expect this wine to be this good, but I’m glad that it is.

Wine: Hacienda Brut
Variety: White Blend
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 87
Price: $12.99

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Domaine Laurier Brut

Interestingly, we reviewed this wine two years ago and didn’t have a good impression of it at the time.  That just goes to show that even though this wine is labeled as a non-vintage wine, it will still show differently from one year to the next.

This wine has smoky yeast and apple aromas.  A wine like this would not see any oak, so I would think that the smoke is just an expression of the yeast.  The palate has tart, green apple, lime and straw flavors with plenty of bubble and a creamy texture.  A salty mineral note hits the midpalate and continues into the finish, where the green apple also lingers. For the price of this bubbly, I have zero complaints.

Wine: Domaine Laurier Brut
Variety: White Blend
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $12.99

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Disclosure: These wines were received as a sample.

Tonight we’re continuing our pre-New Year’s Eve exploration of sparkling wines with a double-header review of  crémant from Lucien Albrecht.

For those of you who don’t know, crémant is a name for French sparkling wine that’s not from Champagne.  And there’s something I just like about the name, particularly when it’s crémant d’Alsace.  That’s just fun to say.  And while we’re getting everyone on the same page, if you don’t know Alsace, that’s a wine region in the eastern part of France, along the German border.  Alsace is known for producing exceptional white wines, and this crémant is among that exceptionality.  (I know that’s not really a word… I just don’t care.)

Lucien Albrecht Crémant D’Alsace Brut Blanc de Blancs

We actually reviewed this wine a couple years ago, and although it’s a non-vintage wine we thought it would be worth a revisit.  Even though a wine is labeled as non-vintage, it would be impossible for it to not have some differences from one year to the next.  After all, each year will bring a new batch of grapes, each influenced by different weather and yielding different nuances.  So here’s what we think of it now.

The fragrance on the nose is soft, but pleasant with a nice blend of yeast, citrus and apple aromas.  The palate is dry and filled with bubbles.  It offers flavors of yeast (think fresh bread), lemon and apples.  The finish is fairly long and evolves.  It starts out with the flavor of salted apples, but evolves into the flavors of yeast and cane sugar.  It doesn’t have the sweetness of sugar, but the flavor lingering on my tongue reminds me of white sugar.  Some might interpret that as a bad thing and I’d agree if it were too intense, but it’s not… it’s just a nuance and it’s kind of interesting.  This would be really good with salty cheeses or meats.  All told, this is a nice bottle of bubbly.

Wine: Lucien Albrecht Cremant D’Alsace Brut Blanc de Blancs
Variety: Pinot Blanc
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 87
Price: $19.99

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Lucien Albrecht Crémant D’Alsace Brut Rosé

As a pink wine, this is one many guys might avoid because it threatens their masculinity.  But don’t fear the pink wine.  It’s awesome!  And you can still be a manly man, even if you drink pink sparkling wine.  Yes, I watch UFC fights, use power tools, listen to Black Sabbath, lift weights, play video games and I drink pink, sparkling wine… and I’m OK with that!  In fact, I can’t wait to drink more of this one, because it is awesome.

And, Mr.-tough-guy-who’s-too-cool-for-pink-wine, you probably drink pinot noir and think that it’s cool.  Well, I have news for you.  This wine is 100% pinot noir.

The nose of this bubbly shows yeast, lime and mineral with moderate intensity.  The palate is quite refreshing, offering crisp apple, cranberry and lime flavors with a nice feel to the bubbles.  You might think of it as a cranberry-apple spritz with a slice of lime.  This is a brut, so it is dry, not sweet.  I probably didn’t do justice with my description on this one as this is a very nice bottle of bubbly!

Don’t let the price scare you on this one either.  While the suggested retail price is $19.99, I’ve seen it for sale as low as $12.00.

Wine: Lucien Albrecht Cremant D’Alsace Brut Rosé
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 89
Price: $19.99

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Disclosure: These wines were received as a sample.

Yellow Tail, or [yellow tail] as they write it, is one of those brands that many people view as the epitome of cheap wine.  In fact, when I tell people about this website I’m often asked if I drink a bunch of Yellow Tail.  Actually, I don’t.  This is the first time we’ve reviewed a Yellow Tail wine.  It’s not out of spite for the brand or anything like that, there’s just sooooo many different wines out there to choose from that we haven’t gotten around to a [yellow tail]… until now.

I have to admit, that Australia isn’t on the top of my list when I’m shopping for sparklers.  With so much good Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava, Alsatian Cremant and Californian bubbly out there, I’m just not that likely to make it to the Australian section.  But why not?  They make some great wine in Australia!  They can probably make some great bubbly too.

This one has a fairly tight nose, with slight apple aromas.  The palate is off-dry with slightly sweet yellow delicious apple flavors.  It’s fairly simple, but it’s pleasant tasting.  The bubbles in this wine feel like those from a soda.  The bubbles might come from a gas injection method versus the traditional fermentation in the bottle method.  I could not find any statement about their method anywhere in their literature, so I don’t know for sure.  Regardless of whatever method they used, it has some bubbles but the texture of those bubbles isn’t quite cutting it for me.  It finishes with more apple flavor and a touch of lemon.  While I wouldn’t say this wine totally knocked my socks off, it was still enjoyable and a bargain for the price.

One thing that I did love about this wine is the cap.  It came with a resealable, plastic cap.  This allows you to cap the wine if you don’t want to drink the whole bottle in one evening.  And the cap will fit most other sparkling wine bottles too, so you can keep it and use it over and over with other bottles of bubbly.

Wine: Yellow Tail
Variety: Sparkling wine
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 84
Price: $10.00

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Want another opinion?  Here’s what some other’s thought of [yellow tail] Bubbles:

• First Pour Wine
• Twilight Wines
• Detroit News

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.