Clos Amador Reserva

Clos Amador Reserva is a sparkling wine from Massachusetts, made by Esplanda, and the "Reserva" on the label suggests a cuvée the producer set apart from its standard bottling. The grape blend, dosage level, base vintage and bottle-aging time aren't listed here, so check the label for them. Sparkling wines from cool New England sites usually have crisp, high acidity, with orchard-fruit flavors of green apple, pear and citrus peel, and sometimes a light bready or biscuity note if the wine spent time on its lees. Expect a lively, persistent mousse and a clean, fairly dry finish, though that depends on the dosage. Sparkling wine has no tannin to speak of, and oak is usually absent or very subtle. That bright acidity and the bubbles make the wine a good match for salty, fried and fatty food. Try it with oysters on the half shell, fried clams, calamari or a basket of fries, where the carbonation clears the palate between bites. It also works with soft-ripened cheeses like brie, with smoked salmon, and with a New England-style lobster roll. If the label reads brut or extra brut, it should hold up against creamy pasta and roast chicken. A touch of sweetness would suit spicy takeout better, and a drier wine would struggle there. Serve it well chilled, around 40 to 45°F, which takes about three hours in a refrigerator or 30 minutes in an ice bucket of half ice and half water. Sparkling wine doesn't need decanting. Pouring it into a decanter would only let the bubbles escape. Open the bottle slowly, holding the cork and twisting the bottle, so you keep the pressure and the mousse. A tulip-shaped glass or a general white-wine glass is better than a wide, shallow coupe. It concentrates the aromas and keeps the bubbles going longer, and a flute is fine if you prefer one. Treat it as a drink-now bottle unless the label says it's a vintage-dated cuvée. Most non-vintage sparkling wines are at their freshest within a year or two of release, and bottles held much longer tend to lose their fruit and bubbles rather than gain complexity. Store it on its side in a cool, dark place until you chill it.