90+ Cellars Cremant D'Alsace

Sold under the name Cremant d'Alsace, this sparkling wine from 90+ Cellars is listed at 12.0% ABV. The product record shows the region as Alsace and the appellation as California, so check the label for the exact origin and grape blend. The Crémant d'Alsace style is typically built on Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois or Pinot Noir, often as a dry sparkler. Expect pear, green apple and citrus, with white-flower notes and perhaps a touch of stone fruit or brioche if the wine has spent time on its lees. In the glass, wines in this style usually have a light to medium body, fine persistent bubbles and bright acidity. They have no tannin or oak influence to speak of, and the finish tends to be clean and dry to off-dry. That acidity is what makes it useful at the table. It cuts through fried and salty foods such as tempura, fish and chips, potato chips and fried chicken, and it works with soft and washed-rind cheeses, charcuterie, oysters and shellfish, and Alsatian-leaning dishes like onion tart, choucroute or smoked salmon. A dry to off-dry profile also handles mildly spiced Thai and Vietnamese dishes without clashing. Serve it well chilled, around 42 to 47°F (6 to 8°C), which means roughly three hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bucket of water and ice. Do not decant sparkling wine, because pouring it into another vessel strips out the bubbles that carry the aroma. A tulip-shaped sparkling glass or a standard white wine glass is better than a wide coupe, since it holds the mousse and concentrates the fruit and floral notes. Open the bottle slowly, holding the cork and twisting the bottle so the gas escapes with a soft sigh. This is a drink-now bottle. Wines of this type are made to be enjoyed for their freshness and primary fruit, and they do not gain much from cellaring. Keep it in a cool, dark place and drink it within a year or two of purchase for the liveliest bubbles and brightest acidity.