Mouttard Cremant De Bourg Rose

Mouttard Crémant de Bourg Rosé is a pink sparkling wine from Massachusetts, sold under the Esplanda label. The name points to the crémant tradition of Burgundy, where this style is usually made by the traditional method, with a second fermentation in the bottle. The listing doesn't confirm the grape blend, dosage or vintage, so treat what follows as what rosé crémants typically deliver. Expect red-berry fruit such as strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, with a faint bready or brioche note if the wine spent time on its lees. The body is usually light to medium. Tannin is negligible. The acidity is bright and the mousse fine and persistent, ending in a clean, dry-leaning finish. Oak is rarely a factor in this style. The acidity and bubbles make it a good match for rich or salty food. Fried chicken, tempura, oysters and charcuterie all work, as do soft cheeses like brie or fresh goat cheese. Smoked salmon, salmon tartare and roast pork with a fruit sauce are also good, and a rosé crémant handles light spice, such as a mild Thai curry, better than most still reds or whites. For dessert, pair it with fresh strawberries or a simple almond tart rather than anything very sweet, which would make the wine taste thin. Serve it well chilled, at about 6 to 8°C (43 to 46°F). That is roughly three hours in a refrigerator, or 20 to 30 minutes in an ice bucket filled with half ice and half water. Colder than that mutes the fruit, and warmer makes the bubbles coarse and the wine flabby. Don't decant it, because that releases the carbonation. Open it gently by holding the cork and turning the bottle, so it sighs rather than pops. A tulip-shaped sparkling glass or a small white-wine glass is better than a flat coupe. The narrower opening keeps the bubbles and concentrates the berry aromas, and a stemmed glass keeps your hand from warming the wine. This is a bottle to drink while it is young and fresh. Sparkling rosé of this kind gains little from cellaring, so open it within a year or two of purchase and keep it upright in a cool, dark place until then.