One could spend time debating what makes for the best bubbly, but on most days for most of us, something that is clean, interesting, and not prohibitively expensive is never a bad choice. Sometimes you just want some good fizz or even just make a cocktail. With that in mind, we are always looking for some thing new, different, and moderately priced for the selection. A new surprise from a old label handed us one of the more interesting options we have seen in quite a while.
Chateau Moncontour Sparkling Vouvray Cuvee Prediliction 2016 struck a really nice balance between lift, bright flavors, refined bubbles, and palate interest. Made from 100% Chenin Blanc, it manages to show varietal nuance of citrus and peach, with some underlying chalky terroir notes, with fine bubbles, clarity of flavors, and a clean finish.
If you were fortunate enough to have the stunning Huet sparkler we had last year, this one shows a lot of the same nuance at close to half the price. Don’t confuse this one with their non-vintage, regular cuvee as this one much brighter and more focused and only a couple bucks more. It’s clean, crisp, and dry, and at a perfect tab for much more casual applications. We find it a bit more defined than most similarly priced domestic bubblies. You don’t have to tell folks it wasn’t expensive.