It does not need to be a special occasion to enjoy Champagne or Sparking Wine. They are meant to be enjoyed all year around, however many choose to enjoy these great wines more often over the holiday season. There is no mistaking good Champagne but France also has many great Sparking wines as well. Jaillance is the number one best selling Sparkling Wine in France so what a better choice than to enjoy a nice high quality Sparkling Wine.
All Jaillance wines are designated Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) in French. There are a several regions in France outside the Champagne area which produce sparkling PDO wines, and which adhere to a strict set of regulations to ensure excellent quality. Requirements include harvesting by hand, the use of grapes from within the Appellation area only, and of course traditional methods of winemaking. The PDO is a Europe-wide certification system which guarantees the origin of certain products from a specific terroir, and preserves the products' history and traditions..
Clairette de Die Cuvee Imperiale
We started off tasting this lovely Sparkling wine from Die in the Rhone Valley. This was is a nice blend of 90% Muscat Blanc and 10% Clairette Blanche that should please any palate.
The Clairette de Die thrives in the sunny conditions of the Drome me Valley, sheltered by the foothills of the Vercors, where it has been established as an Appellation d'Origine Controle since 1942. The vineyard is made up of chalky clay soil in small plots, rising to 700m above sea level. In the glass this pale gold sparkling wine shined with fine bubbles rising through to the top. Aromas of citrus and tea leaves move into flavors of oranges and white flowers for a balanced palate that was refreshing. The low alcohol level of 7% makes this an easy drinking wine that can please you any time of day.
AWARDS :
- 2010 - Silver - Concours des Vinalies Nationales
- 2009 - Gold - Concours Mondial Bruxelles
- 2009 - Silver - Concours Feminalise
Cremant de Bordeaux Cuvee de l’Abbaya Brut
Our second Sparkling from Jaillance was the beautiful Cremant de Bordeaux. This is a very interesting blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Cabernet Franc from Bourg-sur-Gironde , Bordeaux. In the glass an elegant stream of bubbles rises through this Pale Gold Sparkling Wine
. The nose had surprising yet pleasing aromas of Almonds, White flowers and some strawberry notes as well. The Palate has soft flavors of the Almonds, White Flowers and Strawberry carried over from the nose with a light creamy finish. The 12% Alcohol content gives this Sparkling enough body to stand up to many types of dishes from shellfish to chicken.
AWARDS :
- 2010 - Bronze - Concours Vinalies Nationales
- 2010 - Gold - Concours National des Cremants
- 2009 - Silver - Concours Effervescents du Monde
- 2009 - Bronze - Concours Feminalise
- 2009 - Gold - Concours National des Cremants
- 2008 - Gold - Concours National des Cremants
Winemaker Arnaud Van de Voorde has done a magnificent job producing these palate pleasing Sparkling wines. Jaillance is sold in over 14 countries and shows their commitment to sustainability by using organic growing methods that currently account for 12% of the Vineyards and expect to exceed 20% over the coming 5 years.
Both of these Sparkling Wines provide a nice alternative to Champagne and are affordable at $18.99 (Suggested Retail Price). No matter what time of year you choose to enjoy these special French Sparkling Wines we are sure you will be pleased.
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