Bubbles

Gérard Bertrand An 825 Crémant de Limoux Brut

From the Winemaker: “A beautiful, golden yellow color. Complex, aromatic nose revealing hints of white flower, with hints of honey, green apple and toast. Crisp, elegant structure on the palate, where the fine texture of the bubbles complements the wine naturally.”

From me:

$19.99 at http://wine.com

Yamhill-Carlton Brut Rosé

From the Winemaker: “Aromas of strawberry shortcake, canned pear, white peach, lightly toasted broiche, and rose petals. The palate flirts with tangerine, kumquat, nectarine on the finish with warm watermelon rind and lemon meringue pie. Balanced fatness and acidity on the texture, vibrant and exceptionally clean all the way through to the finish, phenomenally precise.”

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 94: “That rare domestic rosé that captures the vibrant acidity of Champagne, offering delicate strawberry, raspberry flavors laced with steely minerality and sprinkle of graham cracker on the finish.”

From me: This captivating chardonnay (57 percent) pinot noir blend from the Willamette Valley would pass for a classic pink champagne in any blind tasting.

$59.99 from http://wine.com

Madame Zéro Brut Rosé
From the Winemaker: “The wine is light pink salmon color and maintains a fine mousse with a ribbon of fine, delicate, precise bubbles. Aromatics of fresh berries, floral aromas and notes of citrus delivering a beautiful impression of freshness. On the palate, a refreshing expression of blood orange citrus front palate that progresses into a medley of fresh berries with pronounced notes of freshly picked wild strawberries, pomegranate and raspberry.  Fresh minerality and exceptional balance makes for a an extremely clean, elegant finish.”

From me: The man behind this gem, Galveston-born Matthew Massey, has become a good friend so it’s hard for me to be objective. But in a recent fully blind tasting of 22 sparkling wines, I gave it 94 points, my highest score.

$84.99 at http://madamezero.com

WHITE

2023 Flora Springs Soliloquy

From the Winemaker: “Anchored by sauvignon blanc (85 percent), notes of honeysuckle prevail. Malvasia introduces tart apple and orange blossom to the palate and hints of chardonnay weave citrus highlights throughout. In an attempt to preserve the thumbprint of this treasured fruit source, the fruit is whole-cluster fermented in it’s natural yeast. This technique also means there is no inoculated yeast present in the wine. This gives the wine a freshness and a zesty finish, the perfect summer evening accompaniment to lighter dishes.”

From me: Flora Spring’s Trilogy, a cab-centric blend, has always been one of my reference-standard reds from California. Now I can say the same about the Soliloquy with its backbone of a sauvignon blanc clone that grows only in the winery’s Crossroads Vineyard in the Oakville AVA.

$70 at florasprings.com

Gérard Bertrand Trouble Cloudy Wine

From the Winemaker: “On the palate it offers a meaty, velvety texture, coating the palate in succulent softness. Exotic fruit aromas explode on the palate, with juicy mango, pineapple and fresh lychee notes. The wine has impressive aromatic intensity, enhanced by delicate floral touches. The tart, lingering finish ensures a subtle balance. Bouquets of mango, pineapple and lychee, with hints of lime and blood orange.”

From me: The cloudiness in this fresh, fruity blend of chardonnay (60 percent), grenache blanc (20) and viognier, is due, of course, to the lees not being filtered. I can’t imagine a more perfect poolside sipper for summertime in H-town.

$25.99 at gerard-bertrand.shop

2022 Amici Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County

From the Winemaker: “Aromatics of this incredibly floral wine begin with notes of jasmine, snap pea, and orange flowers. The intense aromas are met with ripe Meyer lemon, lively passion fruit, and hints of kiwi on the palate. This classic Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc shows wonderful acidity with bright and precise notes of lime juice on the long, mouthwatering finish.”

From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “Very crisp and clean white with sliced apple, lemon and melon with phenolic tension and texture. Layered and flavorful. Creamy. Seriously delicious.”

From me: Amici’s winemaker Tony Biagi, a for-real Napa Valley legend, knows his way around a cellar and a vineyard. His sauvignon blancs, such as this one, are among the best I’ve ever tasted.

$25 at http://amicicellars.com

2023 Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough

From the Winemaker: “Distinctly Marlborough with vibrant aromatics of lime, peach, nectarine, and passionfruit with a subtle hint of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The palate is refined and elegant with a juicy core of guava, citrus zest, and sea salt. The finish is dry with the perfect balance of fruit flavors, acid, and minerality.”

From Wilfred Wong, who scored it an 88: ” Active and bright on the palate. Pair it with a tray of raw oysters topped with a squeeze of Meyer lemon.”

From me: I don’t usually gravitate toward New Zealand sav blancs, but this one turned my head and turned on my taste buds. Delicious!

$16.99 at http://wine.com

ROSÉ

2023 Olema Côtes de Provence Rose

From the Winemaker: “Made in Côtes de Provence in the village of Vidauban in a true Provence Rosé style, the 2023 Olema Rosé opens with a nose filled with strawberries and cream, lychee, and white nectarine. On the palate, it evokes the essence of the Provençal countryside, heightened by a pronounced salinity and delicate rose undertones. The palate holds a textural, mineral-rich profile, gracefully incorporating lush ripe peaches and orange blossoms, and culminates in a well-rounded finish”.

From James Suckling, who scored it a 93: “Very floral and pretty with the typical peach and orange peel aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, crisp and clean with a brightness and dryness at the end. Fun hints of cotton candy.”

From me: Biagi made this tasty rosé, too, because Olema and Amici are sister wineries, owned by Texan John Harris and his longtime friend Bob Shepard. It’s as Provençal as can be with grenache (50 percent), cinsault (10), syrah (10), carignan (10) and mourvèdre in the blend.

$!5.99 at http://winecom

2022 Stout Family Russian River Valley Rosé

From the Winemaker: “Made from Russian River Valley pinot noir, It has a brilliant pink color with fresh bright floral aromatics and flavors of strawberry and raspberry. The finish is crisp and lively.”

From me: This is the first rosé the legendary winemaker Tom Rinaldi, who helped turn Duckhorn into the behemoth it became, has made for the Stout label and it’s, in a word, delicious. Master Sommelier Guy Stout, of course, is a Houston legend in his own right. The only bad news is that production is tiny for the moment and there won’t be a 2023 because Tom and Guy couldn’t find fruit deserving of the prices being asked.

$25 from stoutwines.com

RED

2020 Domaine de Mourchon Grande Reserve

From the Winemaker: “This wine is deep purple in color with a nose suggesting spices, licorice and cooked red fruit. The palate is full bodied with elegant fruit intensity, some spice and harmonious tannins.”

From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 92: “Alluring and expressive, with beautiful range to the violet, plum and cherry liqueur flavors, all edged in graphite. Delivers impressive harmony and texture, with warm cedar notes rounding out the formidable palate. Reveals slightly grainy tannins that provide a firm frame. Delicious.”

From me: I’ve had every vintage of this oak-influenced grenache-syrah blend from Seguret in the Southern Rhone Valley since the first vintage came to market around the turn of the century and, through the years, the McKinlay family has become an extension of my family. Winemaker Sebastien Magnouac has been on board almost since day one and the consistency of his wines is extraordinary.

$19.95 at Spec’s

2022 Ruggero di Bardo Susumaniello

From the Winemaker: “Deep ruby red with purple shades. On the nose blueberries and ripe red fruits, underbrush and red flower, then tobacco, aromatic herbs and a light zesty sensation. Elegant and powerful, with ripe tannins, fresh and fruity, tasty and very long in persistence.”

From me: Bravo, Trader Joe’s! The chain’s partnership with the Italian D’Aquino importer always pay off with superb-value wines available exclusively at Trader Joe’s and sells for just $9.99. Like a lot of the Trader Joe’s wines, the trademark is owned by D’Aquino Italian Importing Company. It is bottled by Femar Vini , which also makes the excellent Epicuro wines for Trader Joe’s.

$9.99 at Trader Joe’s

2020 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild

From James Suckling, who scored it a 98: “Lots of violets, blackberries, bark and iodine. Oyster shell. Full-bodied. Firm and velvety tannins with a long and satisfying finish. Juicy and reserved at the end. Chewy and soft.”

From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 95: “Another powerful, concentrated wine (with) an incredibly cabernet sauvignon-driven style. Lots of blackcurrants, liquid violets, graphite, and rocky mineral notes emerge on the nose,”

From me: Yep, very expensive. You could buy 26 bottles of the Susumaniello for the same price. But it still over-delivers for the price when you consider that its First-Growth big brother Mouton Rothschild, which earned 100 points from Suckling, Decanter and the Wine Advocate for the 2020 vintage, goes for $1,059.

$259.97 at http://wine.com