Tag Archives: Champagne

Dinner Party, Great Gift, Romantic Evening, Under $10

LaGranja 360 Cava Brut

Leave a comment

LaGranja 360Trader Joes, $6.99

Aaron:  For $7, not bad.  Musty green apple and toasted pear on the nose, followed by a sharp, metallic flavor with spice.  This transformed into white grapes and sunflowers (what, you’ve only tasted sunflower seeds!?).  89 points

Teri: For a $7 bottle and the ease of picking this one up from your local Trader Joes, this bottle is a win. I smelled light lemon on the nose with nutty flavors, additional lemon, and a hint of red apple on the taste. This Brut is crisp with good flavor and nice mouthfeel. Great value and cheep enough to have a bottle around for any occasion. 89 points 

 

Advertisements
Standard Staples, Under $10, White

Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvee

Leave a comment

Barefoot Bubbly Brut CuveeBarefoot Bubbly Cuvee NVPurchased from a neighborhood supermarket, $8.99/bottle

Barefoot Bubbly Website 

2012 SF Chronicle Bronze Winner 

Aaron:  Not that impressed with this to be honest.  Pretty dry and very crisp with mostly green apple flavors.  I found it more enjoyable than their wines but not amazing.  A hint of almond gave some flavor but not enough and I wish there were more bubbles personally.  86 points

Teri: In the glass, this bubbly is a light yellow color with a decent amount of bubbles. I didn’t get much of a smell, just a hint of lemon and peach, and the short lived taste carries crisp white peach and green grape. Not bad, but not my favorite. A good go-to for Mimosa’s; you want something delicious but is not going to leave you crying that you lost most of the flavor by adding the orange juice. 88 points 

Standard Staples, Under $10, White

Cook’s California Champagne Brut NV

Leave a comment

Cook’s Champagne Website
Total Wine & More, $5.99
Bev Mo, $5.99
Also available at most grocery stores and liquor retailers

Aaron:  I’ll admit, I didn’t have high expectations for this as it is a pretty cheap champagne.  The crisp apple nose with some tart white raspberry blended into a clean flavor that was very smooth and not harsh at all.  There were decent bubbles in this brut but I felt there could have been more and overall there wasn’t a lot going on.  We used it for mimosas after our tasting which I feel is an appropriate usage.  86 points

Teri: Very light nose and just a hint of lemon and melon. Strong taste throughout with mild flavors of honey, lemon, and a hint of pineapple all blended together. Mild bubbles don’t overwhelm the drink. A great fresh champagne that is flexible, from special occasions to mimosas. Fantastic for the price!  88 points 

90+ points, Standard Staples, Under $10

Korbel Brut NV

1 Comment

Total Wine & More, $8.97
BevMo, $10.99
…can also be found at most alcohol retailers including: Target, WalMart, and even Amazon.

Aaron:  I was overwhelmed with fruit on the smell of this brut (which was surprising).  Berries and apricots frolicked away to reveal a dry flavor which dissipated quickly.  The fruity and slightly sweet taste was pleasant but could last longer.  A unique note (for a champagne) this seemed to warm the throat and stomach like a higher-alcohol content beverage.  91 points

Teri: I was impressed with the complexity and slightly sweet flavors of Korbel’s Brut Champagne. Korbel makes a great bottle containing rich caramel and red apple florals. I loved the flavors of pear, red apple, and apricot within the champagne. It was crisp with a enjoyable finish. I could drink this all evening. 91 points 

White

Kirkland Champagne Brut NV

1 Comment

Costco Wholesale, $19.99

Aaron:  The smell was mild with a hint of green apple and the flavor was light bodied and dry but featured a smooth finish.  This champagne had a lot of white cranberries, giving it a slight tartness but the swallow was still smooth.  88 points

Teri: Great smell on this champagne–peach and apple. The flavor is not too dry with lots of apple from first taste to last swallow. There is even a hit of cranberry and pear on the finish. A excellent middle of the road champagne 90 points