Full Review

Bright Leaf Vineyard

Bright Leaf Vineyard
2018 Eclair Cuvée Brut, Finger Lakes

Pair this wine with:
Chicken

Category: Other Sparkling

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 12.5% RS: 1.1%
93 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$36

Bright Leaf Vineyard
2018 Eclair Cuvée Brut, Finger Lakes

Pair this wine with:
Chicken

Category: Other Sparkling

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 12.5% RS: 1.1%
Yellow straw color. Aromas and flavors of marzipan, white strawberry, Bosc pear, and tangerine with a velvety, crisp, finely carbonated, dry medium body and a tingling, interesting, medium-length finish that shows accents of white raspberry, tangerine, pear, and marcana almonds. Well-balanced structure with direct flavors of orchard fruit, citrus, and mild lees aging; a crowd pleaser for any lovers of traditional sparkling wines.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Crisp & Lively
Aroma Aroma: marzipan, white strawberry, Bosc pear, and tangerine
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with accents of white raspberry, tangerine, pear, and marcana almonds
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Oven Fried Chicken, Chicken Kebobs, Cobb Salad
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Well-balanced structure with direct flavors of orchard fruit, citrus, and mild lees aging; a crowd pleaser for any lovers of traditional sparkling wines.

The Producer

Bright Leaf Vineyard

The Producer

Other Sparkling

Wine Glass Champagne.jpg
Serve in a Champagne Flute
Sparkling wine covers many countries, grape types and quality levels. What all of these wines have in common are bubbles.

How the bubbles get there define the type and quality of the sparkling wine. The most famous sparkling wine of course is Champagne, from the eponymous region in France. These are made by what is known as the Champagne or "classic" method, where the secondary fermentation that produces the sparkle is done in an individual bottle. Other sparkling wines that use this method include Franciacorta and Alta Langa in Italy as well as Cava from Spain.

Other sparkling wines are made when the bubbles (or carbonation) is created in large tanks. While there are many inexpensive, simple sparkling wines made in this method, there are some excellent examples, most notably Prosecco.

Sparkling wines in many cases are meant to be drunk upon release, although the best examples of Champagne can age well for more than a decade. As sparkling wine is celebratory in nature, it is often used for toasting a special event, such as an anniversary or birthday. Yet the finest dry sparking wines work beautifully with a huge array of foods. These wines are arguably the finest food wines in the world.