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Lieb Cellars 2010 Blanc de Blancs. (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

The concept of “saving” that bottle of sparkling wine for a special occasion has long struck me as silly. We should all be drinking more bubbly. Drink it any time that you want to celebrate – even if you’re celebrating nothing more than getting the laundry done or helping your daughter finish her homework.

Of course, there are times when sparkling wine is a must and the winter holidays are among them.

So, even if it’s a little bit cliché Lieb Cellars 2010 Blanc de Blanc is our wine of the week because it’s delicious and has been a favorite in my house for more than a decade. In fact, my wife and I toasted one another with the 2001 vintage at our wedding 10 years ago.

Much of the best local sparkling wine is made from one or some combination of the three traditional grapes of Champagne – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. But this Lieb bottling is 100 percent pinot blanc, a grape the winery is known for doing interesting things with.

Bright and clean, its nose is driven by green apple and lemony citrus notes with a delicate floral quality that hides just beneath the surface.

It’s a bit more citrusy on the focused, refreshing palate that features just a touch of saline minerality and more of that citrus blossom character as well.

Though fine – even great – as an aperitif or companion while you’re cooking, it shines brightest with a variety of foods. There are two main camps in traditional sparkling wine – the bright, focused style and the broader, richer style with more toasty, nutty notes. If you prefer the former, this is a wine you’ll enjoy.

It sells for $35 at the winery.

Lenn Thompson

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