… and the way to one oenophile’s heart.
On Wednesday of last week I received a knock at the door. It was the UPS man delivering a long and narrow box from 1-800-Flowers. Inside the purple box was a bouquet of pastel colored tulips and a card that read “thank you for being amazing”. It was from my husband who was traveling for work all week (he actually travels every week, but you get the point). I’m thinking he was feeling a little guilty for traveling so much lately, leaving me to watch over our 15 month old twins, alone. I took these pictures of the flowers on my phone and emailed them to him with the following message:
"Thank you for the flowers. While they are indeed beautiful, next time how about a nice bottle of bubbles instead? Flowers die so quickly it’s a bit depressing, don’t you think?"
His response? “I’m sorry, 1-800-Flowers doesn’t do overnight bubbles deliveries”.
Not that I am unappreciative. I do truly appreciate the thought and effort, and I am by no means a flower hater. And one could easily argue that bubbles, once opened, have a much faster death sentence than any kind of flower. I however disagree. The memory associated with a good bottle of bubbles can last long after it has been consumed. Years in fact. And no matter how big or pretty a bouquet of flowers is, the true way to this particular oenophile’s heart is (you guessed it) through bubbles. I also know that the way to my husband’s heart is through food. Well PBR, a nice bottle of scotch, and … food.
So I decided to return the sentiment and surprise him upon his return with a delicious homemade dinner and a fantastic bottle of bubbles. A way to show him that he is also appreciated, the best way I know how.
Struggling to come up with something last minute I channeled my foodie hero, Ina Garten, and decided to make her “Perfect Roast Chicken”. She introduced this dish on an episode explaining that her husband Jeffrey is gone all week long for his job, and every Friday night he returns home to his favorite Roast Chicken that Ina lovingly prepares for him. So I decided hey, if it works for Ina, maybe it will work for me. This is totally cheesy, I know, but bare with me. I have also made this particular recipe many times and it truly is “Perfect” as the title states. Ina’s recipes can do no wrong in my book.
The wine:
2005 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs
2005 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine
Carneros, Napa, California
$95 | 12% abv
Established in 1987, Domaine Carneros was created by the famous Champagne house, Taittinger, in partnership with Kobrand Corporation. Claude Taittinger, president of Champagne Taittinger, saw the potential for truly great American sparkling wines in Carneros and brought in Eileen Crane as president and winemaker, where she remains in the same roles to this day.
Crane has worked long and hard to build up the reputation of the quality of the wines since day one. Not only is her focus on quality, but also green practices. And in 2008, Domaine Carneros received organic certification of all its Estate vineyards by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Claude Taittinger’s vision for quality bubbles in America has become a reality in the wines of Domaine Carneros.
The winery and vineyards are located in the Carneros appellation, where they enjoy a long cool growing season, balanced by maritime breezes and fog from the San Pablo Bay. These conditions are optimal for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes – the main grapes used in the production of Champagne, and the grapes used to make the sparkling wines at Domaine Carneros. The 2005 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine is made primarily from Chardonnay grapes and aged six years prior to release.
Le Rêve, which translates to “the dream” in French, is considered to be the tête du cuvee of the winery (or best of the bunch, cream of the crop, the cats meow, the bees knees), and it certainly shows with its hefty price tag of $95.
I was sent this wine as a sample from the Kobrand Corporation, and when I received it I was a bit suspicious to whether it would stand up to its price tag. Often when I see a sparkling wine in that c-note range I think to myself, “if I am going to spend that much on bubbles why not just buy a nice bottle of Champagne instead?” But this wine was different. It blew me away and changed my mind.
This is a special wine.
The nose has soft and subtle citrus, pear, and green apple fruit. But what is most memorable about this wine is the mouse (referring to the expression of the bubbles as they rest in your mouth). It was creamy, soft, and sexy. There was no attack, or explosive bubbles often found in many domestic sparklers. The delicate, yet rich, texture of this wine was remarkable.
This wine was truly authentic. The nose still identifies it from California and showcases what the state is good at – fruit – but without going overboard, and without trying to be something it’s not. It has the fruit and the brightness, and less mineral and yeasty characteristics you might find from Champagne. It was almost as if the wine was trying to say, “hey I may be from California, but I’m still just as dead sexy, elegant, intriguing, and delicious as mes amis en France”.
This wine maintains a maturity and elegance about it that could easily stand up to any Champagne as if they were equals going to business dinner together. A true reflection of a top notch California sparkling wine. And for that, it is super intriguing and worth seeking out.
Though this wine does have a hefty price tag, think of it as a special occasion wine. Share it with somebody you love and appreciate. And I do believe we are coming up on Mothers Day people
And when all was said and done I asked my hubby if he liked his surprise. He said, “It was delicious, but next time why not just a 6-pack of PBR tall boys and a dozen buffalo wings?”
I guess after twelve years we’re still learning about each other.
