Champagne D’Armanville NV Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Brut Champagne The Côte des Bar has long been a Champagne value stronghold—but the word is getting out. Vouette et Sorbée’s Saignée de Sorbée is $150. Marie Courtin’s Indulgence is $115. And Cedric Bouchard’s Brut Rosé, the Creux d’Enfer, is pushing a GRAND. That’s why we’re so thrilled to bring you Champagne D’Armanville’s Brut. An outstanding Champagne find, it’s got all the exuberance that has made Côte des Bar so trendy. As Champagne’s southernmost zone, the Côte des Bar sits closer to Chablis than to Reims. Pinot Noir is king here, where vineyards rooted in soils checkered with Kimmeridgian bands lend themselves to rich, fruity Champagnes with a minerality that distinguishes them from those made in the chalkier subsoils of the Marne in the north. In the D’Armanville, you feel that fruity quality from the first gold-tinted pour to the ripe, generous palate that keeps giving long after the sip. It’s this balance between refined and rugged that marks this fantastic Brut, making it a stellar expression of the region.

Joseph Cattin NV Crémant d’Alsace Brut Another gem from Cattin! The largest family owned and family operated winery in Alsace. The Cattin family has been producing wine since 1720 and today the winery is managed by the 12th generation! This Crémant d’Alsace, produced according to the traditional method, is crisper than most of its peers due to the high concentration of hillside fruit used. Composed of 50% Pinot Blanc 50% Pinot Auxerrois, it has a fresh nose with apple, white stone fruits and white flowers perfume. A fresh and dry palate with a lively acidity which perfectly balanced the fruitiness. Fine and creamy bubbles. Perfect as an aperitif to kick off the holiday season!

Domaine Baud Génération 9 NV Crémant du Jura Brut Rosé At the foot of Coilli Asolani stands Cantina Montelliana, a cooperative of 400 growers focused on the production of Prosecco, and a known regional leader in the Asolo category. The company was founded in the mid 1950’s, and member holdings amount to 650 hectares of vineyard land. This is one of the most impressive cooperatives we’ve come across in Italy in terms of the engagement and passion of its members/growers, and also in terms of the unusually high quality of its finished wines. This sparkling wine with a fine, persistent perlage is obtained from grapes harvested exclusively in the DOCG area of Valdobbiadene. It has a typical fruity bouquet and a distinctive, pleasant and mildly sweet taste. Pleasantly lightweight and low in alcohol, a versatile wine to start and finish a meal, or add a little sparkle at any time of the day.

Domaine Delmas Blanquette de Limoux NV Cuvee There are just a few indie players left in Limoux these days, and almost nobody in the region is making any reasonable quantity of Mauzac-based bubbles. Methode traditionelle sparkling wine takes gobs of capital, and while you’ve all made it super popular here, the global market doesn’t seem to care about Mauzac. Domaine Delmas is the best of the indie houses, and yes their deft hand with this traditional varietal means more wine drinkers in San Francisco know what Mauzac is than wine drinkers in Amsterdam (hard to believe but true!). Fresh, racy with a typical note of crisp green apple and honey.

Zaha NV Chardonnay Sparkling Uco Valley ‘Calcaire’ In 2010, Alejandro Sejanovich and Jeff Mausbach created their first two wines, Zaha and Teho, driven by their desire to showcase the unique terroir characteristics of their Toko and Tomal vineyards. “Zaha” means “heart of the earth” in the indigenous language of the local Huarpes people, which inspired the name of Bodega Teho. The grapes here were grown at the Las Pareditas vineyard, which is known for its high altitude and cool microclimate. 12 months on lees, and no dosage added upon disgorgement, resulting in a Blanc de Blanc Nature Metodo Champenoise Sparkling. Fine and subtle bubbles alongside a creamy mouthfeel. Mineral aromas with a slight mineral aftertaste.

Alfredo Bertolani NV Reggiano Dry Lambrusco This beautiful Lambrusco is the pride of Italian Viticulture! The Bertolani winery was set up in Scandiano in 1925 by Alfredo Bertolani, supported by his passion for grapes and knowledge of the territory. Family-owned by the fourth generation, Bertolani’s respect of territorial characteristics and careful wine making processes produce Lambrusco of great quality. Bertolani’s grapes come from hillside vineyards and foothill areas where soil is fine with high levels of clay and lime, low availability of water and low fertility. Hillside Lambrusco differs greatly from its lowland cousin, both in terms of climate and soil conditions. Lush red fruit mixes perfectly with fresh minerality and bountiful bubbles. This delicious Rose Lambrusco is perfect for pizza night.

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