WTN: NV Charles Baur Cremant d'Alsace Brut

[Brad Ballinger]

Yesterday afternoon, a college friend rang me up. He and his partner are hosting their annual New Year's Eve dinner at a restaurant with a desset reception and midnight celebration following at their home. They want to tweak the sophistication component a bit this year and not just have bottles of Korbel and Freixenet. They've tried a number of wallet-friendly sparkling wines, but nothing had done much for them. Would I be willing to come over for a bottle of wine and help them plan wine for the dinner and the after-dinner festivities? Of course, anything for a college buddy.

NV Charles Baur Cremant d'Alsace Brut. So I brought a bottle of this over. 40% auxerrois, 40% pinot blanc, 20% chardonnay. "Omigod, this is the best Champagne I've ever had!" After a brief "No, it's not, because it isn't Champagne" education, we talked about why he liked it. He had two reasons: 1) it wasn't sweet and 2) it wasn't bitter. The wine had a very nice balance. The flavor profile was heavily fruit-driven -- lemons, some grapefruit, a bit of pear -- without being too tart, allowing the delicate mousse to provide a creamy mouthfeel. There was a bit of steely minerality and some almond paste notes to add complexity. My friend's partner commented "This is amazing; I'm tasting three different things at once." The wine finishes with a nice lemon zest flavor. This is a wine that would be great as an aperitif or as a toasting wine. It would pair well with lighter fare, but it is so delicious on its own.

"So where can we buy this?" Unfortunately, I had to tell them they would have to purchase it from an out of state retailer, which kind of made me bringing it a tease. But they also have a friend flying in from Paris soon, and they are going to see if she can bring some with her.