Wines of the week | bubbles of happiness

For Valentine’s Day, or just to treat yourself, here are three beautiful bubbles to spice up your day. They are all delicious on their own, but like all good sparkling wines, they are also very versatile at the table. Give them fine, light and fresh cuisine, based on acidity and salinity. Or, quite simply, a bag of good chips.

Veronique Rivest
Sommelier, guest collaborator

Prosecco for pleasure

This is a very nice Prosecco, with all the expected fruity aromas, but much drier than most. The nose of this Bisol Jeio Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore is very aromatic and charming, with notes of candied fruit, pear, banana. The bubbles are delicate and the palate is round and fruity, but without that sweet sensation that too often erases the finish. Light, it can be enjoyed on its own and is ideal for brunch (quiche, frittata). It will also accompany sushi, melon with prosciutto (as well as other sweet and savory bites), fish or fried seafood. Another very good success, with a very good price-quality ratio, from this emblematic house of the region.

Bisol Jeio Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, $19.95 (14820499), 11.5%, organic

Laying down: to drink

Of great finesse

If you’ve been reading me for a while, you know the enormous respect I have for this historic house in Catalonia, Raventos i Blanc. Everything here revolves around concern for the environment and the desire to produce real local wines. What the house succeeds brilliantly, while offering excellent value for money. The nose of Blanc de Blancs 2018 opens with fine and delicate aromas of peach and pear, with a little almond, thyme, white flowers and a hint of brioche. Very dry, full of vitality, it shows tension, with fine and abundant bubbles. The finish stretches on chalky notes and a hint of nuts. Fine, elegant, it is also perfect for an aperitif. Or at the table, with grilled fish and seafood, or pan-fried and served with olive oil, herbs, citrus fruits.

Raventos i Blanc Blanc de Blancs Conca del Riu Anoia 2018, $24.70 (12097946), 12%, organic

Aging: 4 to 6 years

Depth and complexity

Montgueux is a bit of a lonely child, away from the heart of Champagne, further south, towards the Côte des Bars, a region dominated by pinots. However, its terroir favors Chardonnay: the vines here rest on the same limestone vein as in the Côte des Blancs. Very fine and elegant too, but all in restraint, this Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de Montgueux Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne shows depth and complexity, with a clear mineral impression. Green apple, pear, a hint of croissant, then full of salinity, like oyster shells. We walk between the Côte des Blancs and Chablis! Archisec and tense, it slowly reveals itself. Drink it over two days, or open it a day before (closing it with a sparkling wine stopper): it will only be better. To be enjoyed with the best sashimi or fish crudo.

Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de Montgueux Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne, $74.25 (12061311), 12%

Aging: 8 to 10 years