°.°Bubbles & Port°.°

Aperitif met desert at Lucier for an industry tasting. Here, I meandered with fellow industry friends to giggle over bubblies and mellow out with Port.

We munched on an array of salumis, cheeses, and artisan breads while reviewing wines organized by distributor. Some of my favorite sparklers included:

• the complex and fruity Dom Ste Michel Luxe ($16). I adored its every aspect from the wonderfully integrated bubbles to its affordability and orangy, white chocolate covered strawberry essence.
• Piper Heidsieck Brut Cuvee ($40) excited my palate with bright lemony orange peel and nasturtium flavors.
• the eccentric Louis Perdrier Brut Rosé ($10!) held perfectly lateral off-dry, light bubbles across my tongue while integrating a bright under layer of citrusy raspberry.

Then we began our round of desert wines:

• yum! a light, white raisin, almost inky port: the Nicolas Feuillatte Millenium Cuvee Special ($50).
• the amazingly complicated, unassumingly lightly syruped Osborne 20year aged Port ($42) had a deceptively heavier and richer nose than the 10 year (savory salumi maple for $28), and earned it a ♥ ♥ in my note book.
• Flavor explosion! Another deuce heart extravaganza, this time orange liqueur flavored baby food from Royal Tokaji: Red Label (05/06, $29), and an awesomely effervescent white grapefruit-esque Mad Cuvee (2008, $15!).

Taittinger offered an intriguing rosé, Prestige ($66), which stood out from the rest with a quick crash of bubbles and overt notes of soapy pink flowers as if to beg, "bath time!" A yeasty contrast, the Chas Heidsieck Brut Reserve ($43), elicited images of 1950s school house life with taunting burnt hair and muddy wet dog.

A representative from Armand de Brignac offered a speech and a pour of "what the young kids like to call the Ace of Spades" champagne, whose bottles are hand dipped in metallic coating, and worth around $300. Though the high end bubbles were certainly delicious, smooth, and mushroom-like, the presentation was a little overdone, almost up-tight-turned-kitschy.

Bubbles best pair with food-- as it is able to cut through fat, cool spice on the palate, or brighten any heavy plate-- and special occasions; this event left me beaming with newfound bubbly appreciation. Port, I've found, is best served solo or alongside blue cheeses, walnuts and chocolates; after this tasting, I have a renewed, voracious appetite for such desert wines.

See you next time in the tasting room!