John Szabo’s Annual Fizz Guide 2025

By John Szabo, MS, with notes from David Lawrason, Sara d’Amato and Michael Godel

Fewer Bubbles, Better Quality

Welcome to our timely annual Fizz Guide! What’s in store for you this year? A parade of premium bubbles, featuring top Canadian sparkling, a category which remains hard to beat for quality and price. It’s easily our most robust list of recommendations, from $25 to $65 in the superior-wine sweet spot, with several in the exceptional mid-90-point range. Champagne puts in a strong showing, with one grower-producer in particular earning triple and highly enthusiastic alignment from the WineAlign Crü. It’s expensive, yes, but it’s less than half the price of most prestige cuvées and comfortably on par. A solitary sparkling English wine new to our shores elicited high praise, a veritable across-the-pond throwing of the gauntlet to its commonwealth sparkling kin. There are also recommendations for Prosecco and other Charmat-method sparkling wines, Cava, Franciacorta, a triple-aligned Lambrusco, and one lonely but intriguing ancestral method bubbly.

For those in need of a reminder of how producers get their wines to sparkle, see my Evergreen Sparkling Wine Primer. For eager shoppers, read on for some anecdotal observations on the sparkling wine market, or jump to the Buyer’s Guide categories listed below, with recommendations from David, Sara and me, also a part-time Michael, who left partway through the tasting to sequester himself in the B.C. interior to finally finish his book on Chianti Classico. For her part, Megha used the questionable excuse of “going to a wedding in India” and thus saved a layer or two of enamel on her teeth this year.

Buyer’s Guide Categories:

• Canadian Traditonal Method
• Champagne
• Other Traditional Method (Cava, Francicorta, Crémant, etc.)
• Charmat Method/Cuve Close/Prosecco
• Sparkling Red
• Ancestrale

Sparkling Wine Market 2025

I’ll spare you the latest statistics, but there were some noteworthy changes this year in the types of wines that were submitted to WineAlign HQ for consideration, always an interesting anecdotal reflection of the market. For one, the average bottle price was up, tipping just past the $40 mark, reflecting both a general increase in the price of wines across the board, as well as, one supposes, the continuing premiumization shift, a “better but less” pattern of consumption.

On the flipside, the number of Prosecco and Cava samples sent in was notably down over previous years, two categories which had in the past been two of the largest. And numbers in other less expensive (sub-$30) categories of traditional method sparkling wines, such as the various crémant appellations throughout France, were also down.

Stalwart Parés Baltà nonetheless gets a nod from David for its B Brut, DO Cava, Penedès, Spain ($23.92), which he praises for its organic certification and “dry and ultra fresh with firm almost juicy acidity,” a wine for every occasion.

I found time for Mas Codina’s Reserva Guarda Superior Brut Nature, DO Penedes, Spain, a well-made, also organically farmed and flavourful Cava in the brut nature style (no added sugar), from a generational family polycultural farm in the Alt Penedès. 

Over in Proseccoland, David and I singled out the longtime Ontario favorite Carpenè Malvolti’s 1868 Brut Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Veneto, Italy ($19.95), which is Italy’s oldest family-owned sparkling wine company and the first to produce Prosecco as a sparkling wine. “Firm, balanced and complex,” says David, while I simply say: “Classic stuff, well-made and ready to enjoy nicely chilled, one of the best options for the money out there.”

Masottina’s Contradagranda Valdobbiadene Superiore Extra Dry Prosecco, Italy ($20.95), has an extra degree of depth and complexity, not as sweet as most Extra Dry versions, while Sara declares that this “hand-harvested [Prosecco from] hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene has more gravitational pull than the norm”.

Keen supporters of local who enjoy the fruity, slightly off-dry Prosecco style (and the same price range) need look no further than Malivoire’s Che Bello Sparkling, VQA Ontario ($19.95). “This new, effective Charmat-method sparkler employs chardonnay and seyval blanc, the latter being an interesting high acid hybrid with a green shading which makes a good counterpoint to chardonnay fruitiness. This is very well integrated and balanced — even with perfect acid-sugar,” says David.  

As for the no/low alcohol category, which is reportedly growing exponentially worldwide, and in which sparkling wines fare better on the whole than still wines, we received a total of zero submissions. It was never a large category, but we did sample at least a handful of options in the past. Although take note: for those looking for quality, lower alcohol bubbles check out David’s article and buyer’s Guide on Ontario Craft Cider. We sampled about three dozen premium examples at the office last week and emerged rather impressed, perhaps even surprised (me especially) with the depth and complexity on offer. The best showed very close to the same winey complexity, depth and vinosity as fermented grape bubbles, with some fascinating single-heritage apple and pear bottlings to explore — a whole new world. And even the best run mostly under $25/750ml, and at between 5% to 10% ABV, fit the no/low category comfortably.

Also conspicuously absent were entries in the pét-nat/ancestral method category. In previous years we’ve always had several examples to consider from around the world. There was (still is?) a time when every self-declared natural wine producer felt compelled to produce a pét-nat, and you couldn’t walk into any hip wine bar from Montreal to New York to Paris or Tokyo without getting sprayed by the stuff. Perhaps this small sub-segment of the wine market has fallen out of love with half-finished, usually very expensive, cloudy, frothy wines. We do have one very solid recommendation, however: Stratus’s Trials Field Blend Ancestral Rosé 2024, Niagara-on-the Lake ($45.00). Sara forewarns you to, “Expect a natural cloudiness, ongoing evolution, and a notably youthful energy that promises a unique experience with every bottle opened.”

Champagne submissions, on the other hand, were up, including a few exceptional bottles that had the Crü smiling enthusiastically. I’d chalk that up to the fact that champagne sales have flatlined or dropped in many markets for the first time in recent memory, and that for the first time in a long time champagne needs a little sales push. Quality, meanwhile, is ever stronger on the back of several good vintages, or at least thanks to producers gaining experience in adapting to a warming but also more variable climate. 

Three Champagnes earn a spot in the Buyer’s Guide, with top marks and triple alignment going to Champagne Stanislas Bonafe Cuvée 07 Champagne 2012 ($159.95). A former French national team equestrian, Stanislas Bonafé traded horses for grapes, apprenticing in top champagne houses before opening his own maison in 2010. Cuvée 07 is an assemblage of seven grand cru villages for chardonnay and pinot noir (Ambonnay, Avize, Oger, Mesnil-sur-Ogar, Cramant and Aÿ), a classy, top-quality Champagne, up there with prestige cuvées at often twice the price. “A majestic, poised and intense vintage Champagne,” says David, while Sara poetically describes how the wine’s “wild, shape-shifting progression of flavours and textures practically insists on multiple contemplative sips, if only to unravel its many charms.”

As mentioned in the intro, our most voluminous praise, and indeed many of our top scores and certainly values, were reserved for the growing cadre of excellent traditional method sparkling wines from Canada. Submissions from B.C. were sadly almost nonexistent this year, however. (Only one producer, Ailm, submitted wines, two of which earned a recommendation from David). This is simply a reflection of the desperate shortage of wines from the Okanagan in the wake of a couple of devastating winter freezes and a string of forest fires that have resulted in a drop, temporarily we hope, in production.

But Ontario more than made up the shortfall with a large range of expectedly excellent wines from classic producers such as Henry of Pelham, Tawse, Cave Spring, Malivoire and Stratus. There were also a few first-rate newcomers, including Marty Werner’s new high-end York Vineyards project and the re-boot of the Grange of Prince Edward, the latter (re-)joining more established producers in Prince Edward County such as Huff Estates and Rosehall Run. See all our picks below.

What has historically been one of our most demanding tastings of the year, sifting through countless lower quality wines offering little more than shrill acids and residual sugar, was this year a genuine pleasure. Fewer wines, better quality, and an equal number of recommendable wines. That’s a win-win-win for all. Read on to compose your holiday shopping list.

And with that, on to the Buyer’s Guide. A happy and safe holiday and best wishes to all from the Crü at WineAlign.

Buyer’s Guide Categories:

• Canadian Traditonal Method
• Champagne
• Other Traditional Method (Cava, Francicorta, Crémant, etc.)
• Charmat/Charmat Method/Cuve Close/Prosecco
• Sparkling Red
• Ancestrale

Fizz Buyer’s Guide 2025: Canadian Traditional Method

Tawse Spark Brut 2021, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
$25.95, Tawse Winery
John Szabo – A compelling traditional-method sparkler wine at an attractive price, more than equal to many crémants at a similar price, or more. Toasty-yeasty flavours are not the main thrust this is more focused on bright, relatively fresh citrus and green apple fruit.

Henry Of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
$29.95, Henry of Pelham
John Szabo – Back on track here with the latest bottling from these sparkling wine stalwarts, showing the toasty complexity we‘’ve come to expect, and/or this latest bottling was surely closer to the 36 month mark on the lees. Classy stuff, and especially tremendous value.

Henry Of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
$29.95, Henry of Pelham
John Szabo – Like the Cuvée Catharine white from Henry of Pelham, it’’s just not possible for many others to touch the quality at this price. A marvel of consistency and deliciousness, effortlessly composed.

Tawse Spark Brut Rosé Limestone Vineyard 2023, Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario
$31.15, Tawse Winery
Sara d’Amato – A dry, elegant sparkier, made from pinot noir aged 18 months on the lees. Delicately savoury with firmness and a fine, persistent mousse, it pours a stylish onion-skin pink. Classy, light on its feet, it carries an upbeat cranberry note that instantly evokes a festive spread.

Malivoire Bisous Brut, Beamsville Bench, Ontario
$35.95, Malivoire Wine Company
David Lawrason – This is notably intense, generous and complex sparkler – one of the most outgoing in Niagara. Expect a ripe nose of apple, honey, crispy shallot and lemon. It is open-knit, intensely flavoured with a loose mousse, a touch of froth. It is dry with flavours hitting excellent length.

Huff Cuvée Peter F. Sparkling 2022, VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario
$39.00, Huff Estates Winery
John Szabo – Pure chardonnay from Huff’s P.E.C. estate, this tastes very much like Chablis with bubbles, really packed with substance from low-yielding vines. A fine and representative bubbly that would fit the aperitif hour comfortably.

Niagara College Teaching Winery Blanc De Noirs 2019, VQA Four Mile Creek, Ontario
$47.20, Hidden Bench Estate Winery
Michael Godel –Graceful stamp of incumbent maker Allison Findlay, decisive resource and faculty secret weapon. Restrained energy, a sparkling wine of harmony and sway. Can see this drinking beautifully for four more years.

Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Carte Blanche Estate Blanc de Blancs 2018, Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario
$49.95, Henry of Pelham
Sara d’Amato – Toasty, leesy, and deeply satisfying, this rich Blanc de Blancs has had the luxury of time to stretch out and become expansive. Partially barrel-fermented and aged 54-months on the lees, it’’s sophisticated and nervy yet unmistakably generous, like an old-money socialite with surprisingly grounded charm.
David Lawrason – The newly released vintage follows evenly in step with excellent 2017. There is such a lovely sense of generosity, tenderness and purity here. Chardonnay all the way with apple pie, custard, lemon, yellow flowers and fine toastiness on the nose. Quite delicious.
John Szabo – Cool and composed, complex and engaging, Henry of Pelham’’s top Blanc de Blancs cuvée delivers serious goods in the 2018 vintage. There’s just so much to like here, starting with the complexity and ending with the price, a bargain in the premium blanc de blancs universe.

Tawse Spark David’s Block Blanc De Blancs 2010, Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario
$55.15, Tawse Winery
Michael Godel – Soothsaying work of the late great Mr. Pender foresaw this ability to not only hang in, but do so with toughness, grit and impressive grip. The flavours are oxidative and phenolic freight demands our attention. In the end the wine thrives…and survives.

Tawse Spark David’s Block Blanc De Blancs 2011, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario
$54.95, Tawse Winery
John Szabo – How remarkably youthful for a wine that spent 13 years on the less in bottle! This wine was clearly built to age with those ripping acids and the chlorophyll, citrus and green apple flavours of barely ripe fruit still persisting. I‘’d guess this wine needed a dozen years to come into its own, but the result, other than questionable economic outcome, is a wine that has reached a fine stage evolution and drinks beautifully now. Serve in white wine glasses, rather than flutes for maximum enjoyment.

The Grange of Prince Edward Lafontaine du Loup Brut 2021, Ontario,
$65.45, The Grange of Prince Edward Winery
Sara d’Amato –I’m impressed by this new traditional method cuvée created by fizz specialist Jonas Newman (of Hinterland) for The Grange. It’s part pinot, part chardonnay and entirely poised, it delivers impact with effortless elegance. Its name, drawn from the legend of the Wolf of Lafontaine, adds a note of unity and goodwill, making it a perfectly timed release for the holidays. John Szabo – The Grange’ new premium traditional method from the 2021 vintage is a cracking wine, beautifully seamless and refined, with fully developed flavours – nothing green about this- yet taut and crisp, very dry, and with substantial intensity at just 12% alcohol. More county magic, full flavour at low alcohol. It’s great to see more top notch bubbles join the growing list from P.E.C. fizz specialist and Hinterland winemaker Jonas Newman. Feels like a traditional Champagne flavour profile with exceptional all-in appeal. Michael Godel – Made by P.E.C. fizz specialist and Hinterland winemaker Jonas Newman. Feels like a traditional Champagne flavour profile with exceptional all-in appeal.

Ailm Estate Brut Reserve 2020, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
$65.00, Ailm Estate
David Lawrason – From a new sparkling wine specialist owned by the Stewart family (of Quails’ Gate) this was aged 40 months on lees. The nose is quite sophisticated with fine, well integrated apple, vanilla custard/fudge, lemon blossom and slivered almond. It is quite gentle and fruit-driven but captures excellent depth and intensity with a sense of minerality.

Ailm Estate Brut Rosé 2022, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
$65.00, Ailm Estate
David Lawrason – A blend of 60% pinot noir, 20% pinot meunier and 20% chardonnay that was aged 23 months on lees. It contains 8.5 grams/liter residual sugar. The nose is fairly mild but rich somehow, with notable leesy pastry notes and dried flowers/hay atop the strawberry/cherry fruit. It is lively yet balanced by rounding fruit sweetness. Mousse is a bit foamy.

York Vineyards Brut 2018, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
$65.00, York Vineyards
David Lawrason – From a new sparkling on York Rd in St. Davids, this is 67% chardonnay and 33% pinot noir harvested in 2018 but not presented as a vintage wine. It is a quite rich, powerful but beautifully aligned sparkler with a complex nose of vaguely peachy fruit wound amid honey, yellow flowers, sourdough and almond. It is veryeven and richly textured, but bouyed by great acidity.

Stratus Blanc De Blancs 2017, VQA Niagara On The Lake, Ontario,
$75.00 Stratus Vineyard
David Lawrason – From estate fruit in Niagara-on-the-Lake, aged six years on its lees, this is so calm, soft and delicate yet shows incredible flavour intensity and complexity. The nose balloons with ripe yellow pear, vanilla custard, brioche and some macadamia/almond nuttiness. It is light to medium bodied, rich and poised with outstanding length. Michael Godel – Takes a rightful place amongst the most complex in Canada. Guaranteed complexity, of savoury scents that invoke some Mediterranean macchia. Have never tasted anything like it.

Fizz Buyer’s Guide 2025: Champagne

Drappier Zero Dosage Brut Nature Pinot Noir Champagne, Champagne, France
$74.95, Family Wine Merchants
Sara d’Amato – The nose of this trailblazing Champagne of Drappier is nothing short of generous lavish, even. Born from the limestone plateau of the Côte des Bar, it carries a persistent yeasty, toasty autolytic character that gives it unmistakable personality. It surprises with more body and roundness than one expects from a Brut Nature the lack of dosage was not missed. An easy way to elevate any occasion. John Szabo – I like the precision and the forthrightness of Drappier’s latest pure pinot noir from the Côtes des Bars, a properly lean and chalky but not shrill Brut Nature. I love the salinity and the attractive and wide range of non-fruity flavours, gypsum, wet limestone, chalk, put into relief by a squeeze of ripe lemon and lime. Dosage is not missed. Compact, energetic, tidy stuff in the end, another excellent bottling from this storied producer, and nicely priced as well.

Dourdon Vieillard La Réserve De Germain Champagne, Champagne, France
$84.75, Insider Wine
Michael Godel – Might be considered in a light as one of the finer food Champagnes you are likely to taste in Ontario this year. Would look for pan-roasted heritage pork, gently rubbed, golden seared and sliced with just the right amount of pink juices running through.

Champagne Stanislas Bonafe Cuvée 07 Champagne 2012, Champagne, France $159.95, Family Wine Merchants
Sara d’Amato – Sourced from seven Grand Cru vineyards, this 2012 Champagne, already a vintage of enviable pedigree, is evolving remarkably well. It brims with energy yet offers the generosity of gracefully developed tertiary nuances. The wine’s a wild, shape-shifting progression of flavours and textures – it practically insists on multiple contemplative sips, if only to unravel its many charms. David Lawrason – Here’s a majestic, poised and intense vintage Champagne. The nose is an amazing bouquet of very well integrated honey, cashew, lemon, dried apple/peach, toast and pastry. It is medium weight, firm, sturdy and evenly balanced yet so richly and intensely flavoured. John Szabo – A former French National team equestrian, Stanislas Bonafé traded horses for grapes, apprenticing in top Champagne houses before opening his own maison in 2010. Cuvée 07 is an assemblage of seven grand cru villages for chardonnay and pinot noir  (Ambonnay, Avize, Oger, Mesnil-sur-Ogar, Cramant and Aÿ), a classy, top-quality champagne, up there with prestige cuvées at often twice the price. A magnificent celebratory wine, in perfect drinking nick now.

Fizz Buyer’s Guide 2025: Other Traditional Method (Cava, Franciacorta, Crémant, etc.)

Parés Baltà B Brut, DO Cava, Penedès, Spain 
$23.92 Noble Estates Wines & Spirits Inc.
John Szabo – Clean and fresh, simple and engaging, and actually quite dry (Brut) for the prosecco category; I like the fresh green apple flavours, the hard pear, the red cherry. Length and depth are modest, but this ticks all the right boxes, including price.

Mas Codina Reserva Guarda Superior Brut Nature, DO Penedes, Spain
$23.92, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc.
John Szabo – Well-made and flavourful cava in the brut nature style (no added sugar), from a generational family polycultural farm, recently devoted to just organically-farmed vines (and olive trees) in the Alt Penedès.  I like the toasty, creamy citrus fruit – lees ageing flavours are in stark relief, mixing with a good degree and range of other flavours. An impressive example in the category.

Ca’Del Bosco Cuvée Prestige Extra Brut Franciacorta, DOCG, Lombardy, Italy, 47th Edition $46.95, Philippe Dandurand Wines Ltd.
John Szabo – The 47th vintage for Ca’del Bosco’s classic Prestige Cuvée Franciacorta, this latest lot, disgorged in “winter 24/25” pours a pale golden colour and delivers a complex and toasty/yeasty/autolytic amalgam of honeyed and caramelized citrus fruit, roasted peach and apricot and wheat toast in the classic traditional-method expression. Fine bubbles overall and more than fairly priced in context. Tasted November 2025.

Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvée, Chilham, Kent, England, Traditional Method
$99.95, Family Wine Merchants
John Szabo – This was a real head-turner at the office, one of four recent English sparkling releases this fall, heretofore unknown to me, but this is just the first, ambitious edition of the Classic Cuvée, a blend of two vintages from Evremond’s original plots, aged 36 months. “The intention was to create a cuvée that expresses the…Kentish terroir, with its chalky soils and oceanic influence.” It is a remarkably detailed and refined, elegant and sapid sparkling, with more than a lick of non-fruity, wet-stone-like character and, especially, saltiness. If this is the first edition, I look forward to many more to come; already it sits up there with serious Champagne, and I wonder what P-E Taittinger thinks of Evremond’s and Maison Taittinger’s – future. I put this a notch above Taittinger’s (also excellent) current NV release. Sara d’Amato – Perched at the very edge of traditional grape-growing latitude, this Anglo-French collaboration between Pierre-Emmauel Taittinger, a man who knows a thing or two about traditional method fizz, and Master of Wine Patrick McGrath, delivers a poised, finely etched non-vintage expression. Three years on the lees impart aristocratic gravitas to this chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier blend, whose crisp, well-defined layers are like a vinous mille-feuille, topped with ocean spray and citrus zest.

Fizz Buyer’s Guide 2025: Charmat Method/Cuve Close/Prosecco et al.

Peninsula Ridge Tiny Bubbles Sparkling, VQA Ontario, Canada 
$18.95, Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery
John Szabo – Strikes a nice balance between dryness and roundness, low alcohol but good flavour intensity, offering a fine alternative for those seeking less alcohol but a decent amount of flavour. And, as a bonus, it’s not overpriced as many non-alcoholic versions are. 110 calories per 188 ml/60 oz serving, 8% ABV, 5 grams sugar/liter.

Carpenè Malvolti 1868 Brut Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Ontario, Canada
$19.95, Sylvestre Wines & Spirits
David Lawrason – According to their website, Carpenè Malvolti, founded in 1868, is Italy’s oldest family-owned sparkling wine company and the first to produce Prosecco as a sparkling wine. This is quite a firm, balanced and complex example with apple/pear core, lemon, nuttiness and some earth. More complex, structured and mineral than many. John Szabo – Classic stuff, well-made and ready to enjoy nicely chilled, one of the best options for the money out there.

Malivoire Che Bello Sparkling, VQA Ontario, Ontario, Canada
$19.95, Malivoire Wine Company
David Lawrason – This effectively Charmat-method sparkler employs chardonnay and seyval blanc, the latter being an interesting high-acid hybrid with a green shading that makes a good counterpoint to chardonnay fruitines. This is very well integrated and balanced – even with perfect acid-sugar. John Szabo – If the style (and price) of Prosecco is what you’re after, but you want to support local, this is your best bet. I like the energy and crunchy acids delivered here. Fruit swirls in the straight citrus-green herb category, while flavour length and depth are totally correct. Chill, crack, go.

Masottina Contradagranda Valdobbiadene Superiore Extra Dry Prosecco, Italy
$20.95, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc.
Sara d’Amato – This Superiore Prosecco from the hand-harvested hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene has more gravitational pull than the norm. Contradagranda nods to the historic heart of the two villages and, while it’s glera at its core, grapes from subregions like Ogliano, Solighetto, and Rolle add floral lift, pronounced acidity and depth. John Szabo – There’s surely an extra degree of depth and complexity in this Prosecco from Masottina, not as sweet as most Extra Dry versions, with fine breadth and depth. I like the range of white-fleshed orchard fruit flavours, the lemon and orange zest, the green pear. Ready to chill and go.

Fizz Buyer’s Guide 2025: Sparkling Red

The Foreign Affair Winery Sparkling Gamay Noir 2024, Italy
$24.95, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc.
Sara d’Amato – Not all sparkling wine needs gravitas, some are simply pure pleasure, full of upbeat charm and vibrant varietal character, especially when crafted in the Charmat style. This lightly peppery, rosebud-flecked gamay is causal, convivial and effortlessly enjoyable, lifted by a gentle rounding dosage.

Righi Premium, Lambrusco Sorbara, Emilia Romagna, Italy
$29.24, Nicholas Pearce Wines Inc.
Sara d’Amato – Love the interplay of tart, fruity and salty in this pink fizz made from the prized Lambrusco di Sorbara clone. Brimming with juicy cherry cracked black pepper, it’s a lightly reductive expression that manages to be both sleek and emphatic. Complex, characterful and seriously delicious. John Szabo – I love the peppery red fruit and cinnamon hearts off the top here a frothy and savoury, pleasantly bitter and juicy, black and sour cherry-flavoured wine, infinitely drinkable. It seems tailor-made for a plate of prosciutto di Parma, and will delight by its freshness, dryness and clean-crunchy profile. Chill and enjoy. Michael Godel –  Seductive sparkling red. Exciting, taut and vivacious. Great stuff!

Fizz Buyer’s Guide 2025: Ancestral

Stratus Trials Field Blend Ancestral Rosé 2024, Emilia Romagna, Italy
$45.00, Stratus Winery
Sara d’Amato – An ancestral field blend roseé made from 16 different grape varieties including 10 reds and 16 whites, co-fermented, and bottled with its lees. Expect a natural cloudiness, ongoing evolution, and a notably youthful energy that promises a unique experience with every bottle opened. The brambly botanicals and length stand out in this nervy, aromatic find.

That’’s all for this special fizz report, see you ’round the next bottle. 

 John Szabo, MS