Sparkling Wine & Champagne

Gambero Rosso - Due Bicchieri

Magnums of the superb Ca del Bosco Franciacorta Prestige Cuvee Brut. Be quick we only have a very limited quantity.

I believe we are the only stockist of this wine in the UK.

Franciacorta Riserva Ca del Bosco Anamaria Clementi 2008 Vintage Collection.

The same exceptional care as with their other top Franciacortas. This wine was aged sur lies for nine years! Exceptional.

Franciacorta Riserva Ca del Bosco Dosage Zero Noir 2008 Vintage Collection.

The grapes are sourced from three small Pinot Noir vineyards at Ca del Bosco's Belvedere estate at 460 metres altitude just south of Lake Iseo. The grapes were picked by hand on September 2nd 2008. Then bunches were hand selected. They are extremely careful at pressing to extract only the clear juice and no pulp, so in fact they only get 50% or less from each grape! The wine is then fermented and matured in small oak casks for 5 months before a short period in steel tanks. Then the blend of the three vineyard wines is made and subsequently aged on the lees for a further eight years and three  months!

Franciacorta Ca del Bosco Dosage Zero 2013 Vintage Collection.

This is a blend of 65% Chardonnay, 13% Pinot Bianco and 22% Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) from a selection of 25 small vineyards all owned by Ca del Bosco. The vines are all low yielding, harvested by hand with individual bunches selected for this wine. After a unique washing procedure the grapes are vinified and matured in small oak casks for five months, The wine is then blended and aged on the lees for 48 months. There is then a special disgorgement process in an oxygen free zone, which means Ca Del Bosco don't need to add sulphites at this stage so it is a low sulphite wine. As the name suggests there is no "dosage", the process of adding a little sugar, so this wine is bone dry.

Torresella winery is part of the Santa Margherita group and makes some good cheap wines for everyday drinking. This sparkling rose is really good. Plenty of flavour and a fine mousse, well balanced with a hint of sweetness before finishing dry. This is a good party wine or as an aperitif.

We have given it a medium sulphite rating and advise anybody with a sulphite allergy to avoid it. That's not because it's overly high in sulphites, it is a much cleaner better wine than any sparkling wines you will find in the mainstream supermarkets, but by our standards it is produced on a large scale and we don't want our regular customers to mistake it for one of our super low sulphite artisan wines.

We are listing it because it's good value for money. If you particularly want a low sulphite sparkling wine upgrade to the Santa Margherita sparkling roses for a few pounds more.

Santa Margherita tell me this wine is basically the same as their other rose spumante, although it is from a different cuvee/vintage. This one with the new presentation is set to replace the more traditional bottle.

However the wines are different with this being a bit paler in a lighter fresher style, doubtless because the older one has a few months more bottle age. We tasted them back to back at Carlo's where they both went down very well. The quality of both is excellent, opt for this if you prefer the lighter style, opt for the other if you prefer more concentration of flavour. They are both worthy replacements for the limited edition "52" which has just about finished.

Santa Margherita Spumante Rose is basically a Rose Prosecco (but that term no longer exists as the Italian governemnt changed the classification system so it is simply called Spumante now).

This wine is excellent, full flavoured with balanced acidity and a long crisp finish.

Santa Margherita Prosecco "P" D.O.C. is an excellent prosecco from one of the region's finest producers. A fine mousse, full of fruit with balanced acidity and a crisp dry finish. This is good quality wine at a great price.

James Suckling 92 Points

Franciacorta Ca del Bosco Prestige Cuvee Brut Rose is a stunning sparkling rose wine with extremely limited availability. Ca del Bosco make quite a bit of their excellent white Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige Brut, and it is a beautiful wine. But for this Rose version production is much more limited.

Ca del Bosco is part of the Santa Margherita Group of wineries, all of whom produce high quality wines. The Ca del Bosco still wines are very highly rated and highly sought after, but it is their excelent Franciacorta that they are best known for. Indeed they have helped establish the reputation of Franciacorta as the best region for sparkling wines in Italy - referred to by some as "Italian Champagne".

Gambero Rosso - Due Bicchieri

Ca del Bosco Franciacorta Prestige Cuvee Brut is a spectacular sparkling wine, one of Italy's best, and in my opinion far better than many Champagnes double the price!

Santa Margherita 52 Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. is the top Prosecco from this excellent winery, from the premier region of Valdobbiadene. Whilst called " Extra Dry" it is fruity and almost sweet on the palate with a bone dry finish. It is delicious!

Domaine Mayrac Cremant de Limoux is a superb organic sparkling wine, more in the style of Champagne being rich and biscuity, rather than the fruitier, greener Prosecco style - if you want that style opt for their Blanquette instead.

Domaine Mayrac Blanquette de Limoux Demi Sec is a delicious organic sparkling wine, very low in sulphites in the sweeter "demi sec" style.

La Selva Organic Tins'vil Spumante Brut. A sparkling organic wine made by the charmat method of fermentation in tank, the same as Prosecco, rather than the champagne method of fermentation in bottle.

This wine is special as it is actually made from the red Sangiovese grape!

Domaine Mayrac Blanquette de Limoux Brut is a superb sulphite free, organic dry sparkling wine.

This Brut Plaisir from Colmant is made in a fresher, fruitier style. It consists of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from Franschoek but also the two other best areas for MCC wines in South Africa, Robertson and Elgin. The grapes are chosen for their freshness and fruit forward qualities, then only lightly pressed to extrtact the free run juice. The wine is both lees aged and bottle matured, plus has reserve vintages blended back in - as with traditional Champagne.

Obviously it is fresher and fruitier than their other wines which are more full, rounded and biscuity.

Colmant Brut Reserve is a superb sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne method of extensive lees ageing for 30 months and back blending of reserve vintages.

Platter Guide 2018: 4 1/2 STARS + 93 Points

This is better than any branded Champagne I have ever tasted in the UK!

This is a great Prosecco at a very affordable price. Almost clear in colour. There's an instant fizz on the tongue on first sip and the wine almost evaporates in the mouth. It's lively and full flavoured. A delightful refreshing sparkler ideal as an aperitif or just to enjoy on it's own. We've always stocked Domiziano's Frizzante Prosecco so we were delighted to discover this full Spumante one. It's a cracker.

Please note we have had some stock with their "Ardesia" label intended for the Italian market. It is the same wine!

Costes Cirgues Cremant de Marinas Blanc is  a new wine from David. Please note it does say "contains sulphites" on the label. This is because some sulphites are produced naturally during the secondary fermentation. However these are in tiny amounts and harmless so the wine can still be treated as sulphite free.

Commended - International Wine Challenge 2017

Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards 2017

A delicious Prosecco from Cantina Colli del Soligo, a co-operative of around 700 growers, in the heart of Prosecco country. It's very pale, almost clear in colour with strong fruit flavours. There's real Champagne body and depth to the wine. Lovely flavours and mouthfeel, well balanced with a long dry finish. Great wine.

Sommelier Wine Awards 2017 - Gold

Commended - International Wine Challenge 2017

Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards 2017

This is a fantastic Prosecco in the "extra dry" style. Flavours of pear drops and a bone dry finish make this the perfect wine aperitif in warm weather!

Gilbert & Gaillard Wine Guide - Gold Medal

Linard Gontier Brut Champagne is a fantastic Champagne at a cracking price. Way better than the vast majority of branded Champagnes at twice the price!