When you’re ready to semi-splurge on bubbly, here are the top of the pops
By Dave McIntyre
Really fine sparkling wine is worth the splurge. These are not daily wines, but they are fitting for your most festive celebrations, including New Year’s Eve, weddings, birthdays and promotions. This list includes a top-notch champagne as well as an outstanding bubbly from Oregon and a delicious novelty from northern Italy.
GREAT VALUE
Argyle Blanc de Blancs Spirit Hill 2014, Willamette Valley, Ore., $45
Argyle set a high standard for Oregon sparkling wine, and it remains one of the best U.S. bubbly producers. This is a single-vineyard blanc de blancs, made from chardonnay grown in the Eola-Amity Hills area of Willamette Valley, where the Van Duzer winds whip in from the coast to cool the vines and preserve acidity in the grapes. This is gorgeous, more fruity in a New World way than minerally like champagne, and it demonstrates how the same care and techniques of champagne can accomplish wonders in the United States. It’s also an example of what Oregon can do with chardonnay. ABV: 12.5 percent.