Mountain Dome Cuvée Forté

Excellent sparkling wine by any standard, and particularly so for WA. While fruit forward, the backing substance, including fine bubbles and acid-driven lift, make this highly enjoyable.

Bought this for New Year's on a whim, after thoroughly enjoying their NV sparkler. It was the hit of the party, beating out several French champagnes! Extremely fine bubbles, nice medium color, lots of fruit and mineral, exceedingly smooth, with a medium, clean finish (the lack of excessive acid/crispness on the back end was particularly pleasing). If only all bruts were this drinkable! Will buy again!

Swordfern Wine Tasting #8: Sparkling Wines (Paul & Kelli's: Seattle, WA) : Tasted blind as part of sparkling wine tasting party. If blindfolded, I would have guessed a Syrah; the nose was that bold. I got earth and red fruit with just a hint of yeast. The palate was rich and bready. This was my third favorite of the five tasted, just a hair behind the Champagne.

Excellent – one of the finest domestic sparklers I’ve tasted. Method Champenoise, roughly half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir. Miniscule bubbles. Expressive nose of fresh-baked dough. A very dry and yeasty palate with nice apple and citrus flavors. Long elegant finish. Everything one should hope for in a medium-full bodied Brut.

Medium yellow color with tiny bubbles. The palate carried green apple, biscuit and honeysuckle backed by a pleasant acidity.

Color was between pale straw and fresh birch bark (pretty light). Nose of tart apples. The flavors tasted like sliced apples that had been soaking in orange juice to keep from turning brown. Almost no bubbles - this was practically still wine by the time the two of us could finish the bottle. It was drinkable, but barely.