2023 Sparkling Alicante Bouchet
Appearance:
Brilliant deep red salmon with ruby highlights, vibrant and lively in the glass. Fine, persistent bubbles create an elegant mousse, highlighting the wine's freshness and youthful energy.
Nose:
Bright and fruit-driven aromas leap from the glass — notes of fresh strawberry, raspberry, and red currant are at the forefront. Subtle hints of blood orange zest, rose petals, and a touch of pomegranate give the bouquet complexity and lift, while a faint hint of wet stone adds a cool, mineral edge.
Palate:
Crisp and refreshing, with a burst of ripe red berries — think wild strawberries, cranberry, and tart cherry. Underlying notes of rhubarb and a whisper of white pepper add intrigue. The fine bubbles enhance the fruit character while delivering a clean, dry finish with a refreshing, mouthwatering acidity.
Mouthfeel:
Light-bodied and zesty, with a smooth, lively mousse that dances on the palate. The finish is crisp and clean, leaving a lingering impression of tart berries and a faint savory nuance.
Overall Impression:
Our 2023 Sparkling Alicante Bouschet Rosé is an energetic and distinctive sparkling wine, capturing the vibrancy of Templeton’s terroir. Its fresh berry fruit, brisk acidity, and gentle effervescence make it perfect for summer celebrations, brunches, or pairing with dishes like prosciutto-wrapped melon, sushi, or goat cheese salads. A festive, food-friendly sparkling that's as vivid as it is refreshing.
On the palate, Crisp and refreshing, with a burst of ripe red berries — think wild strawberries, cranberry, and tart cherry. Underlying notes of rhubarb and a whisper of white pepper add intrigue. The fine bubbles enhance the fruit character while delivering a clean, dry finish with a refreshing, mouthwatering acidity.
Whether it is called Champagne or sparkling wine, what is really important is how the wine is made. The best Champagnes and sparkling wines are made by méthode champenoise which requires a secondary fermentation in the bottle.
This secondary fermentation is accomplished by adding a mixture of sugar and yeast, called the liqueur de tirage, to still wine. This wine is then bottled and capped, with a bottle cap similiar to ones found on beer bottles – not a cork. The yeast acts on the sugar and the resulting carbon dioxide remains trapped in the bottle. Quality sparkling wines are usually left on their yeast for several months, even up to six years. At the end of this process the cap is removed and replaced with the traditional cork with wire cage.
The important thing to remember is that the secondary fermentation happens in the bottle in quality sparkling wines. If you see the word “charmat” it means the secondary fermentation happened in a large tank, usually an indicator of a lesser quality wine.
