Understanding Why a Sparkling Wine Tastes and Feels the Way It Does (?)

I recently had a sparkling wine that wowed me more than any other I recall having (Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale 2008). I was most impressed by the extremely luxurious, almost foamy, mouthfeel (as opposed to stronger, harsher bubbles), and by what I thought was a very refined (i.e., not too agressive and more complex and thoughtful) flavor profile of cream (LOVE the cream and had never experienced it in sparkling wine before), gentle lemon curd, and yeast/bread notes.

I’d love to find more Champagne and sparkling wines that showcase similar qualities, but I’m not sure why the above wine turned out the way it did. Are the characteristics I noted due more to how the wine was produced, how long it aged on the lees, in-bottle aging, the region, the vintage, the varietals used, etc.?

Any guidance would be extremely appreciated!

Hey Jordan – as a relatively new Champagne lover myself, I’ll take a stab here and probably get it wrong! [berserker.gif]

I think you’re getting the creaminess (which I also like) from extended lees contact + ML fermentation + maybe some oak aging? + a bit of dosage maybe over 10g/l?).

The perception of the bubbles has to do with the above and probably the wine-making. Better Champagne = better mousse. [cheers.gif]