Following my list the other day of my Top White Wines, and my Top Red Wines, here are the top sparkling wines that I tasted this year. In order to be considered, the wine had to be received as a sample, rated well into the “Outstanding” category, and earned a “Whoa” (or at least come really close). No attention was paid to price, region, or whether it had a ridiculously heavy bottle (although those B.A.B. might be excluded in the future).

I tasted well over a thousand wines this year, many of which occur during the three “big” tastings that I conduct at my house. One of those, the Sixth Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wines, occurred just a few weeks ago and contributed several wines to this list.

2016 Brooks Sparkling Riesling, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $55. 100% Riesling. “Hate” is a word that I try very hard not to use. It is an extremely strong word and should be reserved for only extreme circumstances. There is far too much hate in this world and adding to it, even if by merely mentioning the word, should be avoided. Having said that, several years ago, I hated my job mostly because my boss was horrible at her job and I suffered as a result. Why do I bring that up? Well, my wife and I had several long discussions and we made the decision that I should just quit. I did not have another job lined up and it was a bit of a financial hit to us at the time, but I was miserable and leaving the toxicity was really the only choice. So I did. I put in my two weeks and started to focus on my wine writing (my last day at the job, I brought in a bottle of sparkling wine, sabered it, and it spilled all over the place; it was glorious). Why do I mention all of this now? Well, tasting this glorious Brooks Sparkling Riesling, I realize that even though I do not make a ton of money writing about wine, I am in a much happier place. I also get the opportunity to taste some truly fantastic wines and meet some incredible people. Near the top of that list has to be Janie Brooks Heuck, the managing director at the winery, who took over after her younger brother passed away from a heart attack just a few days before harvest in (see: The Glass of Wine I Just Could Not Drink). This fantastic sparkling Riesling brings back all of those memories and more. Straw to yellow in color. Peach and pear a go-go on the nose with a hint of petrol. Great fruit and wonderful balance, the finish is killer. Very nice. Sure, it is “just” a bottle of wine, but tonight, it means quite a bit more. Outstanding. 94 Points.

NV Cast Wines Blanc de Noirs, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $34. 45% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay, 13% Pinot Meunier. The first glass of this bottle was dark, both on the nose and in the glass with a rich, layered, almost over-ripe ethos with hints of citrus and just the slightest touch of spice. While I was sent this bottle just a few years ago (2019) for the Second Annual Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine, this really has the old Champagne vibe going on. Rich, even unctuous, with great tartness and touches of citrus on the palate. Really fantastic. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2012 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée, Carneros, CA: Retail $88. 54% Pinot Noir, 46% Chardonnay. I first tasted this not quite a year ago for the Fifth Annual Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine and it was fabulous. I think it is even better now. Straw to yellow in color with apple and pear coming through as well as a decided mineral note on the nose. The palate is driven by the acidity, with good fruit and the slightest touch of sweetness to balance out the considerable tartness. Whoa. Really fantastic. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2017 Domaine Carneros Voluspa, Carneros, CA: Retail $89. This bottle is a joint venture, of sorts, with luxury candle maker, Voluspa and it comes with a one of the company’s candles. Not sure of the composition or the winemaking. Yeasty and citrusy in the glass with a bit of wet rock and a smidge of dried apricot. Quite dry initially on the palate, with a bit of sweetness coming in on the mid-palate. Great fruit and balance and just the right amount of dosage. I have tasted through almost all of the DC offerings at this point and this has to be at or near the top of my favorites. Oh. And the candle is nice, too. At least so says my wife. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2016 Domaine Carneros Brut Late Disgorged, Carneros, CA: Retail $59. 52% Estate Grown Pinot Noir, 48% Estate Grown Chardonnay. Another wine with a really low dosage (0.9% g/l I hope you see the trend developing) with a rather amazing (at least for an American sparkling wine) 6 years sur lie. As one might expect with the additional time on the lees, the color is much more golden than straw. This nose was by no means shy with apricot (more dried than fresh), a touch of citrus rind (more lemon/lime than orange), and a nutty, yeasty (think almond croissant) component that one looks for in a high-quality sparkling wine. The palate is rich and creamy, but also tart and focused; a lovely tension in a fantastic wine. Outstanding. 94 Points.

Honorable Mention

These wines, all American Sparkling Wines, were tasted during my Sixth Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine. They all scored highly but since I was not able to sit with the wine and continually evaluate it over the course of an evening or a couple of days, I excluded them from contention. Yeah. I know. I am a jerk.

• 2018 Brooks Sparkling Riesling, Willamette Valley, OR ($60, 96 pts.)
• NV Piper Sonoma Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs, Sonoma County, CA ($22, 96 pts.)
• 2018 King Estate Brut Cuvée, Willamette Valley, OR ($40, 95 pts.)
• 2013 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée, Carneros, CA ($96, 95 pts.)
• 2019 Domaine Carneros Brut, Carneros, CA ($38, 95 pts.)

 My Sparkling Wine of the Year

When it comes to American sparkling wine, geeks like me often get into a debate as to which is the best domestic producer. It would be very difficult for anyone to convince me that it isn’t Domaine Carneros (as is witnessed by the above list). One of the older sparkling wine producers in the U.S. (founded in 1987), it is still owned by Taittinger, one of the more respected houses in Champagne. For the past six years, I have conducted a blind tasting of 40-50 American sparkling wines and each year Domaine Carneros has been among the top wines. And at the pinnacle in the Domaine Carneros lineup? Le Rêve…

2016 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve, Carneros, CA: Retail $125. 100% Chardonnay. 0.8% g/l dosage. Le Rêve. Just the mention of the name elicits a “Whoa.” Long considered (at least by me) the best domestic sparkler, this 2016 once again checks all the boxes. Lovely tree fruit and perhaps ginger on the nose, as the delicate bubbles float up through the straw-colored liquid. The palate is fantastic: Rich layered, elegant fruit, and unbelievable balance. But what sets this apart from almost all of the domestic sparkling wines I have tried is that Le Rêve always has one of the longest finishes as the elegant flavors persist for what seems like days. Extraordinary. 97 Points.