Two weekends ago, I conducted another Blind Tasting at our humble little abode here in Houston, to which I invited other wine writers from the area. This most recent iteration was the eighth annual tasting of American sparkling wines.

All of the blind tastings (now 25 in total) have produced some surprises, which is, quite frankly, why tasting blind from time to time is healthy. It is often too easy to be influenced by price, producer, or PR firm when tasting non-blind, and it is also good to “re-center” one’s palate in a way—to focus only on what is in the glass.

This is the last of four installments for my Eighth Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wines, and tasting notes for the final 8 wines. There were 38 wines in total, making it close to the average of the eight sparkling wine tastings that we have had (last year there were 48).

I started this tasting eight years ago with the aim of shining a bit of light on the sparkling wines being made in this country. It wasn’t (and isn’t) meant to be a competition with Champagne, but rather to highlight wines from both widely available producers and a few that are only available direct from the winery.

At the end of the notes, I have also listed my top wines (at least as I see them), and those that I consider to be the best values.

Bagged and ready.

2021 Chehalem Limited Edition Sparkling Brut Chehalem Mountain, Willamette Valley, OR: Retai $65. 86% Pinot Noir, 14% Chardonnay. Brilliant straw with a yeasty nose of green apple and pear. Lovely. The palate is slightly less compelling, unfortunately, with the acidity driving the show almost exclusively. The fruit tries to nudge up to the front of class, and succeeds on the mid palate. Very Good. 89 Points.

NV Gloria Ferrer Brut, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $30. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (900g; 31.7oz). 88% Pinot Noir, 12% Chardonnay. Brilliant straw with small to average bubbles. Another muted nose with just a hint of tree fruit and a touch of white flower. The palate is actually better than the nose, with some red delicious apple, an acidity that struggles, but manages, to keep up, and an above-average finish. Very Good. 89 Points.

2020 Sanford Blanc de Noirs, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $55. Extremely Heavy Bottle (848g; 29.9oz). No varietal composition on the webstite, I assume 100% Pinot Noir? Brilliant straw with a fine sparkle and a yeasty, fruity nose. Yum before I even taste it. The palate is no disappointment: good fruit and acidity, with a yeasty, yummy component that really elevates this wine. Yeah, this is good, even great. Yowza. Outstanding. 96+ Points.

NV Domaine Chandon Brut, California: Retail $26. 73% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir, 1% Pinot Meunier. Brilliant straw in the glass with a fine sparkle and a funky, yeasty nose without a ton a fruit. The palate has some fruit, and a bit of acidity, but this would qualify as, well, OK. Very Good. 88 Points.

Isn’t it time to do away with all the foil? It serves no purpose…other than to fill up landfills.

2020 Stoller Pinot Noir Legacy LaRue’s Brut Rose, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. 76% Pinot Noir, 13% Pinot Meunier and 11% Chardonnay. Quite light in the glass, with more orange than pink. Subtle on the nose with hints of cherry and strawberry. The palate is simply lovely, with a wonderful mélange of fruit and tartness with enough intrigue to cause one to pause for contemplation. This is one of the best rosés in the tasting, for sure. Outstanding. 95 Points.

NV Piper Sonoma Brut, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $22. Exceedingly Heavy Bottle (887g; 1lb 15.3 oz). 70% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 3% Pinot Blanc, 7% Aged Reserve Blend. Straw to yellow in the glass with a tiny bubble. Not much on the nose other than a slight marzipan aspect. The palate is fruity and pleasant with a nice tartness that persist through the finish. Very Good. 89 Points.

NV Piper Sonoma Brut Réserve, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $27. Exceedingly Heavy Bottle (898g; 1lb 15.7oz). 45% Pinot Noir, 43% Chardonnay, 12% Pinot Blanc, 13% aged reserve. Brilliant straw with a yeasty nose that has hints of tree fruit and dried apricot and a touch of yeast. Rich and full on the palate with wonderful balance and more than a smidge of intrigue. This is really good. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Piper Sonoma Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $23. 75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Blanc. Brilliant straw with an interesting nose that has a vegetal component. The palate, given the nose, is a pleasant surprise. It comes off a tad sweet, but has plenty of acidity to keep up and a fairly lengthy finish. Nice. Excellent. 92 Points.

My Top Wines

As I normally do, I invited several other Houston-based wine writers to the event, but they all were ill the day of the tasting. So this year, there are no group results, only my top wines.

1. NV Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley ($28, 97 Points)
2. 2021 Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé, Carneros ($47, 96 pts.)
3. NV Stoller Brut Sparkling Wine Estate, Dundee Hills ($40, 96 pts.)
4. 2021 Domaine Carneros Brut, Carneros ($39, 96 pts.)
5. 2019 Brooks Sparkling Riesling, Willamette Valley ($65, 96 pts.)
6. 2020 Sanford Blanc de Noirs, Sta Rita Hills ($65, 96 pts.)
7. 2017 Left Coast Estate Pinot Meunier Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley ($55, 95 pts.)
8. 2020 Stoller Pinot Noir Legacy LaRue’s Brut Rose, Dundee Hills ($55, 95 pts.)
9. 2015 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée, Carneros ($85, 94 pts.)
10. 2018 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée ($78, 94 pts.)
11. 2017 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve, Carneros ($125, 94 pts.)
12. NV Piper Sonoma Brut Réserve, Sonoma County ($27, 93 pts.)

My Best Values

1. NV Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley ($28, 97 pts.)
2. NV Piper Sonoma Brut Réserve, Sonoma County ($27, 93 pts.)
3. NV Decoy Brut Cuvée, California ($20, 92 pts.)
4. NV Mumm Napa Brut Rosé, Napa Valley ($24, 92 pts.)
5. NV Piper Sonoma Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs, Sonoma County ($23, 92 pts.)
6. NV Scharffenberger Brut Excellence, Mendocino County ($24, 91 pts.)
7. NV Mumm Napa Brut Prestige, Napa Valley ($24, 91 pts.)
8. NV Piper Sonoma Brut Rosé, Sonoma County ($23, 90 pts.)