We recently wrote about all kinds of sparkling wines: French Champagne, American sparkling wines, Germen Sect and Italian Spumanti. Now, it’s Spain’s turn as we take a look at one of the country’s top producers, Codorniu.
Codorniu Winery has been making wines since before the 17th century. The name of the wine comes from Anna de Codorniu, who married a famous vintner in 1695. The winery still is under ownership of the original founding family, a rare example in an era of hostile takeovers, buyouts and mergers.
Codorniu makes its wines in the classical methode champenoise, which produces the carbonation naturally in the bottle it will be sold in. It is a more expensive process than other methods, but the result is fine sparkling wines.
Since price is always a consideration, the Codorniu wines are at the least, half the price of other sparkling wines produced by the methode champenoise. That, however, reflects the cost of living in Spain and not the quality of the wine.
Gran Reserva Chardonnay ($20)
This is the wine Codorniu hangs its hat on and sets company’s stylistic direction. Made from chardonnay grapes, this wine captures the true spirit of the fruit while maintaining the structure and elegance required of a fine sparkling wine.
It displays a crisp acid bite, which is in balance with the fruit, an important feature of any decent sparkling wine. The wine features aromas of peach and cherry with suggestions of citrus and nuts. There also is the typical flavor of toast along with a hint of vanilla that accompanies all wines produced by the methode champenoise.
Gran Codorniu Brut 2012 Pinot Noir ($20)
An affordable vintage dated sparkling wine that can stand head and shoulders with the best of the best is indeed a rare find. This is a bold, medium bodied wine, accenting the aromas of raspberry, strawberry and blackberry with a hint of citrus in the background. The flavor is complex, consisting of many layers of fruit, stressing red berries and the signature bread-like yeasty finish. The Gran Codorniu brut 2012 Pinot Noir is not simply a low priced Champagne lookalike, but a new adventure into a world of sparkling wines. When looking for a wine that bespeaks elegance while straying away from the rest of the pack, Gran Codorniu Brut 2012 Pinot Noir is for you.
Anna de Codorniu Brut Rose ($15)
This wine is constructed in the style of the classical Champagnes, 70 percent pinot noir, 30 percent chardonnay. That’s not all that is interesting about this wine; it comes in an easy to spot, elegantly colored, pink bottle. A fancy bottle does not make a wine; it’s what is inside that fancy bottle that counts and this wine is no slouch in that department. The wine boldly displays aromas of strawberries, cherries and other summer fruits with the background aroma of green apple, a contribution of the chardonnay. Summing it all up, this is one fine wine at one fine price.
Anna de Codorniu Brut ($15)
This wine is a blend combining 70 percent chardonnay with 30 percent of the local parellada grape. The resultant wine is an interesting flavor and aroma experience. Up front, this wine, which comes in a classy cream-white bottle, displays the aromas of tropical fruits with pineapple being the most prominent. The pineapple is backed up by grapefruit and lime, all lying on a soft toast background. The finish ends in a soft and very long citrus flavor. We say it again; the Codorniu and Anna de Codorniu wines are far and away worth considerably more than their low price indicates.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe@suddenlink.net.
