Ben's Bubbly: Scharffenberger Cellars Brut

This week, drooling Ben was back in full force. One of his front upper teeth is coming in and boy is he teething again. If he is not slobbering all over his hand, he is chewing on something else to help him with the tooth. Thankfully, he hasn't been too crabby about it this time around. We've also expanded his diet by adding peas. He wasn't too excited about the canned peas he had tried previously, but the frozen peas that I made for him have been a big hit; though not quite as well liked as sweet potatoes! Finally this week, he has moved on to knee crawling for almost all of his self-locomotion. He loves crawling around after his rubber soccer ball. He even enjoys kicking it when he is walking while holding on to one of us. Before we know it he'll be running around on his own.

Scharffenberger Cellars Brut

We decided to go back to California with this week's sparkler. Founded in Anderson Valley by current chocolatier John Scharffenberger in 1981, Scharffenberger Cellars is now owned and operated by Roederer Estate owner Maisons Marques & Domaines. I've had and enjoyed the 1998 Brut before, so I figured I'd give the non-vintage Brut a try. Unfortunately, by comparing the label with the image on the website, I think this bottle is not a recent release and had been on display in the store a bit too long. It smells toasty with notes of lemon and apples, but tastes slightly musty, bordering on chemically. The citrus and apple flavors are still there, but are leaning towards being almost cidery. The wine was not terrible, but I wouldn't recommend buying it. I am hopeful that I can find a newer release and give Scharffenberger another shot. 12% abv Purchased $16 Average

Ben's Bubbly: Roederer Estate L'Ermitage

One of the best things in the world is listening to babies laugh. This week Ben started laughing and he couldn't be cuter. He hasn't laughed as hard as he did a few days ago, but every once in a while he adds a laugh-like squawk to one of his big smiles. And while getting up at six o'clock no matter what is getting a bit old, waking up to to a smiling and giggling baby is the world's best alarm clock. We've also been encouraging some of our close friends towards joining the baby club, but for now they seem to be content with their four-legged babies. We still love and enjoy our cats, but having a real baby is just a little bit more fun and rewarding. Nevertheless, sometimes a substitute can be as good as or even better than the original.

The same can be argued for wine. Many sparkling wine aficionados scoff at the idea of good bubbly being produced anywhere but Champagne. Obviously the big Champagne houses disagree with that premise or they wouldn't have invested in California. Many of the major Champagne houses (or their parent companies) have established wineries in California. Moët & Chandon has Domaine Chandon, G. H. Mumm has Mumm Napa, and Taittinger has Domaine Carneros. While most of the California sparkling wine produced by these wineries is marketed to a different audience than the original Champagne houses, there are a few tête de cuvées that rival the price and quality the real thing.

2000 Roederer Estate, L'Ermitage Brut, Anderson Valley

This  tête de cuvée is an impressive substitute for its much more expensive cousins in France. Made from 53% chardonnay and 47% pinot noir. Very light golden color with lively tiny bubbles, the nose is full of baked apple and a nice hint of toast. Exceptionally smooth in the mouth, bright apples, lemons and even a little pineapple dance across the tongue with crisp acidity. Still quite young, this wine will continue to impress for years to come. 12% abv Very Good. Purchased $30 (tasted 7/7/11)