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Speaker 1
0:05
Hey , domain , dave , cheapwinefindercom , the last of the podcast of 2024 . Last of our holiday extravaganza of sorts . It's a bubbly , it's a wine I got at Target of all places , it's the Chandon California Brut Rose . It sells from between and I've seen it as low as $16 , $15 , but not this holiday season . Prices didn't drop . I think . I picked it up for $18.99 , and I've seen it at a size 23, . So it's , you know it's in that price range , which isn't a bad price range for a bubbly from a very famous French champagne house .
Speaker 1
0:49
Shandong California was the first of the French outposts in California . That happened , I think , in 1973 , so they've been doing it for a long , long time . Both Moet Chandon and Chandon California are owned by LVHM I think I got the initials right A luxury brand company . Who they do ? Louis Vuitton , kohlhager , ager , auer . Who else ? They do Just everybody . They do Hennessy , they do Auerbeg . I mean half the premium brands out there they do . I've got links to that on the website for the review . But this is from a high-end , very good brand and Moet Chandon , if you're going to be drinking bubbly , is as good as any of them .
Speaker 1
1:48
But in California this is a little bit different Because most of the other French wine houses in California . They're Napa or Sonoma , it's just California on the label . They don't care , they just they don't care . Which usually means because there's two major ABAs North Coast , which is Sonoma , napa , mendocino , a couple of small ones and then you got Central Coast , monterey , santa Barbara , paso Robles . Those are the major ones . And then there's like Lodi and Clarksburg are the independents kind of Lodi and Clarksburg are the independents kind of . So if you have enough grapes from the North Coast and you mix in some Central Coast , well then you've got to put California on the label . If you have grapes from Sonoma and you have some from Napa , well then you can do North Coast on the label . So that basically means they went into the Central Coast to get some grapes . Monterey , santa Barbara , I'm not sure Some places .
Speaker 1
2:46
That does Pinot Noir and Chardonnay , and this is 57% Chardonnay , 40% Pinot Noir and just a little bit 3% Pinot Mouinet , which are the three main grapes for Champagne Mounais , which are the three main grapes for champagne . One thing that's interesting is there's not a word of champagne on the label , because it's sparkling wine . It can only be champagne if it's from Champagne France . This isn't , so I'm going to take a sip . Sip , it's good , that's really good . It's really light in the palate . It hits your palate and kind of almost disappears , meaning you need to be like really low , low , low sugar levels to do that . But this is one's just as a very delicate and this is this hits way better than I thought it would .
Speaker 1
3:50
If this drinks really well , I tend to like a champagne with a lot of pinot noir in there . It rounds it off . The chardonnay ones got really crisp and I like those too . But if I have my choice between one or the other , I grab one with a good deal of Pinot Noir in there . This drink's great for under $20 from a French winemaker , because Moet Chandon does have their winemakers . I have the winemakers that do all this and they follow the instructions . One thing that is different here is that in France the minimum amount of triage , second fermentation that's where the bubbles are put in there . Each and every bottle they pour the first fermentation in there , add some yeast , add some sugar , measured amounts and then in France they come back 18 months later and pull out the yeast .
Speaker 1
4:44
In California it's only 12 months , so it's less , and the longer the second triage fermentation , the more smooth and creamy it gets . But one thing I was thinking about is California might need only 12 . You know , like Tennessee , kentucky , bourbon is usually typically aged four to six years , something like that for the regular bottlings , scotch 12 . I mean , and even more , it's because it's kind of hot in Kentucky and it's kind of cold in Scotland and Champagne Francis way colder in California . I'm going to take another sip , so 12 months might do the job just as quick as the 18 months did , because this is a smooth . There's a little bit of cream to it , not super creamy , but it's there . It sips well .
Speaker 1
5:44
It's a really nice wine one . I've had a bunch of really nice bubbly's this year . Everything everybody was a little bit different . Everybody was very nice . This is , this is a seamless package . This is . Whoever made this knew if they were doing . So there you go . This is the Shandong California Brut Rose . It's a non , non-vintage wine . You can get it between $20 and $15 . Well , if you rush out , there's got to be sales right now and it's well worth buying if you want something for the holidays . It's a nice package . Shandong yeah , it's California , but at half the price . Who needs the French stuff ? Right ? I mean , I still like the French stuff , but this one hits pretty hard for the price . So , adios , keep it cheap , have a happy new year . I'll catch you on the other side . It'll start up all over again in 2025 . So , stay safe , stay warm and keep it cheap , and I'll be talking to you . Bye-bye .
