88 Biltmore Estate NV Brut (North Carolina) 3/20/10 ($25)
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier 12.5% alc
Color: Light silver yellow. (3.0) Bouquet: Red apple and apricot preserves with dry toast. Not as big as the Cupcake, but more precise. (3.0) Body: Middleweight with very good fruit and some acidity. Somewhat creamy and dry in the mouth. (2.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with some toasted almond thrown in. Fruit expands here as it warms in the glass. (3.0) Finish: Parallels bouquet, but could be longer. (2.5)
Overall: When first opened (45°F), this was already dryer and more precise than the Cupcake Blanc de Blancs, but somewhat closed. Also being more elegant, this needed time in the glass, to warm (to 55°F) and open, to show its pretty apricot preserve fruit. Not as creamy and rich as the Cupcake, but more interesting for sipping. (13.5)
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