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Korbel NV Rouge Sparkling (Sonoma County)

Price: $13
Designation: Rouge
Varietal: Champagne Blend, Sparkling
Appellation: Sonoma County, Sonoma, California, US
Winery: Korbel
Production: 2,800 cases
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Category: Sparkling
In Magazine: 12/1/2000

Expert Reviews

Dark in color, almost red, and you might mistake it, blind-smelling, for a Pinot Noir, except for the doughy scent. Drinks rich and full-bodied, with raspberry-strawberry flavors. What’s neat about this bubbly is that your mouth can’t figure out if it’s dry or off-dry. It straddles that mysterious line perfectly.

by M.M.

This sparkling red wine opens with deep red berry and slight leathery aromas. Full, yet soft on the palate, with plenty of cherry and vanilla flavor, it’s an interesting step off the well-beaten path of mainstream sparklers. The dry cherry and mineral finish shows good length, but this is a somewhat acquired taste.

by Steve Heimoff

This isn’t a rosé; it’s much too dark for that, as deeply colored as Pinot Noir. Oddly, there’s not much fruit in either the aroma or the flavor; it’s more of an earthy, watery quality. If you try, you can imagine strawberries, but it’s a stretch. This odd wine is very dry and has some decent acidity.

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