A Mother's Day Bubbly Primer
I have exactly seven Mother’s Days under my belt, and I can tell you point-blank that they are the best. Let’s be honest, being a mother is a lot of work—it takes your soul, your body, and your mind to do it well, and half the time you don’t even know what that “well” marker looks like. You have to make it up as you go, and then as soon as you think you’ve got it down, the goal post moves. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly rewarding, and I love my little people to the ends of the earth, but let’s just say that when Mother’s Day rolls around, I really lean into the break.
And, after seven years, I have a pretty clear idea of what I want my break to look like:
Shop by myself at my favorite bookstore, Vroman’s, and go down every aisle, annoyingly, painfully slowly, until I pick out the book I want to buy.
Read said book in our hammock.
Eat food that I don’t have to make or clean up, and that doesn’t have to please little kids’ palates. Indian or sushi usually fit the bill.
Bubbles. Bubbles. Bubbles.
Moms out there, you’ll have to figure out the first part of your day, but I can help with the bubbles! Here are a few of my faves from all different price points.
Françoise Antech visiting K&L Hollywood in 2019.
2018 Antech "Cuvée Eugenie" Brut Cremant de Limoux $13.99
Let’s start the day with a wine from the birthplace of sparkling wine—no, not Champagne, but Limoux in southern France! Legend has it that this region in the Languedoc invented the sparkling method centuries before Champagne. The Cuvée Eugenie is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc and 10% Mauzac—a grape native to Limoux. It is ethereally pretty, with notes of white flowers and ginger and lime zest. Light in body and refreshing, with tons of complexity from 12 months on the lees. I’ll take this with my breakfast in bed and hand-drawn cards, please.
This cuvée is named after the matriarch of the Antech family, which is now headed by her great-great granddaughter Françoise (pictured above). Françoise came to visit Hollywood a few years back, and she was 100 percent as fun and vivacious as her wines! She is part of the Vinifilles collective of female winemakers in Languedoc-Roussillon, and is a passionate advocate for social justice. We’re big fans.
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne $34.99
When I started working in the wine biz nearly a decade ago, I remember the common line of thought was that you could not get buy decent Champagne without spending $40. Enter Gary Westby, our Champagne Buyer Extraordinaire, who has brought so many excellent bottles below $40 to our shelves, that I actually get to drink Champagne on a regular basis. I am forever in his debt!
And this bottle is case in point: the Réserve from Champagne Aspasie is as sophisticated as a bottle twice the price. It’s a balanced blend of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Meunier, showing golden toastiness from FIVE full years on the lees, and a bright zippy throughline. It’s lovely stuff, with hints of lemon zest and hazelnut and a touch of chalkiness on the finish. And, for this price, I feel like Marie Antoinette: “Let them drink Champagne!”
Moussé Fils "L'Or d'Eugene Perpétuelle" Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne $44.99
This is my absolute favorite discovery lately. This cuvee is based largely (80%) on Meunier from the valley of the Ardre, where Krug also sources its favorite Meunier. The remainder of the blend is Pinot Noir for a true Blancs de Noirs. I love Meunier, but it can be a wild card—it tends to add big personality to a wine, from wild mushrooms to ripe bing cherries, but this is hands-down the most elegant version I’ve ever tasted. They use a solera system (like in Jerez, Spain) to incorporate older wines into the blend, and the oldest dates back to 2003. There are lovely layered notes of honey and cherry blossoms and plums on a luscious palate and a poised, racy finish. Delicious stuff.
2008 Philippe Gonet "Cuvée Belemnita" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne $149.99
Friends, if you are going to splurge, splurge here. This is absolutely gorgeous, made by Phillipe Gonet in the village of Mesnil, right next door to the famous Salon vineyard. The Belemnita is only made in the best vintages, and 2008 has been hailed as one of the greats in recent decades. The days were cool, long, and sunny, and the wine shows it with absolute banging acid and lush, nuanced fruit. The wine is named after the Belemnita chalk the vines (almost 100-years-old, by the way) are planted in, said to be the best chalk in all of Champagne. I love a wine like this—a wine that marries brilliant golden fruit and spice with chalky complexity. The result is a wine to stick your nose in and ponder—then to enjoy heartily as it goes down all too fast. This is the wine I want to end my night with, after the kids are in bed—just me, my husband, and my heart feeling incredibly lucky.
Only 25 cases were made, and I’m definitely buying one, so you should snatch yours up while we have it!
I want to wish all the moms out there a very special Mother’s Day! No matter what your day may look like, I hope some delicious wine, some delicious food, and a full heart are part of it.
- Kate Soto, Social Media Manager/Blogger