We had a blast sampling sparkling whites on Saturday. A friend stopped by and brought a batch of chocolate bark which increased our enjoyment x100.

The Ambal ($13) and the Gruet ($18) are both Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay grape) but differ in flavor profiles. The Gruet is “grapey” and has a distinct burnt toast element on the nose. The Ambal is much rounder and creamier to the nose and it has notes of walnut and hazelnut. On the palate the Ambal displays less fruit than the Gruet and is toasty and nutty. Tasters found it to be very balanced for the price.

Curious about food pairings? General agreement amongst our tasters was that soft fragrant cheeses because of its “grapey-ness” would be ideal for the Gruet, and that it’s also a great sparkling to make a kir royal from because it has nice fruit and dry finish. The Ambal would work well with hard, nutty cheeses like Manchego.

But both are also great to drink on their own!

– Nicole