Gruet Methode Champenoise Brut 750ml

Gruet Winery was founded in New Mexico by the Gruet Champagne family of Bethon, France. Its vineyard was planted in 1984 at Engle, near Truth or Consequences. Gruet is now owned by Precept Wine of Seattle, and the purchase kept Laurent Gruet as winemaker.

The producer makes its sparkling wines by the méthode champenoise, with the second fermentation in bottle, and its Classics line spends at least 18 months on the lees. Reverse Wine Snob reports the Brut is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, with 8 g/L of residual sugar, and that it was first released in 1989. This bottle is non-vintage.

The winery describes a straw-colored wine with apple notes, a silky, dense mouthfeel and a long, slightly sweet finish.

Against Mumm Napa Brut Prestige, Gruet costs a few dollars less and brings a Champagne family's method to New Mexico; for a bottle-fermented brut under $20, choose Gruet.

Serve it well chilled as an aperitif, with fried snacks, oysters or a weekend brunch. It also works in sparkling cocktails without stretching the budget.

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