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Being that I’m an avid devotee of the varieties of the sparkling wine experience, I was quite jazzed when our friend Christina Donley showed up at Gang Central recently with some bubbly in tow from, of all places, Austria. Not that I was particularly surprised that they make sparkling wine in Austria; they grow the right grapes there, good bubbly can come from anywhere that produces good wine, and they are producing very good wine indeed these days. It was just the simple fact that I’d never HAD a sparkler from Austria, but I’ve had more than a few really tasty whites from there, so this one promised to be a goodin, Sally, not only because of where it came from, but also because of who made it. Nigl makes excellent wines that we’ve enjoyed with cool cats like Cousin Larry Meehan and Florida Jim Cowan, so I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Christina shares my penchant for all things bubbly, and said she wanted to open something a bit different with us and this one fit the bill perfectly. We gave that puppy a chill, popped the cork and poured glasses all around.

2007 Nigl Brut de Brut, 12% alc.: Not sure as to the exact price of this pale colored bubbly; the tag was scratched off and the only winesearcher.com return I get lists it at $27.99, which is a fair price for what’s in the bottle. A blend of Chardonnay and Gruner Veltliner, it features ample mouse and an active bead, and offers stoney citrus and tart green apple flavors and aromas. Medium bodied, with excellent intensity and acids, it’s a very satisfying glass of sparkling that goes perfectly with a variety of hors d’ oeuvres on this particular occasion and actually outclassed a Champagne J-M Gobillard Brut Rose NV opened right afterward, although perhaps the latter would have been better consumed six months to a year earlier. Be that as it may, the 2007 Nigl Brut de Brut is a delight to drink, and highly recommended by this taster. Find this wine

Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY

Reporting from Day-twah,

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