Domaine Carneros 2005 Carneros Sparkling Wine Brut

By Taittinger.

Very pale straw color.

Bread, apple, and melon smell, pillsbury doughboy with a fruit-basket.

Chardonnay character evident on opening, then pinot comes rushing in the middle, apple and melon taste, red raspberry, with maraschino cherry, a bit more enthusiasm than I would expect in Champagne appelation wines but Carneros? No prob! Toast (and things!)

An excellent bottle for $25.99, which nudges up my limit for blog posting. I think I must explore Taittinger Champagne bottlings; this suggests they might know what they're doing. (Hmmm, a quick review of my local wine merchant shows no bargain-basement bottlings of the real goods, still, that's what this is for, I suppose.)