Ernesto Catena, Mendoza (Argentina) “Alma Negra” Brut Nature Rosé NV ($22, Vineyard Brands)

Usually, Bordeaux red varieties do not make great sparkling wines, so after first tasting this Malbec-related pink, I came back a second and third time to be sure my quite positive first impressions stayed true. And they did. It has a tightly knit stream of bubbles (sparkling wines accentuate the mouth feel aspect of tasting) with fragrant strawberry aromas and tastes along with some defining bar bitters. There is also a pleasant aftertaste of gaminess that adds to the complexity of the wine without compromising its liveliness.
93 Roger Morris