Bubbles or not

K. and I opened a bottle of Mumm Cordon Rouge NV tonight. In white wines I value a certain acidity and freshness, and there is nothing more refreshing than champagne. Mumm Cordon Rouge manages a a delicate balance between body and brightness, with a subtle layer of apricots and white peach atop the more assertive citrus flavor. This is a wonderful aperitif champagne, even if the menu only encompasses Chessmen cookies. The bottle was soon gone.

The bright, acidic wines that produce the best sparkling wines can be elegant without bubbles, and the Raventos i Blanc "Silencis" 100% Xarel-lo 2005 is a prime example. While Champagne wouldn't think of bottling a still wine from the base wine they blend, the Spanish irreverence prevails in this wine, from a native Penedes grape usually destined to round out Cava. Xarel-lo has a not-quite-ripe melon ripeness best exemplified by the pale green honeydew, and this wine, from a member of the Codorniu family, is posseesed of this same subtle melon richness, along with green apple, green herbs such as dill and scallions and a certain sour cream tang. The nose is all minerals and greens, but the palate is round for such a pale, bright wine, with a hint of mint. When we opened this wine last night, CP insisted I throw out his whiskey, and pour him a glass of Xarel-lo. With all due respect to Jim Beam, any white with the brightness and personality to seduce the palate after Bourbon is far more than a base wine, but a charmer in its own right.