Norman

9.0

Bijofu Mai Usunigori (美丈夫 舞 うすにごり) Sparkling Junmai Daiginjo

Brewery: Hamakawa Shoten, Tano, Kochi
Classification: Junmai Daiginjo, Sparkling, Usunigori, Nama
Rice: Japanese-grown rice
Polishing: 50%
ABV: 14%
Method: Secondary fermentation in bottle
Prefecture: Kochi

Naturally sparkling, lightly cloudy nama sake. Living yeast produces a secondary fermentation in the bottle, creating fine bubbles. The brewery describes it as Champagne-like, with fresh aromatics, refreshing acidity and a clean finish.

Your bottle confirms 14% ABV, 500 mL and September 2026 production.

Tasted at Sake Day SF — 9/26/2026. Rating is limited since the same glass was reused throughout the tasting, making it difficult to get a truly clean tasting and accurate read on the aromas. — 22 days ago

Willie Carter

9.5

So young, so very young. But so pretty and so damned delicious. Sparkling pale salmon with effusive perlage. It’s a very aesthetically pleasing champagne. Strawberries in cream are prominent on the nose with rose petals. Fresh brioche and daisies. The nose just goes on and on.

As is typical with Bara champagnes, this is Pinot Noir from Bouzy. Complex, alluring, and lithe, this has all the trademarks of becoming a great wine in the future. As it is, it’s already an utterly felicitous wine. Nice acidity and typically wonderful structure. Silky and luxurious but you just know it’s going to get better.

A sudden burst of seductive fruit in the mouth. Red apples, red cherries, and more strawberry on the palate. Plenty of citrus here, as well. Just the faintest hint of fresh mint on the long finish for an added boost. I should say hold these for a years so it can truly become itself, but go ahead now. Why not, you only live the once. — 3 years ago

Barberry Garden

9.1

Served blind and I enjoyed the expression on other people's faces. Truly, it's a hidden gem. Intense and rewarding. Baked apples, sunflower oil, toast and amber. Well balanced, it has good (e.g. high) acidity and long persistent and flavourful aftertaste. Again, it's not complex yet delicious and well made. Good choice for those who enjoy Champagne.

Date of dégorgemenent: January 2017.

Tasted as part of Mixed Bag Vol. 1. — 4 years ago

Ericsson

9.3

Truly amazing sparkling. Really made me appreciate the estate. Honestly I thought it was a little gimmicky at first but the wines really won me over. This is just opulent and over the top kinda wine. — 5 years ago

Emily Gorney

9.4

Pretty good by itself but mixed with apple smash 👍👍👍 — 6 years ago

Cody Labrum

10

White clowns.....🔥🔥 — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The ‘RMS’ Rose Sparkling Wine is a limited production bottling by superstar winemaker, Rollin Soles, who first began making this style of Oregon sparkling wine in 1987. The nose is highly perfumed with red rose petal, guava puree, teaberry and melon tones that fill the aromatic profile. The palate is refined as there is a wonderful elegance and seamlessness to this beautiful Rose Sparkling Wine. Red fruits and lighter earthy and citrus rind notes dance with the bright sense of minerality on the palate. While refined, this wine has some seriously good weight. A stunning wine that is truly one of the best of its kind, I can imagine this great bottling will cellar well for two decades. But why wait? Drink 2019-2035- 95 — 8 years ago

Norman

9.0

Bijofu Schwa!! (美丈夫 しゅわっ!!) Sparkling Ginjo

Brewery: Hamakawa Shoten, Tano, Kochi
Classification: Sparkling Ginjo
Rice: Matsuyama Mii
Polishing: 55%
ABV: 13%
SMV: +5
Acidity: 1.3
Yeast: Kochi AA-41
Water: Nahari underground well water
Prefecture: Kochi
This is not bottle-fermented. Hamakawa makes Schwa!! by dissolving carbonation into ginjo sake. The brewery describes it as refreshingly tart and crisp, with lower alcohol and a clean, easy-drinking profile. The importer adds soft rice sweetness, fine bubbles and a light body.

Tasted at Sake Day SF — 9/26/2026. Rating is limited since the same glass was reused throughout the tasting, making it difficult to get a truly clean tasting and accurate read on the aromas. — 22 days ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.0

Marginally better than the prior vintages and most certainly the best Brazilian sparkling wine. Truly good stuff. — 2 years ago

with Jose, veronique and 1 other

Willie Carter

9.0

You already know what it is. There’s not much to even say about it because you already know it’s delicious. Quite delicious. Romance in a bottle? Absolutely. Pale copper with salmon accents and energetic effervescence. The nose features sumptuous cranberries and raspberries, as well as baked apple tarts. Some wild strawberry notes to go with the brioche aromas.

This is no hidden gem of a wine, you’ve all tasted it before and you know how good and reliable it is. A benchmark and always impressive. Pleasing, not racy, acidity and that hard to describe essence of quality. 40/30/30 CH/PN/PM and those red grapes truly shine here. The palate references the nose with more sparkling red berries and autolytic notes. Impressively long finish of pure elegance. Flabbergastingly lovely. — 4 years ago

Chris Zitzman

8.9

The Thibault-Jannison “FIZZ” sparkling wine is a simple joy & a half. The nose is a subtle, bright white peach, and when paired with any sort of seafood it becomes more than what it began as.

As it breathes and grows on the palate, I’m hard-pressed to find a sparkling wine that is this enjoyable- and yet this well-produced.

We’re having shrimp and buttery pasta tonight, and this simple-yet-truly-elegant wine just nailed it. — 5 years ago

with Beth

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

Wasn’t expecting to like English sparkling nearly as much as I’m enjoying this bottle. A truly bizarre combination of ripe fruit and racy acidity (higher than the average for champagne) that can only come from somewhere this far north > 50 degrees latitude (long growing season + long days during growing season). Lemon curd, green apple danish, even notes of pear and passion fruit. Bond may have to trade out his Bollinger for this. — 5 years ago

Trixie

9.0

A fun and bubbly choice. 🍓

I didn't realize these were produced by Boston Beer.

This is the official hard seltzer of the NHL.🏒

The alchohol is from fermented cane sugar not vodka.

Only 140 calories - 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of sugar per can.

I perfer the less sweet aspect compared to the spiked ice tea or vodka cocktails for example.

Will be a delightful warm weather beverage on the deck.

•5% ABV• March 8, 2020🍹 — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Breathless Wines – Blanc de Noirs – N/V
Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California 🇺🇸
100% Pinot Noir | Méthode Traditionnelle

Overview
A non-vintage Blanc de Noirs crafted entirely from Pinot Noir, showcasing both precision and personality. Sourced from Sonoma County fruit and produced in the traditional method, this sparkling wine balances freshness with depth, offering far more complexity than its playful label might suggest.

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, opening with delicate floral notes, fresh red apple, wild strawberry skin, and hints of white cherry. Subtle brioche and almond tones follow, adding dimension without overwhelming the purity of the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Bright and energetic with a fine, persistent mousse. Crisp entry, clean mid-palate, and a refreshing, dry finish. The Pinot Noir structure provides enough weight to stand up to food while remaining elegant and lifted.

Food Pairings
Excellent on its own, but truly shines with food: crudo, sashimi, roasted poultry, mushroom dishes, or soft cheeses. Versatile and gastronomic without being heavy.

Verdict
A well-crafted Blanc de Noirs that delivers both freshness and complexity. Approachable yet serious, making it equally suitable for casual sipping or pairing at the table.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This is one of those sparklers that works effortlessly both solo and with food. Floral, fresh, and layered, proof that Sonoma Pinot Noir can translate beautifully into sparkling form.

Did You Know?
Breathless Wines focuses exclusively on sparkling wines made using the traditional Champagne method, emphasizing extended lees aging and Pinot-driven expressions to build texture and depth. — 10 months ago

Evan Roberts

9.4

Stunning wine with a tragic story. One man’s vision to show case a disappearing grape is truly magical. Gringet from the Haute-Savoie as a single varietal bottling is so good so many layers, such beauty and subtlety. The still wine is pretty dynamic but this sparkling wine is just a, well a Pearl. Bottles be a friend after the winemakers tragic death this will be the last vintage of the wine. I can only hope someone takes up his mantle. — 4 years ago

Anna Sangiacomo

9.8

The new 2016 just released. I love their sparkling wines. It’s truly one of the best if not the best domestic sparking wines. — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Without hesitation one of the great sparkling wines I’ve had in recent years, including those of Champagne, Wiston Estate’s flagship 2015 Cuvée Brut is a simply outstanding wine in a wholly different league to their NV Brut.

Deep coloured and intensely aromatic from the get-go, the wine is medium to full bodied with an incredibly complex array of both flavour and texture on the palate. The pattern of acidity (in this case, truly like a lime has been juiced at the back of your mouth) is very British, but the autolysis lends so much more to this wine and sets it aside from much of the English fizz I’ve tried to date.

To know that this wine was produced from just nine year-old vines is so, so exciting. Along with the estate’s 2014 Cuvée Rosé, this is a benchmark for English wine. Hats off to winemaker Dermot Sugrue. — 5 years ago

Vin d’Ottawa

9.1

This is an English sparkling wine using the traditional grapes of champagne grown in Sussex.

The bubbles themselves are powerful and there are concentrated hints of lime throughout. It has a truly distinctive taste. — 6 years ago

with Gillian

Donald Williams

9.3

A truly wonderful wine. I love the way Iron Horse sparkling wines age. Wedding Cuvée for our anniversary. Perfect. — 7 years ago

with Bonnie

Ian Pecoraro

10

Warm strawberries and rhubarb in the field. Apple cider spiked with raspberries. — 8 years ago