Style Light white Old World Country Spain Price $6
Vintage tasted NV Grapes Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada
Website www.renebarbier.com

Overview With both of its red and white wines included, René Barbier is two for two this year. This wine is particularly impressive for its price: while it showed Champagne-like characteristics last year, this year it managed to pump up its fruit flavors without losing its deliciously fresh, acidic character. And while you won’t impress anyone as a big spender, you can win points by rattling off the three grapes in this Catalan wine—Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada. These also happen to be the classic grapes used to make sparkling Cava.

Nose It’s simple and refreshing, with aromas of tropical fruit.

Mouth It’s light, fruity, and acidic. None of our tasters were prepared to write odes to it, but at this price that’s just fine.