It’s funny how often I hear people proclaim that they are not wine snobs, yet as I sat down to write this post I thought to myself that there are going to be some haters out there who post comments about how I must be out of my mind for finding this to be good. So I guess they are wine snobs… and so am I.
Yep, I admit that I had a prejudice against this wine—because I’m a wine snob. I had this bottle sitting in the wine rack for a couple months and I was not looking forward to tasting it. Because of that prejudice, I waited to taste this until I had collected a number of different brands of Brut bubbly so that I could taste it blind. And I was surprised to find out that it is better than I expected.
Crane Lake is made by the Bronco Wine Company, the same folks that make Charles Shaw (aka “Two Buck Chuck”). Since Charles Shaw is exclusive to Trader Joe’s, Bronco came up with the Crane Lake brand to sell through other retail stores.
My review is a bit of mixed bag though. While the bottle I tasted was pleasant, I worry about consistency with the Crane Lake brand. I’ve mentioned this about Charles Shaw in the past too. The best premium wines come from very specific plots of land, which are taken care of by a consistent team of viticulturists. Part of the reason people will pay more for those brands is due to the fact that there is a high likelihood of consistent quality. Crane Lake, on the other hand, I assume is a bulk wine, which means they would buy grapes from several different locations and of varying quality. So while you may pick up a bottle of Crane Lake and get a great deal on a good wine, I’m not confident that the bottle you get in Connecticut is going to be consistent with the one I find in Ohio.
All that said, here’s what I wrote about this wine in my blind tasting. There’s just the right amount of yeast on the nose of this bubbly, as well as a touch of apple. It’s relatively simple, but nice. The palate brings crisp apple, honeydew melon and a twist of lemon. The acidity is nearly perfect. It’s a little quick on the finish, but the flavors are enjoyable.
For only $8.00 this might work out great for you. But, buy a bottle to taste it before you go for a full case.
Wine: Crane Lake Brut
Variety: Sparkling White
Vintage: N/V
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 85
Price: $8.00
Find Crane Lake Brut with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Funny, I’ve had only one CL wine, their Cab, and it was atrociously bad. Like, epic bad. That experience would lead me to shy away from trying their other offerings – and I suppose consumers who start here and enjoy it just need to be forewarned that the brand doesn’t offer consistent quality across all of their wines.
Cheers!
I gotta go with 1WineDude here. The comments I have heard about CL are ALL bad. For a dollar or 2 more you can find a decent Cava or Prosecco.
Hehe… I knew this one would get some comments from detractors. And I can’t say I disagree with your comments at all.
This bottle appeared out of no where. We are wine snobs! We had the same thoughts as cheap wine ratings. We can find nothing wrong with this wine. It is pleasantly subtle. And very drinkable. The lesson repeats never judge a book by it’s cover, never judge a wine before a taste!
Surprising, isn’t it? Thanks for the comment.