Tasting - Cooper's Hawk Almond

Name: Cooper's Hawk Almond
Variety of Grape(s): Chardonnay, Colombard
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: Woodridge, IL
Vintage Year: N/A
Price: $18.99

https://chwinery.com/wine/catalog/almond

I spent the summer of 2024 in the wonderful city of Columbus, Ohio, where I got to experience the unmatched food and beverage scene the area has to offer. I travelled to numerous speakeasies and had too many variations of Old Fashioned and the Whiskey Sour to count, but one of the most surprising flavor experiences I had was when a friend I met at one speakeasy introduced me to the Cooper's Hawk Almond sparkling wine.

I hadn't yet had much experience with sparkling wines, but I knew I didn't prefer sweeter wines, and this almond-flavored wine had me perplexed. To me, it seemed to be quite the odd flavor combination, but when I was shocked by how addictive it was when I tried it for the first time. When I returned to school for the spring 2025 semester, I knew I had to taste it in this class.

According to Cooper's Hawk's website, their Almond sparkling wine is made from their Blanc de Blanc Champagne with added "almond essence". The site states that the almond essence is not made with almonds, but regardless, it pairs wonderfully with the sweeter fruity notes from the champagne.

Wine Critic Review: According to David D. on Vivino.com (1522 ratings on the site and 80th highest in the US):

"4.1 - Dry sparkling, with almond and light brioche notes. It's a flavored wine, but not in an overpowering way. Simple, but tasty and delicious"

On the nose, I immediately got a ton of strong aromas. Unsurprisingly, the strongest notes were of almond, but I also some strong cherry notes as well reminiscent of amaretto. There were distinct flavors of maraschino and sour cherry, as well as apple, pear, and sour grape notes. The scent left me with notes of vanilla, cheesecake, pie crust, and graham cracker.

Taste: Very mild, kinda dry, grapey, citrus, almond, cherry, vanilla, appley, fruity on the front, not very sweet, kinda sweet

The taste was quite mild, yet complex. Though the flavor is artificially added, it integrates well with the fruity notes of the wine. First notes are grapey, citrusy, with a hint of that almond, slowly followed by the cherry, vanilla and almond notes. The finish is very nice with those cakey, graham cracker flavors. Overall, the wine is a bit sweet without being overpowering.

I am a big fan of this wine, and I would give it a 4/5. I'd love to enjoy it as a nightcap after a night out, or as a nice before-dinner treat.