Review: NV Josh Cellars Seaswept Sparkling

Josh Cellars Seaswept Sparkling is tailored for the intersection of brunch, summer, and a playlist starting with anonymous, synthetic downtempo beats and somehow ends up with a sea shanty singalong before the table is cleared and the Uber home arrives. A blend of 50/50 Chenin Blanc and Colombard, it opens with an easygoing brightness of green apple and citrus and really never drifts too far from those aromatics. The bubbles are lively without being aggressive, and there are appearances of nectarine, Meyer lemon, and faint touch of basil on the finish.

There is a breezy, almost seaside ease to the whole thing, which feels appropriate given the name and the packaging’s strong suggestion one should be eating oysters, fruit flan, or at least something casually expensive while it is in the glass. Brunch is where Seaswept Sparkling makes the most sense. It has the flexibility to handle eggs, pastries, smoked salmon, and the mild chaos of people arriving at different times with differing opinions about everything under the sun. It also exhibits the rare virtue of being cheerful without turning cloying. What gives Seaswept its charm is a slightly playful sense of occasion. The name invokes a nautical daydream dressed in white linen, and the wine delivers just enough charm to make the fantasy plausible. It is not profound by any stretch, but it is serviceable and very much in tune with the demands of the season. For summer sipping with a little sparkle and very little drama, it checks the boxes with minimal fuss. Some wines demand a marathon seminar on the patio. This one insists upon a poolside cabana and a bucket of ice.

B+ / $14

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