It’s really not hard to recommend Hinterland bubbles, over the years they’ve just been so damn good and so damn consistent; but the 2009 Etoiles takes things to a whole new level. 5 years on lees with no dosage has brought about lemon drop and zest with hints of lime and green apple, but it also shows off it’s mineral-side along with a dry-yeasty quality and good bracing acidity that makes sparkling wine such a versatile food pairing wine (this one in particular). This 60/40 Chard/Pinot sparkling may not be perfect but it’s pretty damn near close; and the real surprise is how fresh it is after 5 years in this very bottle. Drink / Hold 5-10 years.  Price: $49.00 - Rating: **** ½+