Back in November, when members of the Republican Party were more willing to engage in Donald Trump‘s claim that the 2020 election was “rigged,” Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick offered a $1 million reward to anyone who comes forward with evidence of voter fraud. While that offer got lost in the mix thanks to a non-stop series of disasters from Rudy Giuliani, Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor John Fetterman was paying attention, and he accepted Patrick’s challenge. Except things didn’t exactly go as Patrick planned.
Patrick was hoping to find evidence of Democratic voters committing fraud to help Joe Biden, which was a long shot in and of itself. What the Texas Lt. Governor didn’t count on was Republicans in PA engaging in voter fraud to help Trump and getting caught in the process. So far, three incidences of voter fraud were uncovered in PA, and Fetterman thinks Patrick should pay up. Not only has Fetterman been trolling Patrick on Twitter, demanding the reward money, but he even took an interview with the Houston Chronicle, essentially bringing his troll game to Patrick’s front door:
“The thing that’s so especially galling is that people like him were smearing our state when we actually had an impeccable election,” Fetterman said. “They keep trying to malign and smear the quality work done by both sides — we’ve got way more Republican counties than Democratic counties. He’s smearing Republicans and Democrats alike when he impugns the electoral integrity.”
“If you’re going to smear my state, then you need to pay up, because we delivered what you asked for,” he said.
Fetterman’s interview with the Houston Chronicle got picked up by MSNBC, which prompted him to fire off even more tweets to Patrick on Monday afternoon:
We reported last week that on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated December 26, there were six Christmas songs in the top ten spots of the chart, which was an all-time record. Now, that information is already outdated. On the newest Hot 100 (dated January 2, 2021), that record has been obliterated, as there are a whopping nine songs occupying the top ten spots of the Hot 100.
Leading the pack, of course, is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which returned to No. 1 this week and became the first song to ever be No. 1 in three separate years. All of the holiday tunes that joined Carey in the top 10 last week also return this week: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” (at No. 2), Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” (No. 3), Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (No. 4), Andy Williams’ “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” (No. 5) and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” (No. 6). Rounding out the top of the chart is a trio of entries new to the top 10 this week: Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” (No. 8), Wham’s “Last Christmas” (No. 9), and Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run” (No. 10). The sole non-holiday song to make the top 10 this week is 24kGoldn and Iann Dior’s hit “Mood” (No. 7).
There’s something similar going on with the Billboard Global 200 chart this week as well. Most of the aforementioned holiday songs are in the top 10, as are Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me,” Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath The Tree.” On that chart, the only non-Christmas song in the top 10 is Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dakiti.”
What a truly awful year 2020 has been. Between the coronavirus pandemic, months and months of isolation and quarantine, a growing death toll, widespread job loss, police shootings, mass protests, and a dramatically drawn-out election, we think it’s safe to say that we’re all looking forward to the fresh start a new year brings and the new opportunities that come with it. Even if the turning of the calendar won’t magically fix everything.
But in spite of its general shittiness (or perhaps because of it), 2020 is still deserving of a proper send-off. And what better way to toast the end of a low-quality year than with a few glasses of high quality bubbly?
We’ve put together a list of 10 champagnes and sparkling wines fit for ringing in what will hopefully be a better new year. All the bottles included are priced under $80, because celebrating the completion of a truly crappy 2020 shouldn’t break the bank. These bubbles can all be found in stores across the U.S., but we’ve included delivery options in the linked price-points for online shopping as well.
Pro-Tip: Skip the flute glasses this year in exchange for tulip or standard wine glasses. True, flutes do display bubbles better, but since many of us are likely celebrating at home solo or with the same few people we’ve been seeing all year, what’s there to really show off? Tulip-shaped and regular wine glasses have the room to help the aromatic nuances of the wine escape from the glass, which can really heighten the drinking experience.
Founded some 290 years ago, Ruinart is one of the oldest established Champagne houses in the world. So they know a thing or two about producing top-tier bubbly and their non-vintage Blanc De Blancs, comprised of 100 percent Chardonnay grapes, is a great example of the quality wines they make.
This bubbly is a mashup of grapes picked from Premiers Crus from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims vineyards and wines from Vesle Valley, which gives it the refinement and maturity of some of Ruinart ’s grandest vintages and the light freshness of the winery’s younger offerings.
Tasting Notes:
The smell of citrus is pretty intense when you first pop the bottle, but at first sip, you’ll notice how soft this Champagne is — despite its taut effervesce and persistent bubbles. It’s delicate with notes of white flowers and juicy fruits like peaches and pineapple. The end is fresh and memorable.
Bottom Line:
This elegant Champagne is a bang for your buck considering the fact that Ruinart produces many vintages that cost double the price.
This pale-golden wine hails from the West Sussex and Hampshire region of England. It’s a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes from various vintages that age in the Nyetimber cellars for at least three years.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of almonds, crusty bread, and pastries are prevalent while the palate is a lively, fizzy tart of Delicious Red and Pink Lady apple flavors. The bubbles are sturdy and consistent from first sip to last drop. The sparkling wine wraps up with quick and clean finish softened with a note of lemon curd.
Bottom Line:
This is a polished and easy-sipping sparkling wine that’s ready-to-drink for any occasion.
What’s a party without a couple of Yellow Labels? Veuve Clicquot’s signature blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay is a blend of grapes from between 50 to 60 different Crus. Together the fruit creates a silky bubbly perfectly balanced with freshness and finesse.
Tasting Notes:
Like its label suggests, this Champagne is a dashing golden-yellow in color and a dead giveaway to the buttery, crusty brioche aroma that permeates from the glass. The bubbles are just as radiant—tight and hearty yet intrinsically silky, explosive in the pour but subtle in the sip, while freshness leads on the palate and throughout.
Bottom Line:
This champs tastes as good as it looks on the many Instagram posts that will be flooding your timeline on New Year’s Eve. No filters necessary.
The year was 1818 when Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon married and launched Maison Billecart-Salmon in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ with the help of her brother Louis Salmon. Since then, the family estate has been synonymous with producing excellent blends of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier, like this one.
The grapes used for this champagne are a blend of berries grown in three different years and spends between two and four years aging in the bottle before it’s ready to serve and sip.
Tasting Notes:
This champagne is piercing with slow, delicate bubbles that smell of flower petals and honey. It delivers on the mouth-watering acidity while maintaining a particularly creamy profile on the palate, highlighted by flavors of crispy Asian pears.
Bottom Line:
If you’re into Champagnes that aren’t overpowering in effervesce but still land high on flavor, this is the one for you.
Heavy rains in the spring of 2017 led the winemakers at California’s Gloria Ferrer to call for harvesting 10 days earlier than normal. And heat waves during the picking season had them anxious that the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay used to make this exquisite sparkling wine would over-ripen. But in the end, their worries turned into a major win as the unusual weather helped to produce a dazzling pink drink so good you’ll be licking your lips after the first sip.
Tasting Notes:
This is a pretty pink and dry sparkling wine born in Gloria Ferrer’s sustainable vineyards in the Carneros region in Sonoma County. It’s vibrant with fragrances of strawberries and raspberries that nearly jump out the glass. The fruit is amplified on the palate with a steely, acidic structure that lasts throughout the lingering finish.
Bottom Line:
If — at any point — you’ve envisioned yourself frolicking around sunny open fields with a basket full of berries in the new year, this sparkling may be the closest you’ll get to actually experiencing that. If you’ve never thought of participating in any such activity but are still in search of a sparkling wine that is electrifying with fresh fruit, this is still a clear winner.
With a word as bold as “excellence” on the label, the juice inside the bottle had better be just as outstanding as its name suggests. Luckily, this blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier is exactly that: excellent.
The champagne spends at least three years in the dark underground cellars where Gosset has stored and aged its wines since the company’s founding in 1584. The end result is a dry and refreshing, full-bodied bubbly.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of apricot and peaches fill the nose while the sip leans into the Champagne’s crisp and dry texture. It’s almost chalk-like on the palate but freshness and minerality in the long and lingering finish gives it a delectable boost that begs for another glass.
Bottom Line:
Drink this wine because it is indeed excellent in taste at a fraction of the price of most prestigious Champagnes. It’s also great for pairing and works well with a variety of foods from your New Year’s dumplings to pan-seared veggies and champagne’s favorite accouterment, fried chicken.
In 1965, Schramsberg’s Blanc de Blancs became the United States’ first commercially-produced, 100 percent Chardonnay sparkling wine. By 1972, the California wine was receiving international praise after President Richard Nixon served it at the historic “Toast to Peace” in Beijing, China. Since then, the wine has been a go-to for White House dinners and celebratory moments across America. And rightfully so — the joyous, tiny little bubbles that permeate the glass are as delicious as they are stunning.
Tasting Notes:
Have you ever taken a whiff of bowl of green apple slices marinated in a mound of lime zest? That’s what this sparkling wine smells like. The fruit-forward aromas are elevated on the palate with notes of candied lemon, dried pear, and soft, white bread hot out the oven. Overall, it’s a dry-leaning wine that is delightfully crisp on the sip and in the lengthy finish.
Bottom Line:
Drink this wine because it is an American staple that is a damn good example of the quality bubbly the U.S. has to offer.
It wouldn’t be an understatement to call this the champion of Italian sparkling wines, because it actually is. This 100 percent Chardonnay claimed the gold medal at the 2019 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships thanks to its robust and balanced expression.
Tasting Notes:
As yellow as a straw hat, this sparkling wine is a harmony of flawless ripe fruit and wildflowers on the nose. The refreshingly crisp, baking spice and nectarine notes on the palate gets a lift from a hint of yeast, resulting in a crusty bread-like essence that seems to expand the longer you sip the wine.
Bottom Line:
Not only is this sparkling wine an actual award winner, but it’s also winning in agility — with its ability to maintain its snappy acidic quality all while producing flavors that will have you feeling like you just left the pastry shop.
Born in valleys the and hills of Trentino in the heart of The Dolomites, this blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is equally elegant and rich. The wine is vinified in steel tanks before it spends 24 months maturing on the lees (a fermentation process in which dead yeast cells and other particles remain in a wine in the bottle), leading to a mouthwatering final product.
Tasting Notes:
With its pale pink hue, this sparkling wine is bursting with aromas of raspberries and blackberries. On the sip, it’s like biting into a cherry tart. This wine is bubbling with red and black, sweet and sour, cherry notes. The pipping hot filling, the flaky crust, it’s all there in the glass. In texture though, the wine is pretty acidic, bristling with minerality in the finish. The racy little bubbles are persistent throughout.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for easy-sipping, fruit-forward elegance, this rosé gets the job done for a steal of a price.
Now here’s a truly sensational Prosecco hailing from Valdobbiadene, a town in the province of Treviso, Veneto, Italy. Driven by dry minerality, this wine is dynamic in aromatics and taste that may leave you gawking at its very reasonable price point.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lot of citrus fragrances spilling out of this medium-bodied, straw yellow sparkling wine. Meanwhile, the palate zings with cool salinity and hints of lemon and lime. The finish isn’t too long but it is totally invigorating.
Bottom Line:
Drink this wine when you want to save in price and not quality. It’s great as a standalone Prosecco, but it makes a mighty fine mimosa for your New Year brunches too.
The Philadelphia 76ers are among the seemingly ever-growing list of teams that James Harden would like to be traded to, as he pushes his way out of Houston and, he hopes, to a contender somewhere.
The connection for Harden and the Sixers isn’t hard to figure out, as former Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who built Houston’s roster around Harden, is now the president of basketball operations in Philadelphia. Last week, Morey had an automated Twitter memories post go up about a post he made about the star guard passing Calvin Murphy on the Rockets all-time assists leaderboard that he quickly deleted. It, of course, became a topic of conversation and fodder online, but seemed like an innocent enough mistake.
However, the NBA didn’t see it as such, and despite it being an automated tweet the league decided Morey had violated the NBA’s tampering policy with the tweet and handed him a $50,000 fine on Monday. Ironically, that is the same amount of money Harden got fined for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols last week after he went to a Houston club. It’s the second tampering violation punishment to be handed down by the NBA this offseason, as the Bucks lost a future second-round pick for their bungled sign-and-trade attempt for Bogdan Bogdanovic prior to free agency opening, as it appears the league is once again trying to wrap its arms around the issue of tampering, despite the near impossibility of doing so.
In any case, expect every GM in the league to be making sure they don’t have any automated tweets that could go out and land them a $50,000 fine as well.
Things worked out well for Dua Lipa when she released a reworked version of her Future Nostalgia album (Club Future Nostalgia), and now Grimes is trying something similar. To follow up her 2020 album Miss Anthropocene, Grimes has announced that she’s dropping a remixed version of it, dubbed Miss Anthropocene Rave Edition.
The album features the same tracklist as the original album, although the album versions of the songs have been replaced with remixes by folks like Bloodpop, Channel Tres, and some others. These aren’t the same remixes that appear on the recently released deluxe edition of Miss Anthropocene.
Check out the art and tracklist for Miss Anthropocene Rave Edition below.
4AD
1. “So Heavy I Fell Through The Earth (Anna Remix)”
2. “Darkseid (with 潘PAN) (Richie Hawtin Remix)”
3. “Delete Forever (Channel Tres Remix)”
4. “Violence (with i_o) (Rezz Remix)”
5. “4ÆM (Original Mix)”
6. “New Gods (Tale Of Us & Âme Remix)”
7. “My Name Is Dark (Julien Bracht Remix)”
8. “You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around (Things You Say Remix)”
9. “Before The Fever (Original Mix)”
10. “Idoru (Modeselektor Remix)”
11. “We Appreciate Power (with Hana) (BloodPop Remix)
Miss Anthropocene Rave Edition is out 1/1/2021 via 4AD. Pre-order it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
WhistlePig’s Boss Hog is not easy to come by. The company only produces a limited number of barrels and they’re quickly snatched up by bars and collectors alike. They aren’t cheap, either — usually hitting the market for somewhere around $500. But I’m a longtime WP supporter and, as any whiskey aficionado will tell you, price and scarcity are rarely enough to stop us from trying to nab the juice we love.
I’ve hustled to get bottles (or even just sips!) of Boss Hog plenty in the past, but when news broke of Boss Hog VII: Magellan’s Atlantic, my longtime loyalty (and, yes, the fact that I occasionally cover whiskey) gave me an in. I reached out to some friends at the distillery, borrowed an SUV, and road-tripped from New York City to Shoreham, Vermont, where the brand is based.
On arrival to this sprawling farmstead property — complete with tractors and roaming animals — I was set up in a guest house to quarantine. No contact with the team, just me on my lonesome for a few days. Every morning started with coffee and a visit with the pigs Orwell, Sito, and the big hog on campus, Mortimer Jr. My days were spent taking trail hikes through the nearby mountains, fly fishing, and basking in the late-fall scenery.
As part of my visit, I did get to sample Boss Hog VII: Magellan’s Atlantic during the chilly nights. Here are my thoughts:
WhistlePig’s The Boss Hog VII: Magellan’s Atlantic
First for those who aren’t familiar with the Boss Hog series, here’s why I think it warranted my five-hour drive (even if it was through the remarkably scenic New England countryside). It’s a high-end, annual release where the makers of WhistlePig pull out all of the stops, in an effort to create a completely unique and compelling entry to the category.
Basically, this is an elaboration on their already award-winning rye. 105 proof.
Magellan’s Atlantic is the seventh edition of the Boss Hog, named after the famous Portuguese explorer and inspired by the first circumnavigation of the globe. In the spirit of adventure, the liquid makes its own epic journey. The whiskey is pulled after spending 17 years in American Oak, and then put into Spanish oak from Cantabria on the Northern Coast of Spain. The oak from this region comes high in tannins and is especially porous, meaning that it makes a high impact in a hurry. The juice is then finished with three days in South American Teakwood.
“The whiskey world has never seen this combination of casks, nor has it tasted anything quite like what it has produced,” Pete Lynch, Master Blender of WhistlePig, told me later.
Tasting Notes:
This rye is unlike anything that I have tasted before, and I am not alone in saying that. On the nose, there’s an explosion of spice that takes one’s mind straight to Christmas — full of cinnamon and sugar. Give it a moment more and smooth, salted vanilla, combined with toasted wood notes, lures you in.
The spices return in a big way once the rye hits your tongue, along with a maple syrup sweetness. The taste evolves into a festival of allspice, cherry cordial, espresso, and buttery baked goods. There is a lot going on, and your mind may get overheated trying to figure it all out. Better to just kick back and let the flavors just happen.
This wild ride (rye’d?) eventually slows down, leaving an overall sense of warmth that begs for another circumnavigation.
Bottom Line
This is not an easy bottle to procure. And clearly, based on price alone, it’s not a purchase to be taken lightly. But if you’re feeling particularly adventurous and have the money to do so, there is no question that Magellan’s Atlantic is a special expression.
Contrary to the title of their new collaboration, it was never “Too Late” for French Montana and Jim Jones to officially end their longstanding feud, even if it has been over 15 years since the New Yorkers’ egos first clashed. The two initially came together on Instagram Live earlier this year, with French posting, “15 YEARS OF BEEFING ENDED UP WITH LAUGHS AND WAR STORIES. BIG MOMENT FOR HIP HOP.” Now, that big moment has been solidified and commemorated with the video for “Too Late” marking the first collaboration between Diplomats and Coke Boyz in over a decade.
While the two rappers and their respective crews have been arguing since the mixtape era, their mutual connection, Max B, was the catalyst for their reconciliation after giving an interview from prison expressing regret for how things played out. He blamed the fight on “two egos coming together” and said, “I think today we would’ve handled the situation different.” He said the disagreement was an example of “just egos clashing. A lack of respect. That sh*t don’t mix well, and next thing you know, we beefing…it shoulda went a different way.”
Meanwhile, French recently collaborated with Pop Smoke and Popcaan after trying to provoke a Verzuz battle with Kendrick Lamar. Jim Jones appeared with fellow Harlemites Dave East and Juelz Santana, the latter from prison, on “Pink Eagle.”
J Stone, a rapper signed to the late, great Nipsey Hussle‘s All Money In record label, gave fans of the Crenshaw rapper hope for a new project during a recent appearance on The Bootleg Kev Podcast. During an interview to promote his own new project The Definition of Pain — on which Nipsey makes a pair of posthumous guest appearances — J Stone told the hosts that the late rapper had enough recorded verses stashed up for a follow-up to his Grammy-nominated debut album Victory Lap.
“It’s so much music this n**** done did,” He said. “Like you wouldn’t even imagine, bro. There’s sh*t I haven’t even heard when I thought I heard everything.” So much, in fact, that there’s “definitely” enough for a complete and quality album. “It’s definitely going to be another Nip album,” he said. “But, it’s All Money In so we ain’t going to put out nothing Mickey.” He made it a point to compare a potential release to the posthumous album put out by Pop Smoke’s business partners earlier this year. “I feel like if they would’ve held on to his music more and put it out the right way, it would’ve been received differently. But, the music was still good and we needed it at that time.”
Watch J Stone’s interview with The Bootleg Kev Podcast above.
Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Normal trends don’t really apply to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Generally, if a song doesn’t top the charts shortly after its released, it probably never will. The holiday classic did that in 2019, though, climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time ever despite being released way back in 1994. Songs also don’t usually return to No. 1 after a year away, but the track did so a couple weeks ago. A song has never topped the Hot 100 in three separate years, but now, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has become the first song to ever do that as well.
On the Hot 100 chart dated January 2, 2021, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has returned to No. 1 after Taylor Swift’s “Willow” knocked it down to No. 2 last week. Since the new chart is dated 2021, the song is the first chart-topper of 2021, which means the song has spent time at No. 1 in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Additionally, it is now the holiday song to spend the most weeks at No. 1, as it broke a tie with “The Chipmunk Song” by The Chipmunks with David Seville.
This latest achievement came thanks in part to some unprecedented streaming numbers, as “All I Want For Christmas Is You” had the most single-day streams in Spotify history in Christmas Eve.
Robert Rodriguez melted the minds of The Mandalorian fans once with the badass return of Boba Fett, and now, he’s back with another Star Wars treat of a much more adorable variety. In a new video posted bright and early on Christmas morning, Rodriguez can be seen jamming out with Baby Yoda on the set of “Episode 14: The Tragedy,” and the little guy is clearly into it as he bops and grooves to the music.
“Here’s a Christmas present to all those who asked me what it’s like to hang out with Baby Yoda on the set of #TheMandalorian,” Rodriguez tweeted.
You can see Rodriguez and Baby Yoda rocking out below:
The guitar video is a longer outtake from Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, which also dropped an hour-long special on the making of Season 2 on Christmas Day. As part of the special, Rodriguez walked fans through the creative process of finally delivering a Boba Fett action scene that fans have been waiting for for over 40 years. Rodriguez was determined to have Boba move differently than Mando, and be much more of a “barbarian” warrior. To prepare for the scene, Rodriguez filmed a concept video in his backyard using his sons and action figures, which The Mandalorian executive producer Dave Filoni absolutely loved. Via SyFy:
Upon showing his homemade demonstration to Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni, the latter allegedly said, “Wait a minute, were those just action figures I saw?” Rodriguez responded with, “Well, yeah, I didn’t have anything else on hand.” Filoni said, “No, you don’t understand, that makes it the coolest animatic ever.” The director’s first thought was: “These are my people!”
Clearly, Filoni and Lucasfilm liked what Rodriguez brought to the table because the Grindhouse director is officially attached to The Book of Boba Fett spinoff that arrives in December 2021.
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