Winemaker Notes
After approximately two years on the lees, there are notes of freshly baked bread and pastry that enhance the more fruit forward style of the wine. Finally, after several months on the cork, the wine develops caramel and hazelnut complexors.
Blend: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
A remarkable value with the poise and presence of wines twice the price. Composed of 60% Char-donnay and 40% Pinot Noir, it rings clear and pure on a nose marked by toast, Asian pear, yellow apple, honeysuckle, and hazelnut; on the palate, lilting, lip-smacking acidity and a creamy tang usher in more orchard fruit enhanced by hints of white fig and apricot.
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Decanter
A blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir from Mendocino County with 10 g/L of residual sugar, aged a minimum of two years en tirage and six months under cork. 14,000 bottles were produced. Riveting aromatics of brioche, creme brule, and candied citrus. Broad and mouth-filling with a creamy mousse that, upon resolve, delivers a crisp wine with depth and textures of crushed river stones, layered with red berry fruit, apricots and tangerine notes, and nutty overtones on the finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The NV Brut Excellence is given less time in bottle and higher dosage than the Brut Black Label, blending 60-40 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir at 8.5 grams per liter dosage. Rich and round in strawberry, quince, and blood orange, it offers a fresh, more immediate, more primary style of medium-bodied refreshment and complexity, showcasing the Chardonnay more specifically in jolts of lemony zestiness. The finish is substantive and long.
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James Suckling
A generous and opulent wine with fresh pears and stone fruit on the nose. The bright fruit character is nicely balanced by baking spice and baked apple flavors. A pleasing sweetness with fine, consistent bubbles. A very drinkable wine. Good value.
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Wine & Spirits
This is clean and crisp with rich undertones of brioche and lemon custard. It offers a balance of the soft and the lively, a refreshing sparkling wine to kick off a dinner party.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Scharffenberger Brut Excellence Sparkling Wine is nicely textured, yet it remains crisp in the finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows aromatic spices, peach skin, and a slight creaminess in its aromas and flavors. Enjoy it with lightly grilled shellfish or as a toast with family and friends. (Tasted: June 12, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
This sumptuous bottling offers baked stone fruit, Golden Delicious apple, carmelized pear and orange crème fraîche. A firm mousse in midpalate comes together with baked brioche, allspice and buttered toast on the way to a dry finish. Pair with oysters, a seafood tower or anytime.
The history of Scharffenberger Cellars begins in 1981 in the heart of California's Anderson Valley. Situated only miles from the coastal influences of the Pacific Ocean, Scharffenberger Cellars also enjoys the deep soils and sunshine within the protected valley.
Originally founded by John Scharffenberger, the company has undergone many transitions, including a name change when it was formally known as Pacific Echo from 1998 until July 2004. Today, the name has been restored back to Scharffenberger Cellars under the management of Maisons Marques & Domaines.
In early 2018, Jeffrey Jindra took over the winemaking operations, bringing extensive experience acquired during his years producing wine both in California and New Zealand. Jeffrey stays true to the winery's original philosophy, to create stellar quality, delicious sparkling wines that reflect the diversity of the premier Mendocino County viticultural appellation.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.