Cruse Wine Co. Rancho Chimiles Vineyard Valdiguie 2019
-
Robert
Parker -
Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Fresh, clean dirt and juicy radish greens. The wine has a delicious flow and is a pleasure to have at the table.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Rancho Chimiles Sparkling Valdiguié, made using the traditional method, has a medium cherry-pink color and savory aromas focused on tones of cheese rind, mushroom and iodine rather than overt fruit. The light-bodied palate is dry (this was not dosed) and pleasantly creamy (the base wines underwent full malolactic conversion). It offers delicate red berry fruit and earthy accents, and mouthwatering acidity calls you in for another sip on the finish.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Cruse Wine Co. Rancho Chimiles Vineyard Valdiguié is bright and pleasing. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits alluring aromas and flavors of tart red raspberries and light chalkiness. Pair it with rosemary-accented, roast lamb kebabs. (Tasted: March 31, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Cruse Wine Co. was an opportunity for Michael to showcase fruit driven and satisfying wines that are pleasurable, but seriously balanced and unapologetically California. The North Coast is near and dear to Michael, so he chose to focus on sites within the Napa Valley and Sonoma County to create his special wines. The one thing he didn’t want to do was to create another Pinot Noir or Cabernet, instead he found inspiration in varieties such as Valdiguie, Tannant, Carignan and St Laurent.
The flagship wine of Cruse Wine Co. is the red blend Monkey Jacket (the name inspired by an old, British sailor song). This wine embodies all the things Cruse Wine Co. is meant to be, as it’s a blend of Valdiguie, Carignan, Tannat, St Laurent and mixed field blend reds and provides incredible drinkability with brightness and ample structure. In addition to Monkey Jacket, Michael also makes small lots of single vineyard varietal wines from Valdiguie, Tannant, Syrah, Carignan and Chardonnay.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.