Winemaker Notes
It’s the nature of Michael Cruse to be as nonconformist as possible and this is the perfect example – sparkling St-Laurent made in the ancestral method. There isn’t much St-Laurent – a high-quality Austrian grape – planted in California, and this comes from a small twenty-five-year-old vineyard in Carneros. Clean, fruity, and yeasty, with lots of frothy bubbles, this is the most immediate and summer-friendly of all of Cruse’s sparkling wines.On the nose the wine is dominated by white flowers, peach candies, and lavender. Bright, youthful fruit, a persistent grape and pear character, are key elements of the palate. The mousse is dominant and creamy. It is an easily quaffable wine with its crystalline simplicity. The wine finishes with a slight sweetness (varying between 8-12 g/L) adding to the playful nature of this spring and summer porch pounder. Alcohol: 10.0%, PH: 3.47, Pressure: 5 bar
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.