Winemaker Notes
Aromas of green apple, honey dew melon, pear, and lemon zest with a hint of toasted bread. On the palate, this wine displays notes of macadamia nut, baked apple, and shortbread that complements the notes from the nose.
Blend: 53% Pinot Noir, 44% Chardonnay, and 3% Pinot Gris
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Blending 53% Pinot Noir, 44% Chardonnay and 3% Pinot Gris into a cohesive whole, this sparkler is aged nearly four years. Effusively fruity and balanced in acidity, it offers rich, rounded notes of pear, green apple and melon that contrast against a bite of cookie.
-
Wine Spectator
Richly structured with tiers of Asian pear, apple, brioche and melon flavors, building tension and vibrancy on the lingering finish. Drink now
-
James Suckling
Enticing aromas of grilled peaches, raspberries, honey, praline and toasted almonds. It’s full-bodied and rounded with honeyed, creamy layers. Soft bubbles. Fresh and mellow finish. 53% pinot noir, 44% chardonnay and 3% pinot gris. 9g/l dosage. Vegan. Drink now.
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.