Winemaker Notes
#33 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
The 2019 Vintage Brut is a very focused and elegant wine displaying lovely notes of honey, pear, and lemon zest with a hint of light toastiness. On the palate this wine reveals nuances of baked apple, almond paste, and brioche that complement the notes from the nose. Aged in our cellar to enhance complexity and development, our 2019 Brut Cuvée presents the classic long and round toasty flavor that Domaine Carneros is known for.
Brut Cuvée is our most versatile wine for food pairing; as fine with oysters as it is with filet mignon. Our winemaker particularly loves it with soft cow milk cheeses or an expertly grilled sole meuniere.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Alluring for its sleek polish and precision, this sparkler has tiers of Asian pear, strawberry, fresh almond and ginger flavors that unfurl slowly.
-
James Suckling
Lemons, grapefruit, apricots and peach crumble on the nose. Some jasmine and honey, too. Creamy, round and soft with silky bubbles and a tasty finish
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.