Winemaker Notes
The wine displays lovely notes of pear, green apple, and citrus zest on the nose with a hint of light toastiness. On the palate this wine reveals nuances of baked apple, brioche, and a touch of key lime pie that complement the notes from the nose.
Blend: 62% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Polished and pithy, this blend of 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay opens with scents of wet stone, lemon zest, lime curd, and just-underripe pineapple-the latter of which reverberates with green apple and white cherry on a silky smooth palate whose elegance is punctuated by hints of white pepper and toast on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Plush and round, offering sumptuous cherry and pear flavors laced with creme brulee and roasted nuts, this builds richness to the rich finish. Drink now. 16,000 cases made.
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Wine Enthusiast
Flavors of crisp green apple, fennel and toasted biscuit with a squeeze of lemon fill the palate with pleasing texture through a long and vibrant 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.