Winemaker Notes
This wine pairs beautifully with a wide variety of appetizers ranging from toasted almonds and marinated olives to fried calamari or seared scallops. Enjoy it with Brie or aged Gouda cheese, steamed mussels and delicate cream based fish and chicken entrees. Seasoning affinities include citrus peel and tarragon.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The later disgorging of this wine made from 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay has given it a complexity of texture and flavor that's compelling, an older golden-apple and dried apricot sensibility that's intriguing on the nose and palate. Sizzling acidity makes for a crisp, dry wine, with lengthy finish.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and creamy, showing an appealing touch of age, with notes of brioche, candied ginger and lemon tart that linger on the long and yeasty 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.