Winemaker Notes
This saline expression of sparkling Chardonnay exudes kaffir lime and lemongrass aromas, giving way to lemon verbena and juicy green apple on the palate, the finish is pleasingly dry and stoney. It is a crisp and firm accompaniment to seafood and a great conversation starter.
The Iron Horse Ocean Reserve is an incredible accompaniment to raw bar fare, sushi, and crudités.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
With a lemony mousse and slate-like, acid-driven freshness, this Chardonnay-based sparkler is deliciously dry and complex. Stone fruit, lime and grapefruit combine around an effortless midpalate of light, bright structure and beautiful aromatic accents.
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Wine & Spirits
Sleek and pinpoint in focus, with steely lemon and fresh ginger flavors that take on a rich and creamy texture through the finish. Drink now.
Iron Horse is best known for its Sparkling Wines, which have been served at the White House since 1985, beginning with the historic U.S.-Russian Summit Meetings ending the Cold War, at the White House Millennium celebrations ushering in the new century, and at the White House dinner honoring the Pope.
Their Chardonnay is considered a signature wine for the cool, foggy Green Valley region. Pinot Noir is the winery's rising star wine.
Iron Horse has been named an American icon in a reference book published by Random House called "Icons of the American Market Place". Listed in alphabetical order, Iron Horse takes its place between iPod and Jack Daniel’s, validating Iron Horse’s reputation as a brand backed by pride, passion and quality.
The Iron Horse name came from a train that cut across the property in the 1890s. The logo, the rampant horse on a weather vane, came from a 19th century weathervane found while clearing away the rubble to build the winery.
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.
Situated on the foggier and colder western edge of the Russian River Valley, almost abutting the Sonoma Coast appellation, Green Valley is one of California’s most reputable Chardonnay and Pinot noir producing regions. It is also a wonderful source of sparkling wines made from these varieties.
Goldridge soils abound throughout the Green Valley appellation. This fine, dark, sandy loam and fractured sandstone is derived from the remains of ancient inland seabeds dating back three to five million years. It is valuable for high quality grape growing because of its excellent drainage and low fertility.