Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Originally created for the Reagan/Gorbachev summit meetings, the 2004 Russian Cuvee is a blend of 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay aged 3 years on its yeast. Like all of these sparklers, it reveals lots of persistent effervescence, tiny, well-formed bubbles, a light straw color, and a distinctive perfume of orange rind and honeyed citrus. In the mouth, it cuts a fuller-bodied mouthfeel than its siblings, and displays more intensity. Even though it is made from the same blend as the Classic Vintage Brut, the Russian Cuvee is much longer, richer, and more intense. This deep wine shows off the impressive character of this house. Enjoy it over the next 2-3 years. This is an impressive group of sparkling wines from Joy Sterling and her team at Iron Horse.
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.