Winemaker Notes
Elegant streams of ultra-fine bubbles fill the glass, complemented by generous aromas of bright lemon, a hint of strawberry and currant, and freshly cut hay. The palate is crisp and vibrant, showcasing a concentration of flavors that range from ripe Meyer lemon to white cherry, white peach, gentle notes of honeyed brioche and a whisper of buttered croissant. The energetic and lively bubbles persist alongside the heightening complexity of aromas. With a barely perceptible dosage, the result is an evocative representation of Carneros terroir with a finish that is bright, clean and endlessly refreshing.
The Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs pairs beautifully with a diverse array of foods, including chicken paillard with arugula and shaved pecorino, grilled swordfish with green olive and tomato tapenade, or a goat cheese omelette.
Blend: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
White fruit and red-pear, white currant, strawberry-intertwine with notes of toast and preserved lemon throughout this vivacious blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, which parlays its crisp mousse into a supple mouthfeel accented by a slight touch of sweet spice on the finish.
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James Suckling
The most Champagne-like of Paula Kornell’s new releases is made from 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay. It offers fascinating toast and ginger aromas and a lively, fresh and mouth-filling texture alive with white cherries and raspberries on a light body.
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Wine Enthusiast
Elegant and supple, this finely detailed wine offers lively citrus and raspberry aromas. Refreshing, light and creamy fruit and toast flavors are backed by subtle acidity. A sense of refinement is its hallmark.
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Wine Spectator
Exuberant and fresh, showing vibrant apple and cherry flavors accented with brioche and roasted almond notes. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now. 500 cases made.
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Decanter
Paula Kornell debuted her namesake brand in 2017 in homage to her father, Hanns Kornell, who, in 1958, began producing Méthode Champenoise techniques on California grapes from his Larkmead Estate winery. Paula began working with her dad at Kornell Champagne Cellars in 1982, so her own label has been a long time coming. Scotland native Robin Akhurst, leveraging the Méthode Champenoise, is making some of the best sparkling wine that is Napa Valley appellated. The 2020 release of Paula Kornell is terrifically fresh with stark minerality and building in richness with French pastry, almond cream, and golden cherries. From the lively and persistent, rich and creamy mousse come notes of acacia, Granny Smith apple, and buttered brioche, finishing bone dry even at 8.0g/L, with crispy and zippy acid tension. Harvested between 17 and 31 August 2020, with tirage on 1 February 2021 and disgorged on 15 January 2023. Number nine of my top 10 wines of 2023.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Reasonably toasty-yeasty for such a young wine, the 2020 Blanc de Noirs features notes of brioche joining hints of citrus and gingery spice. Medium-bodied, with a fine bead and a lush, creamy mousse, this is a solid effort, just a bit soft on the 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.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.