Winemaker Notes
This flavorful, bright bubbly exhibits the crisp acidity and vibrant apple/citrus fruit that is characteristic of cool-climate Chardonnay. Pinot Noir adds body to the palate and further depth of fruit flavor. The grapes for Mirabelle are grown in the cool-climate pockets of California's North Coast, including the Napa-Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, and Marin County. The fruit is hand-picked in the early morning hours at optimal maturity. Individual lot fermentations allow the winemakers to carefully select the components that make up the finished blend. After bottle fermentation and two years of aging en tirage, subsequent trials determine the ideal dosage to finish this brut style.
*The label for Mirabelle Brut is in the process of changing. You may receive either of these two labels featured above. Specific labels cannot be requested.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is rich and vibrant, with aromas of Bosc pear, acacia honey and apple blossom on the nose. The flavors of the palate are baked apple, peach, orange marmalade and cinnamon, with good acidity in the midpalate. It offers a medium mousse, with honeyed apple and mineral on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Plush and generous, with refined pear and cherry flavors accented with yeast roll and hazelnut as this glides on the silky finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.