2021 Blanc de Noir

Sparkling Wine

Tasting Notes

Slight rosé color with pretty floral aromatics and distinct quince paste and yeasty fresh bread background profile. Refined on the palate, with beautiful mouth filling flavors on the mid palate and a lingering finish featuring delicate fruit flavors and balanced acidity. 

Winemaking Notes

The pinot noir and chardonnay used to craft this Blanc de Noir were picked slightly earlier in the 2021 harvest compared to the later picks used to make still pinot noir and chardonnay. The earlier picks contain slightly higher acids and slightly lower sugars. This profile results in a wine that is more refreshing and crisp and has more aging potential.  

When the grapes reached the winery, they were immediately pressed lightly, which yielded a brilliantly clear golden color and a delicate structure. This juice fermented at a cool temperature to retain elegant aromatics and fruit flavors in the resulting base wine.

We then followed the traditional Méthode Champenoise technique to make this wine sparkle. The still wine was bottled along with a mixture of yeast and sugar to create a secondary fermentation in the bottle. This secondary fermentation creates bubbles in the wine and leaves behind spent yeast cells. These yeast cells add the signature fresh bread nuance to Méthode Champenoise style sparkling wines. After each bottle was aged for 18 months, they were then slowly turned upside down for the dead yeast cells to gather in the neck of the bottle. The neck is then frozen which solidifies these yeast cells. The cork is then removed which in turn pops off this cap. A new cork is added to the now clear sparkling wine, and it is now ready to enjoy!

Aging

The acidity in this wine will soften as it ages. Drink it now to enjoy a profile of fresh and vibrant fruit or lay it down for 3 to 15 years to find a wine that has developed richer, bolder, and nuanced flavors than it had in its youth.

Food Pairing

This Blanc de Noir pairs beautifully with nutty, aged cheeses like gouda and parmesan. White meats are recommended, including poultry, pork loin, fish and seafood. Try it with a flavorful grilled halibut, tuna steak, or crab cakes. Rich vegetarian dishes such as cheese soufflés, winter squash gratin, cream-based soups, and butternut squash soup will pair well.

Wine Specs

40% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir

12.5% alcohol