Schramsberg Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine 2019, North Coast, California

Schramsberg Brut Rosé is fruitful, complex, and dry, making it both versatile with food and delicious by itself as an apéritif. The character of the wine is most strongly influenced by bright, flavorful Pinot Noir grown along the coast from southern Mendocino County to northern Marin County. A few small lots of Pinot Noir are fermented in contact with their skins to add depth and subtle color to this vibrant sparkling wine. Chardonnay gives spice, structure, and length to the palate. Hand picking, careful handling, and gentle pressing produce a wine of delicacy, aromatic purity, and depth. Following the fall harvest and fermentation of the base wines, extensive tasting trials are carried out in the spring to create a polished blend reflective of the vintage. The finished blend undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle before aging on its yeast lees for about two years, just enough to achieve refined effervescence and toastiness without diminishing its refreshing, vibrant appeal. 2019 vintage: 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. Tasting notes: “The 2019 Brut Rosé opens with enticing aromas of raspberry, strawberry, and peach, intermingled with layers of lemon shortbread, brioche, and a hint of white florals. A bright entry of watermelon, cherry-limeade, candied orange, and sugar cookie leads to a long quenching finish.”
–Winemakers Sean Thompson, Jessica Koga, and Hugh Davies