2005 J Vintage Brut Sparkling Wine

The vineyards

The 2005 Russian River Valley growing season was cooler than average, though July was a bit warmer. The cool weather delayed the sparkling wine harvest to mid-August, and a spike in temperatures gently pushed the grapes to their proper balance of pH and acidity.

Processing

All of the grapes were hand-harvested into small quarter-ton bins and placed as whole clusters, without de-stemming, into our special Coquard press for a gentle pressing. The juice was fermented and kept separately until the final blending decision, which took place in November. The cuvée was assembled the next month, cold stabilized to remove excess tartrates, then bottled in May of 2006.

Aging

After the secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle, the
wine was aged on tirage for nearly five years in our cellars. In early October 2011, the wine was carefully riddled to remove the yeast sediment. Following disgorging, a dosage of barrel-aged reserve wine was added for balance. An additional three months of aging on the cork was added before release.

Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes by Winemaker Melissa Stackhouse
I love the fine, persistent bubbles in this Vintage Brut. The 2005 vintage features luscious aromas of ripe citrus, pear, and honeysuckle. A noticeable yeasty brioche and butterscotch aroma lures you in for the first sip. Slight toasted almond characters add to the layers in the mouth with pear, taffy apple, and citrus flavors. An excellent balance of toast and rich fruit flavors is the hallmark of this vintage brut. It is the perfect apéritif or first-course accompaniment to a potato leek purée drizzled over curly endive with a dash of truffled caviar.