Wine of the week: Bricoleur, NV Isla Rose, Brut Rosé, Sonoma County

Mothers will appreciate The Press Democrat’s wine of the week winner — the Bricoleur, NV Isla Rose, Brut Rosé, Sonoma County — when they hear its back story, according to co-winemaker Cary Gott.

“Vintners Mark and Elizabeth Hanson named the Bricoleur bubbly ‘Isla Rose’ after their first grandchild to honor all the entrepreneurial women in the wine industry and to celebrate their extended family’s sixth generation in winemaking,” Gott said.

A standout in our Mother’s Day blind tasting, the Bricoleur, NV Isla Rose, Brut Rosé, $60, has rich cherry fruit coupled with notes of citrus and mineral. Balanced, this well-crafted sparkling rosé has great structure and a nice mousse.

“The cool Carneros region gives this sparkling wine its fresh fruit and balance,” Gott said. “The most challenging part of making a sparkling rosé is the patience required before being able to disgorge the wine and enjoy the fruits of our labor.”

Gott, 74, is Bricoleur Vineyards’ co-winemaker along with Bob Cabral.

“We’re thrilled that the legendary winemaker (Bob Cabral) joined our team earlier this year,” Gott said. “Bob was Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2011 Winemaker of the Year and made the first 100-point North American pinot noir when he was winemaker at Williams Selyem. This year marks Bob’s 44th vintage as a winemaker.”

As for Gott, he spent nine years at Mumm Napa blending base wines for sparklers, which he said makes him a good fit to craft bubbly.

“We put a lot of work into crafting a perfectly colored rosé that fits the fruity, crisp profile we prefer,” Gott said.

In addition to bubbly, Bricoleur Vineyards produces pinot noir, chardonnay, viognier, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, grenache and petite sirah. It also recently planted cabernet franc, mourvèdre and merlot.

The winery produces up to 10,000 cases annually and owns two vineyards — the vineyard at its estate in the Russian River Valley and Kick Ranch Vineyard in the Fountaingrove District.

Debuting with the 2017 vintage, Bricoleur opened its tasting room in 2020 and has quickly become a favorite winery to visit. In 2022, USA Today selected it as one of the “10 Best” new wineries in the country.

Bricoleur Vineyards is known for its all-star lineup of chefs and its unique wine and food pairings. Its winemaking team collaborates with culinary adviser and James Beard award-winning chef Charlie Palmer, Executive In-house Chef Thomas Bellec and Chef de Cuisine Todd Knoll to create its six-course Rooted tasting and its three-course Soaring tasting. Both tastings change every two months to reflect the seasonality of the winery’s sustainably farmed culinary garden.

“Sparkling wine is so versatile as a food pairing,” Gott said. “When we’re relaxing at the estate on a sunny afternoon, we love to pair Isla sparkling rosé with toast points and pâté. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

You can reach Wine Writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.