Wine of the week: Schramsberg, 2018 North Coast Brut Rosé

For Valentine’s Day, The Press Democrat has lined up nine blushing sparklers to try.|
PEG MELNIK
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

This week’s blind tasting

Schramsberg, 2018 North Coast Brut Rosé 12.6%, $47, 4.5 stars. The perfect Valentine’s Day pick, this brut rosé has yeasty, nutty aromas that follow through to the palate, with strawberry and mineral in the mix. It has pitch-perfect balance and finishes crisp with a nice mousse. Impressive.

Cuvaison, 2017 Napa Valley Los Carneros Brut Rosé, 12%, $50, 4 stars. A striking brut rosé with a range of flavors including yeast, brioche, ginger, strawberry and red grapefruit. Nice mousse. Top-rate.

Domaine Carneros, NV Cuvee de la Pompadour, Carneros Brut Rosé, 12%, $45, 4 stars. This elegant brut rosé has yeasty and nutty aromas and flavors coupled with notes of cherry and strawberry. It has great structure, with a hint of cranberry on the finish. Well-crafted.

Frank Family Vineyards, 2016 Carneros Brut Rosé, 12%, $55, 4 stars. A toasty brut rosé with layered notes of strawberry, green apple and mineral. Nice length. Tasty.

J Vineyards, 2016 Russian River Valley Brut Rosé, 12.5%, $70, 4 stars. This brut rosé charms you with its complexity. It has yeasty, nutty aromas and flavors coupled with notes of raspberry, ginger and mandarin. Nice mousse. Smart.

Ram’s Gate, 2015 Sonoma Coast Brut Rosé, 12.5%, $46, 4 stars. This is a complex brut rosé with a supple texture. it has layered notes of apple blossom, strawberry, melon and cranberry, with a hint of watermelon on the finish. Lovely.

Gloria Ferrer, 2018 Carneros Blanc de Noir Rosé, 12.5%, $55, 3.5 stars. This is a tasty sparkler with layered aromas of yeast, caramel, orange blossom and honeysuckle and, on the palate, a commingling of raspberry and mineral. Refreshing.

Korbel, 2016 Sonoma County Blanc de Noir, 12%, $30, 3.5 stars. This bubbly overdelivers with aromas and flavors of yeast, petroleum, strawberry and cranberry. Buoyed by crisp acid. Nice mousse. Pretty.

Scharffenberger, NV Mendocino County Brut Excellence Rosé, 12.5%, $29, 3 stars. This sparkler has layered aromas and flavors of yeast, petroleum, white peach and persimmon. Nice length. Finishes crisp. Solid.

If you want to romance your partner this Valentine’s Day, you can’t go wrong with pink bubbles.

With Cupid in mind, The Press Democrat had a blind tasting of blushing sparklers, and Schramsberg snagged the top spot with its 2018 North Coast Brut Rosé at $47. This impressive brut rosé has yeasty, nutty aromas that follow through on the palate, with strawberry and mineral in the mix. It has pitch-perfect balance and finishes crisp with a nice mousse.

Hugh Davies, president of the Calistoga sparkling wine house, said this brut rosé is a worthy romantic pick.

“It’s the beautiful rose color but also has the tasty red berry fruits and long, lingering finish,” he said.

Davies said the house style he’s shooting for is complex and balanced.

“We want to have brightness and layering of fruit, with elements of toastiness and caramelization from age, while having a vibrant, palate-cleansing length,” he said. “We’ve come a long way to find the right balance of fruit, acidity and weight on the palate. … There are many steps along the way that help us get it just right.”

What many may not know about brut rosé, Davies said, is the crucial role chardonnay plays.

“Really tart chardonnay creates a backbone upon which layers of tasty pinot noir are enveloped,” he said. “It’s a blend of wines made from red and white grapes, some fermented in stainless steel tanks and others in barrels.”

This is Schramberg’s 51st vintage of crafting this sparkling wine.

“We’ve been at it for a long time,” Davies said. “The diverse set of vineyards in our program, ranging from Mendocino’s Anderson Valley to the Sonoma and Marin coasts and to the Napa Carneros, puts us in a great starting position. And we continue to fine-tune our technique from vineyard to bottle every year.”

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at peg.melnik@gmail.com or 707-521-5310.

This week’s blind tasting

Schramsberg, 2018 North Coast Brut Rosé 12.6%, $47, 4.5 stars. The perfect Valentine’s Day pick, this brut rosé has yeasty, nutty aromas that follow through to the palate, with strawberry and mineral in the mix. It has pitch-perfect balance and finishes crisp with a nice mousse. Impressive.

Cuvaison, 2017 Napa Valley Los Carneros Brut Rosé, 12%, $50, 4 stars. A striking brut rosé with a range of flavors including yeast, brioche, ginger, strawberry and red grapefruit. Nice mousse. Top-rate.

Domaine Carneros, NV Cuvee de la Pompadour, Carneros Brut Rosé, 12%, $45, 4 stars. This elegant brut rosé has yeasty and nutty aromas and flavors coupled with notes of cherry and strawberry. It has great structure, with a hint of cranberry on the finish. Well-crafted.

Frank Family Vineyards, 2016 Carneros Brut Rosé, 12%, $55, 4 stars. A toasty brut rosé with layered notes of strawberry, green apple and mineral. Nice length. Tasty.

J Vineyards, 2016 Russian River Valley Brut Rosé, 12.5%, $70, 4 stars. This brut rosé charms you with its complexity. It has yeasty, nutty aromas and flavors coupled with notes of raspberry, ginger and mandarin. Nice mousse. Smart.

Ram’s Gate, 2015 Sonoma Coast Brut Rosé, 12.5%, $46, 4 stars. This is a complex brut rosé with a supple texture. it has layered notes of apple blossom, strawberry, melon and cranberry, with a hint of watermelon on the finish. Lovely.

Gloria Ferrer, 2018 Carneros Blanc de Noir Rosé, 12.5%, $55, 3.5 stars. This is a tasty sparkler with layered aromas of yeast, caramel, orange blossom and honeysuckle and, on the palate, a commingling of raspberry and mineral. Refreshing.

Korbel, 2016 Sonoma County Blanc de Noir, 12%, $30, 3.5 stars. This bubbly overdelivers with aromas and flavors of yeast, petroleum, strawberry and cranberry. Buoyed by crisp acid. Nice mousse. Pretty.

Scharffenberger, NV Mendocino County Brut Excellence Rosé, 12.5%, $29, 3 stars. This sparkler has layered aromas and flavors of yeast, petroleum, white peach and persimmon. Nice length. Finishes crisp. Solid.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor