Reviews : BLANC DE Noirs
2008
93 points / 2008 Blanc de Noirs - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines
"Fruit takes a back seat to minerals and yeast here, yet the wine is not cast in an especially toasty style and is closer in manner to an elegant, finely etched Blanc de Blancs than to a fuller Blanc de Noirs. Although a touch on the restrained side and a bit lean on the palate, it is a nonetheless a complete and wonderfully well-crafted wine with a very fine, creamy mousse, a cleansing bias to crispness and a rich and refined finish that seems to go on forever."
(November 2012)
92 points / 2008 Blanc de Noirs - Wine Enthusiast
"Golden pale in color—this is so light and delicate on the palate, you’d never guess it was made almost entirely from Pinot Noir, with just 9% Chardonnay added. It tastes of lime and yeast, with a suggestion of strawberry, and has a soft, creamy mousse."
(December 2012)
2007
94 points / 2007 Blanc de Noirs - Wine Enthusiast
"Mainly Pinot Noir, with some Chardonnay for brightness and citrusy zest, this brilliantly clean wine has an incredibly fierce mousse. It seems to boil in the glass, and the followup mouthfeel is as creamy and refined as any California sparkler in memory. The Pinot asserts itself in delicate touches of raspberries and strawberries. Delicious and compelling now. Try with sushi." (December 2010)
92 points / 2007 Blanc de Noirs - The Tasting Panel
"Lush and creamy,
bright and weighty with balance; alive with
citrus and raspberry flavors."
(December 2010)
92 points / 2007 Blanc de Noirs - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines
"While some local Blanc de Noirs bottlings succeed on the strength of buoyant fruit, this one does so by way of refinement. Its yeasty, nicely layered aromas are graced with subtle suggestions of cherries, minerals and a scant touch of chalk, and its very deep, well-autolyzed flavors articulately express classic champenization. It is quite dry to the taste without becoming austere, and it is enlivened by a steady stream of very small bubbles."
(November 2010)
2006
90 points / 2006 Blanc de Noirs - The Wine News
"Medium gold color. Nose of lime and toasted barrel, along with fresh cherry and strawberry aromas that impart an illusion of sweetness. Soft entry with a freshness and roundness that intimates a more relaxed, casual Friday quaff compared to the buttoned-up, coat-and-tie Blanc de Blancs. Soft fruit qualities cloak a tightly wound acid base that will ensure a long life in bottle and cellar. Light cherry seltzer flavors with hints of grapefruit and lime. Faint pineapple surfaces in the finish.” (December 2009)
90 points / 2006 Blanc de Noirs - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines
"A full dose of creamy yeast backed up by light, directly cherryish notes and by hints of burnt paper and baked brioche brands this wine as the real thing. It is explosively bubbled and is bristling with acidity and becomes a trifle hard and austere, yet it counters that minor bother with a minerally streak and a long finish." (November 2009)
Highly Recommended / 2006 Blanc de Noirs - Miami Herald
"very fruity, with raspberry and
pineapple flavors, soft bubbles" (December 17, 2009)
90 points / 2006 Blanc de Noirs - Ken's Wine Guide
"It opens with and apple blossom and yeast like bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, crisp, and slightly tart with citrus flavors. The reviewer tasted lemon and minerality peaking through the most. There was also a touch of grapefruit noted on the back palate. The finish is very dry and its flavors last for quite some time. This is a very refreshing sparkling wine and ideal for a hot summer night. This offering would be perfect as an aperitif and would pair nicely with spring rolls." (June 2009)
