Nose

The 2008 Reserve exhibits bursting, fruitful aromas of red apple, caramelized pear and lemon bar, that gain complexity with touches of toffee, honey and candied pecan.

Palate

Flavors of baked orange cake, vanilla custard, and shortbread cookie are followed by developed notes of graham cracker and cinnamon. The palate is rich on entry with a dense structure supported by long, mouthwatering acidity.

Growing Conditions

The warmer-than-normal winter, along with relatively dry weather, allowed for an earlier budbreak with flowering beginning in the early part of May. Mild temperatures continued through July, paving the way for harvest towards the beginning of August. The vintage is remembered as a drawn-out one due to cool temperatures in August and September, with only a brief heat spike around Labor Day. With no rush to harvest, the grapes were picked at their optimal ripeness for sparkling wine, with delicious flavors, low sugars and high acidities.

County Composition: 53% Sonoma, 35% Napa, 7% Marin, 5% Mendocino.

Bottling

Bottled: April 10, 2009

Winemaking

Though primarily Pinot Noir, small amounts of select Chardonnay lots are added to the blend to lend additional backbone and length to the palate. Distinct barrel and malolactic fermented lots are also layered in to provide viscosity and depth.

Barrel Fermentation: 41%


Aging

Each bottle is aged in contact with the yeast in our historic Diamond Mountain hillside caves for over seven years, affording the development of seasoned, roasted and caramelized richness. The yeast is then removed and a finishing dosage, determined through extensive and comprehensive trials, is added to fine-tune the wine’s balance of flavor.

Food Pairing

Schramsberg Reserve is well-suited with a main course, such as fruit-stuffed veal, pork tenderloin, roasted duck with mango, cedarplank grilled salmon, and curried chicken salad. This flavorful sparkling wine can also be served as an apéritif with smoked oysters, caviar and such hard cheeses as aged Swiss Sbrinz, Sonoma Vella Jack, or Irish Coolea.