The Prime Ten Wines from the Seventh Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Glowing Wine

Two weekends in the past, I performed one other Blind Tasting at our humble little abode right here in Houston, to which I invited different wine writers from the realm. This most up-to-date iteration was the seventh annual tasting of American glowing wines.

All the blind tastings (now 22 in whole) have produced some surprises, which is, fairly frankly, why tasting blind now and again is wholesome. It’s typically too straightforward to be influenced by value, producer, or PR agency when tasting non-blind, and additionally it is good to “re-center” one’s palate in a method—to focus solely on what’s within the glass.

That is the final of 4 installments for my Seventh Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Glowing Wines, and tasting notes for the ultimate 12 wines. There have been 48 wines in whole, making it near the most important of the seven glowing wine tastings that we’ve got had (final yr there have been 50).

I began this tasting seven years in the past with the purpose of shining a bit of sunshine on the glowing wines being made on this nation. It wasn’t (and isn’t) meant to be a contest with Champagne, however relatively to spotlight wines from each extensively accessible producers and some which can be solely accessible direct from the vineyard.

On the finish of the notes, I’ve additionally listed the highest wines from this yr’s group of tasters, my prime wines (at the very least as I see them), and people who I contemplate to be one of the best values.

Bagged and prepared.

2016 Brooks Glowing Riesling, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $55. 100% Riesling. Extraordinarily Heavy Bottle (868g; 30.6oz). Golden within the glass sherried and wealthy on the nostril with only a slight trace of petrol. Yowza. The palate is way of the identical, and I adore it. Baked apple and recent croissant with that sherried notice that’s fabulous. Excellent. 94 Factors.

2016 Sanford Blanc de Noirs, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $55(?). Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (912g; 32.2oz). 100%(?) Pinot Noir (the information on this wine was scant on-line). Smoky and salty on the nostril with hints of lime. The palate is off the charts, nevertheless, with a load of yeasty goodness and simply sufficient fruit to make this a tremendous wine. Excellent. 95 Factors.

NV Gloria Ferrer Brut, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $30. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (900g; 31.7oz). 88% Pinot Noir, 12% Chardonnay. Tons of sulfur on the nostril of this pretty pale wine. A little bit of sweetness right here, and it appears to work. Good fruit and tartness observe, rendering this a reasonably nicely balanced wine. However that nostril… Wonderful. 90 Factors.

2020 Domaine Carneros Brut, Carneros, CA: Retail $39. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (913g; 32.2oz). 57% Pinot Noir, 43% Chardonnay. A little bit of a smoky pear factor on the nostril of this pretty pale wine. The palate is crisp and fruity, however lacking a little bit of the “wow issue” that I wish to see in glowing wines. Very Good. 89 Factors.

Isn’t it time to put off all of the foil? It serves no goal…aside from to replenish landfills.

NV Chemistry Pinot Noir Rosé Bubbles, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $25. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (901g; 31.8oz). 100% Pinot Noir. Rosé. Medium pink to salmon with a little bit of a wild strawberry/flinty nostril. Wealthy and fruity on the palate with intense fruit that comes off as a bit candy nevertheless it actually works. Excellent. 93 Factors.

2020 Roco RMS Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. 100% Pinot Noir. Rosé. Extra of a lightweight bubblegum in colour with a unclean, wild strawberry vibe on the nostril. Good fruit and stability right here as nicely, with a little bit of flint and a contact of sweetness, each of which work. Wonderful. 92 Factors.

2020 Sanford Blanc de Blancs, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $55. 100%(?) Chardonnay (no data is on the market on-line). Citrus and salinity on the nostril of this very gentle straw coloured wine. The palate is good, with greater than a little bit of tang. This actually works for me, however there’s a little bit of a quirkiness to it. Very Good. 88 Factors.

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut, Columbia Valley, WA: Retail $13. Extraordinarily Heavy Bottle (874g; 30.8oz). “Varietals like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.” Peach and pear are on the prime of the listing right here of aromas on this pale straw wine. Fruity and wealthy with loads of tartness, this swings a bit towards the overly fruity aspect, which is okay. Very good. Very Good. 89 Factors.

NV Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé, Carneros, CA: Retail $40. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (916g; 32.3oz). 58% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay. Rosé? Gentle salmon-orange with a beautiful peachy/cherry vibe happening. Whoa. The palate explodes with taste, tons of fruit, tartness, and only a contact of yeastiness. Whoa. Excellent. 95 Factors.

2020 Chehalem Restricted Version Glowing Brut, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. Extraordinarily Heavy Bottle (875g; 30.9oz). 84% Pinot Noir, 16% Chardonnay. Previous yellow and on the best way to golden with a touch of salmon. Smoky and meaty on the nostril with some wild strawberry and a contact of baked apple, wealthy and layered. Unbelievable. Excellent. 94 Factors.

2019 Brooks Glowing Riesling, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. Extraordinarily Heavy Bottle (846g; 29.8oz). Pale straw with a beautiful nostril of brioche, the palate is a bit totally different (Riesling?) and fragrant. Actually implausible. Vivid, partaking, vigorous. That is actually implausible. Excellent. 94 Factors.

NV Stoller Brut Glowing Wine – Property, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (906g; 32oz). 75% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Noir, 3% Pinot Meunier. Property Disgorged 2023. Pale however sensible with a unclean, flinty, apple-y nostril. Yowza. Beautiful. Balnced, fruity, layered and introspective, that is simply among the finest wines within the tasting. The end lasts for days. Holy cow. Excellent. 96 Factors.

The Group’s Prime Wines

My solely “task” for the group (we had been 5 in whole) was to present me a listing of their “prime wines”. It may very well be two, it may very well be twenty and the definition of “prime” was as much as them. Solely two wines appeared on all 4 lists, thus the consensus prime wines of the tasting (The scores in all parentheses are mine.):

1. 2013 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée ($110, 96 Factors)
2. NV Domaine Carneros, Cuvée de la Pompadour, Brut Rosé ($40, 95 pts.)

All the following wines appeared on at the very least three of the 4 lists of “prime wines”.

1. Piper Sonoma Brut Rosé ($22, 93 pts.)
2. 2018 Sokol Blosser Blossom Ridge ($64, 94 pts.)
3. 2020 Sanford Brut Cuvée ($55, 91 pts.)
4. 2021 Acquiesce Grenache Rosé ($55, 94 pts.)
5. Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve M.V.5 ($105, 95 pts.)
6. 2020 Chehalem Restricted Version Brut ($65, 94 pts.)
7. NV Stoller Brut ($40, 96 pts.)
8. 2019 Brooks Glowing Riesling ($65, 94 pts.)

My Prime Wines

1. 2013 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée ($110, 96 Factors)
2. NV Stoller Brut ($40, 96 pts.)
3. Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve M.V.5 ($105, 95 pts.)
4. 2016 Sanford Blanc de Noirs ($55, 95 pts.)
5. NV Domaine Carneros, Cuvée de la Pompadour, Brut Rosé ($40, 95 pts.)
6. 2018 Sokol Blosser Blossom Ridge ($64, 94 pts.)
7. NV Piper Sonoma Blanc de Blancs ($22, 94 pts.)
8. 2016 Sanford Blanc de Noirs ($55, 94 pts.)
9. 2021 Acquiesce Grenache Rosé ($55, 94 pts.)
10. 2016 Brooks Glowing Riesling ($65, 94 pts.)
11. 2020 Chehalem Restricted Version Brut ($65, 94 pts.)
12. 2019 Brooks Glowing Riesling ($65, 94 pts.)

My Greatest Values

1. NV Piper Sonoma Blanc de Blancs ($22, 94 pts.)
2. NV Piper Sonoma Brut Rosé ($22, 93 pts.)
3. NV Chemistry Rosé ($25, 93 pts.)
4. NV Piper Sonoma Brut Réserve ($22, 92 pts.)
5. NV Piper Sonoma Brut ($22, 91 pts.)
6. NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut Rosé ($13, 90 pts.)
7. NV Gloria Ferrer Brut ($30, 90 pts.)
8. NV Korbel Brut ($12, 89 pts.)