Sparkling Wines from the Historic Schramsberg Winery Are As Good As Ever
Schramsberg is a winery with a long and lofty reputation for top-quality sparkling wines, and I’m pleased to say that the wines more than live up to the legacy and hype! The history of the winery dates back to 1862 when Jacob Schram first bought the parcel of land on Diamond Mountain. In 1870 Schram enlisted the help of Chinese workers who had just completed the Transcontinental Railroad one year earlier to use their tunneling expertise to hand-dig Napa Valley’s first-ever wine caves. Now under the ownership of the Davies family since 1965, this winery is one of the stalwarts of the region. The wines are consistently delicious, and very well priced given the quality.
2021 Schramsberg North Coast Brut Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine $39.95 95WE The 2021 is 100% Chardonnay and 97% from Sonoma and Napa with just 3% from Mendocino and Marin. The wine were fermented mostly in stainless steel with 20% being barrel fermented. The wine spends 2 years on the lees before disgorgement. The wine is very vibrant with crisp apple, lemon zest, spiced citrus, shaved almond, and baker's yeast. Very mouthwatering and super easy to drink! Also in Magnum: 2021 Schramsberg North Coast Brut Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine (1.5L) $89.95 95WE
2021 Schramsberg North Coast Blanc de Noirs Brut Sparkling Wine $39.95 95WE 93WS Made from 82% Pinot Noir and 18% Chardonnay. This time sourced largely from Sonoma Marin counties, with smaller contributions from Mendocino and Napa. Again 20% barrel fermented and 2 years on lees. There’s a real brightness to the fruit with the 2021 Blanc de Noirs, like Raspberry infused mineral water, hints and blackcurrant leaf, baking spices, pie crust toasty hints. Zesty and lip-smacking. So delicious!