Ultra Brut 2018
Trade Tools
America / Carneros
Ultra Brut is a style of Sparkling wine that is very dry and brisk with a low dosage that highlights the structure and minerality of our Brut. It is a contemplative wine that appeals to the true aficionado.
93 Points
jamessuckling.com
2018 vintage
92 Points
Wine Advocate
2018 vintage
Harvest Note
2018 had the coolest temperatures we had seen since 2011, allowing an extended hang time for the fruit and longer flavor development. Additionally, replenished reservoirs and healthy vineyards from the abundant rains of the 2017 vintage yielded to a larger than normal crop. These elements translated to the perfect combination of a high-yield and high-quality vintage that winemakers dream about.
Tasting Note
Our 2018 vintage is a classic expression of our Ultra Brut. A mélange of citrus, honeysuckle and freshly cut pear on the nose leads into a palate dancing with notes of yuzu, blanched almond, and ginger with a hint of lychee contributed by the small percentage of pinot gris. With a surprisingly mouthwatering complexity, its bright, crisp fruit and delicate minerality ride on a serious structure that leads to a generous effervescence.
Technical Data
GRAPES: 57% Estate Grown Chardonnay, 40% Estate Grown Pinot Noir, 3% Estate Grown Pinot Girs
APPELLATION: Carneros
PH: 3.1
ACIDITY: .80 g/100ml
ABV: 12%
DOSAGE: 0.5%
AGING: Aged 3 1/2 years in our cellar
Unique Selling Points
- 100% organically grown estate fruit from the cool-climate Carneros region
- Made in the méthode traditionnelle, as used in French Champagne
- Lengthy aging time yields fine, pinpoint bubbles, toasty aroma and rich texture
“The first obligation of any wine is to be delicious.”
Eileen Crane, Founding Winemaker
About the Grape
Chardonnay
Though it has a distinctive profile, Chardonnay reflects other factors such as soil composition and vinification technique. Chardonnay is a reliable, hardy and prolific vine whose only real vulnerabilities are frost and uneven development of fruit.
Pinot Noir
In France, makes a silky, deceptively powerful wine of elegant, complex aromas and subtle, red fruit flavors, with earthy, floral, mushroom and mineral notes. In California, shows ripe, sweet characters.
