Brut Vintage Cuvée 2016
Trade Tools
America / Carneros
The Vintage Brut Cuvée is the signature wine of Domaine Carneros. It encompasses the widest range of estate clones and vineyard blocks of the winery’s collection. The tapestry of flavors that result, married with the inherent finesse of the cool Carneros fruit, create wines of depth and complexity that are enhanced by a minimum of three years of bottle age sur lie in the cellar before release.
Harvest Note
Our growing season in 2016, in many ways, mirrored that of 2015. An early harvest began on August 1st and continued through August 14th for sparkling wine grapes. The accumulation of growing degree days tracked quite consistently between 2016 and 2015 although with slightly higher yields. The personality of the vintage seems to be a theme of brightness an concentration.
Tasting Note
This very focused and elegant wine displays lovely notes of key lime, honeycomb, and lemon curd. This round wine displays a palate with hints of lime blossom, baked pear, and lemon meringue, resulting in a creamy texture and a long finish.
Technical Data
GRAPES: 51% Chardonnay, 47% Pinot Noir, and 2% Pinot Gris
APPELLATION: Carneros
PH: 3.1
ACIDITY: 0.7 g/l
ABV: 12%
DOSAGE: 0.9%
AGING: Our 2016 Brut Cuvée has been aged a full three and a half years in our cellar to enhance complexity and development.
Unique Selling Points
- Made primarily from estate-grown, green certified Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes
- Aged in the bottle for 3 years, yielding a toasty aroma and fine, pinpoint bubbles.
“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.
