Description
Technically owned by the French Champagne house Roederer, but it's a California sparkling wine - and a great one at that. The 580-acre estate was founded in 1982 by Jean-Claude Rouzaud, then president of Champagne Louis Roederer and 5th generation descendant of the founder. He has since passed the reins onto his son, Frederic. The proximity to the Pacific Ocean was a key factor in selecting this site because it provides a gentle cooling effect on the vines, which typically see lots of sunshine (when not shrouded in fog.) They use only their estate grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in their wines, as well as a good amount of reserve wines (held back from each year's harvest) that have been ageing in oak casks. This gives the finished wines a richer, toasty, brioche character. The Rosé is typically a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.
