Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Breathless – Blanc de Blancs – Cox Vineyard (Single Vineyard Reserve) – Méthode Champenoise – Organic
Mendocino County, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A beautifully crafted Blanc de Blancs made in the traditional méthode champenoise, sourced from the organic Cox Vineyard in Mendocino County. Produced by Breathless Sparkling Wines, founded by the three sisters Sharon Cohn, Rebecca Faust, and Cynthia Faust, this cuvée reflects the winery’s philosophy of celebrating life’s “breathless moments.” Elegant, artisanal, and fruit-centered, it captures California brightness while honoring Old World technique.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh brioche, lemon curd, white peach, and crisp green apple, lifted by subtle minerality. Gentle notes of pastry cream, toasted almond, and rising dough show the extended lees contact and classic champagne-inspired craftsmanship.

Mouthfeel
Bright, delicate, and creamy. The mousse is refined and persistent, offering a graceful texture that remains lively from start to finish. A very clean, uplifting acidity shapes a long, refreshing finish.

Food Pairings
Oysters, goat cheese tartlets, shrimp ceviche, sushi, fried tempura, creamy pastas, or delicate white-fish dishes. Also a beautiful aperitif on its own.

Verdict
A genuinely lovely Blanc de Blancs that blends California sunshine with classic French technique. Elegant, aromatic, and refreshing, this is one of the most delightful expressions of méthode champenoise sparkling wine coming out of Sonoma/Mendocino today. A winery with heart behind every bottle.

Did You Know?
Breathless was founded by three sisters, Sharon Cohn, Rebecca Faust, and Cynthia Faust as a tribute to their mother Martha, whose mantra of living life fully inspired both the name Breathless and the joyful label art. Their winemaker, Penny Gadd-Coster, is considered an “honorary fourth sister” and is one of California’s most respected sparkling specialists. — 6 days ago

Nate Miles

9.5

New meditation mantra “drinkmoreriesling drinkmoreriesling drinkmoreriesling drinkmoreriesling”. — 6 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.2

I think Denis Berthaut's impact on Fixin is invaluable. He showed how an often overlooked terrior can produce truly elegant and transparent wines. This mantra and his mantle has been passed down to his very capable daughter, Amelie, and it's been up, up, up ever since. I'm a big fan of Amelie's wines!

2013 is Amelie's first vintage and her changes are clear - more oak, stems, and supposedly warmer ferments resulted in deeper, more complex wines. And it's constantly changing as she finds her stride. This is especially obvious in this cuvee.

The 13' Les Arvelets is a little richer than their newer iterations, which is reasonable given the difficult vintage - it was a late harvest due to the rain. Darker fruit, but crystal clear. The palate's really crunchy, pure fruit, herbal elements... think cincau... deep minerality, fine fine texture, lovely acidity. In a way like Serena Williams... There's a strong nearly brutal element, yet undeniably feminine (cliché I know but oh so true) and elegant. I do prefer more recent vintages of this vineyard, but this was excellent... Such a balanced wine!

I said it before and I'll say it again... Amelie's the next big thing, if not already one. The viti is more thoughtful than ever... Winemaking so detailed and smart. The sheer potential here... Especially with her mother's Gevry, Chambolle, and Vosne vineyards now under her sleeves... And her incredibly talented fiancé, Nicolas Faure, managing the domaine's vineyeards 🔝🔝🔝 — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Initial aromas of oak, blackberry and black fruits in general. Quite sweet on the palate with the vanillin oak but pulled into Cabernet line with a leafy touch. After a while aromas of cedar and unburnt pipe tobacco. I remember in the early days Wolfgang Blass, the man, used to say “No Wood No Good”. Was his mantra and worked well for him with 3 Jimmy Watson Trophies until tasters developed more sophisticated tastes. Will drink the remaining couple of bottles in the next few years. Ended up having the next one (and 2nd last) 26 weeks later on 24th September 2023. Hadn’t changed much. It screams black currant and milk chocolate. Try and have the last one in 2026 when 20 years old. Still 93 points. — 3 years ago

Daniel Stern

9.4

@Mason Kaye — 5 years ago

Paul Juster

9.1

Rich, dark fruit, tobacco, green bell pepper, spice, full tannins. Delicious! Bottle #0157; 98 cases produced. — 7 years ago

Mandi Speidel

City Territory Chicago, Maverick Wine Company

9.0

Bright, Light & Fun my Mantra for the rest of the Year! — 4 years ago

eugenia Cal

9.5

With empanadas in Patagonia and friends — 5 years ago

George Chen

9.2

Balanced and delicious...excellent expression of terroir and memorable. Bit surprised at off vintage but that’s always been my mantra... — 5 years ago

Paul Juster

9.2

.@mantrawine Deep, rich, dark fruit, boysenberry, plum, tobacco, spice. Delicious! Available now at the #Danville @costco for under $20!!! A blend of #Zinfandel, #CabSauv, #Syrah, and #Merlot — 7 years ago