Sparkling Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir

Salmon color, milk bread toasted just right, yeast! yeast! yeast! tangerine, fresh, strawberry, peach, wet stone, elevated acidity, long finish. 3 years on lees, 2 years in bottle, disgorged in Jan 2020.

2013. Crazy fun and complex fizz from Morgan Twain-Peterson. Pink grapefruit, sour cherry, and zippy acid to spare. Great way to start the New Year. If 2017 is as good as this sparkler we will all be just fine. 12.5% abv.

2013 vintage, disgorged January 2016. Pinot noir from Stuart Bewley’s vineyard near Laytonville. Bright cheerful and very-berried, this wine was illuminating in its food pairing mastery. With a simple crab salad served on Belgian endive the wine unfolded additional layers of flavor within the food and nuanced the character of fruit in the wine itself. It’s a New World sparkler that reaches within and masterfully moves beyond what at first seems a simple and cheerful wine. Illuminating experience and delicious instruction.

I didn’t get much complexity on night 1, but by night 2 this was lovely, with grapefruit pith, juicy cherry and slight baking spice. Next time I’d try decanting this

Had this with Thanksgiving meal 2021. I absolutely loved this. It was fantastic with salty ham and stuffing. I feel like the put Bruno Mars in a bottle!!

Nice light lemon color and citrus/lemon notes on the nose. Tons of tiny active bubbles. A bit clunky, but vibrant balanced mid-palate. Weightier than anticipated, but lots going on... pear, ripe apple, Meyer lemon and a touch of toasty fresh baked bread. Lacking the weightlessness and elegance of France, nonetheless a fun companion with King Crab Legs on an early Spring evening.

Fun

Sour apples and pine trees.

Very pleasing.

A lot of people talk about giving it time in the bottle, but frankly, I’m skeptical. I think your money is better spent elsewhere.