Paula Kornell Releases Two Sparkling Wines

by Andrew Chalk

- 2020 Paula Kornell Sparkling Napa Valley Blanc de Blancs // SRP: $75

- 2020 Paula Kornell Sparkling Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs // SRP: $55

Paula Kornell is indeed the scion of the Kornell Family that founded Hanns Kornell Champagne Cellars. Hanns was her father. He came from Germany and was a holocaust survivor. He was committed to making sparkling wine the Champagne way (known as the méthode Champenoise). 

Her winemaker is Robin Akhurst, a Scot by birth, who learned winemaking in New Zealand, Languedoc, Marlborough, and Barossa Valley.

TASTING NOTE

I tasted Blanc de Blancs (above) and can report it brings crispness, early signs of autolytic character (aging on dead yeast) that does so much to distinctively define Champagne. On the light-to-heavy spectrum this is wine is firmly in the middle making it copacetic with a large variety of food and likely favored by a large number of the California sparkling wine aficionado community. 

WINEMAKER’S NOTES

The Bubbles The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes for the Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs come from the historic Mitsuko’s Vineyard in Carneros. The fruit for the California Brut is grown in River Junction by fifth-generation grape growers, who were awarded the California Green Medal for Sustainable Winegrowing. Most recently, a Blanc de Blancs was released, and in early 2025, a Brut Rosé is set to debut.

2020 Blanc de Noirs, Napa Valley - $55 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay Elegant streams of ultra-fine bubbles fill the glass, complemented by generous aromas of bright lemon, freshly cut hay, and a hint of strawberry and currant. The palate is crisp and vibrant, showcasing a concentration of flavors that range from ripe Meyer lemon to white cherry, white peach, gentle notes of honeyed brioche and a whisper of buttered croissant. 

2020 Blanc de Blancs, Napa Valley - $75 100% Chardonnay The Blanc de Blanc shines with a pale straw color and delicate golden hue, complemented by fine, persistent bubbles. Its refined bouquet layers fresh aromas of cut hay, Meyer lemon zest, and Asian pear with floral hints of honeysuckle and acacia, enriched by almond croissant and chalky minerality. On the palate, crisp citrus flavors like lime and yuzu intertwine with golden apple, marzipan, and brioche.