by Andrew Chalk
Appearance: Color of sunset orange. Tiny bubbles;
Nose: Rose petals, strawberry, medium intensity;
Palate: Forward fruit flavors, medium-plus acid;
Overall: A pleasant Valentine’s Day quaff that would be at home in celebration as accompanying your favorite romantic dish.
Technically, this is a sparkling wine made using the same method as in Champagne (méthode traditionnelle) but using syrah grapes rather than the Champagne varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier, plus some minor varieties). The grapes were sourced from the Vivio Vineyard in the Bennett Valley and Craig Roemer was the winemaker. He spent 15 years at Schramsberg so that means that this is a wine made by the A-team. The name ‘Bare Necessity’ refers not to the owners’ choice of attire when they work the tasting room on a busy Saturday, but to their attitude to sparkling wine. ‘Carpe diem’ they say (which I think is Latin for ‘seize the carp’), probably a pairing suggestion.
Only 91 cases produced so best ordered directly from the winery.
Sample