Reserve, North Coast – 2005
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Introduction
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Schramsberg Reserve is our top Pinot Noir-focused brut sparkling wine. Representing about 3 percent of our annual production, this richly flavored and full-bodied sparkler is made from only the finest base-wine lots produced each year. Over seven years old upon release, this fruitful, yet dry, toasty and creamy bubbly will age gracefully for a good 20 to 30 years beyond the vintage date.
Though primarily Pinot Noir, small amounts of select Chardonnay lots are included in the blend to lend additional backbone and length to the palate. Distinct barrel and malolactic-fermentation lots are layered in to provide viscosity and depth. Each bottle is aged in contact with its own yeast in our historic Diamond Mountain hillside caves for over six years; this adds a caramelized richness to the wine. The yeast is then removed and a finishing dosage — determined through comprehensive trials — is added to fine-tune the balance of flavor and acidity.
Our Reserve is well-suited with a main course, such as fruit-stuffed veal, pork tenderloin, roasted duck with mango, cedar-plank grilled salmon and curried chicken salad. This flavorful bubbly can also be served as an apéritif with smoked oysters, caviar and hard cheeses such as aged Swiss Sbrinz, Sonoma Vella Jack or Irish Coolea.
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Vineyard Profile
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Principal Pinot Noir Blocks:
Mendocino County: Monument Tree, Standish
Sonoma County: Saltonstall, Jonive
Marin County: Stevens, Corda - County Composition: 41% Mendocino, 26% Sonoma, 17% Marin, 16% Napa
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Vintage Report
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A wet March provided a great groundwater supply and set up flowering to take place in the latter part of May. A mild, temperate summer followed, allowing for gradual sugar accumulation and slow, even ripening. Delicious flavor development and high acid retention are trademarks of this sparkling-wine season.
- Harvest Date(s): September 2-October 3
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Vinification
- Barrel Fermentation: 40%
- Aging: 6 years, 9 months
- Bottled: April 13, 2006
- Disgorged: January 1-2, 2013
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 74% Pinot Noir, 26% Chardonnay
- Production (in cases): 4,046 cases (6/750ml)
- Alcohol: 12.5%
- TA: 0.84g/100ml
- p H: 3.1
- RS: 1.15g/100ml
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Tasting Notes
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The 2005 Reserve has aromas of wild raspberry, Bing cherry and caramelized orange that evolve with toasted hazelnut and crème brulee. The palate is layered with flavors of raspberry, guava, pineapple, cocoa and sweet spice. Crisp on entry, with a slight minerality, the texture is smooth and velvety. The wine has a balanced acidity and long finish that lingers on the palate. Keith Hock and Hugh Davies, Winemakers
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Images
Reviews
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Reserve, North Coast – 2005 – 92 points – Wine Spectator
"A rich yet refined and focused style, with bold cinnamon, apple, raspberry and hazelnut aromas that open to opulent tropical fruit and spicy candied ginger flavors, finishing with crisp acidity"
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Reserve, North Coast – 2005 – 93 points – The Wine Advocate
"The rich, nearly tannic, frothy 2005 Reserve offers notes of apple pie, honeysuckle and earth. Made in a bigger, firmer, more structured style compared to the J. Schram, it is pure with persistent bubbles."
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Reserve, North Coast – 2005 – 95 points, Cellar Selection – Wine Enthusiast
"Very fine and complex, this is a great sparkling wine…it's rich with flavors of strawberries, limes, vanilla and honey, with lots of smokey toast and yeastiness. Above all, the mousse is exceptionally refined and pure."
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Reserve, North Coast – 2005 – 95 points, Top 100 Cellar Selection #65 – Wine Enthusiast
"Very fine and complex, this is a great sparkling wine…It's rich with flavors of strawberries, limes, vanilla and honey, with lots of smokey toast and yeastiness. Above all, the mousse is exceptionally refined and pure."