WINERY California Family owned and operated for over fifty years, Schramsberg Vineyards was established in 1965 by Jack and Jamie Davies who set out to make world-class, vintage-dated sparkling wine in the true méthode traditionelle style on the property originally established in 1862 by German immigrants.

WINE Originally released as our “J. Schram”, with the 2013 vintage this bottling was renamed “J. Schram Blancs” to denote this wine’s Chardonnay-based core. From the inception of Schramsberg’s efforts in 1965, the winery has sought to achieve the greatest elegance and individuality possible in our sparkling wines. J. Schram Blancs epitomizes Schramsberg’s philosophy to create a wine in which no effort has been spared and no care has been omitted. Representing only 2-3% of the winery’s annual production, the Chardonnay-focused J. Schram Blancs blend is assembled from the very best base wine lots of the approximately 300 produced each year. This special bottling is dedicated to Schramsberg’s founder, Jacob Schram, and has been a great success since its premier 1987 vintage was released in 1992.

The vineyards are in Napa at Wilkinson, Schwarze, and Ramsey vineyards; Marin at Stevens vineyard; and in Sonoma at Piedra Libre vineyard.

2015 delivered California vintners a stellar vintage. A mild winter led to an early bud break and was followed by a protracted bloom during an unseasonably cool spring. The resulting lighter crop ripened gradually through moderate summer heat, delivering exceptional quality and an early harvest.

Cluster samples from over 115 cool-climate vineyard sources are pulled several times before the optimal pick date for each block is selected. Complexity within the wine is gained through both oak barrel and stainless-steel tank fermentation. Additional layers are provided through small lots that undergo malolactic fermentation in barrel, enriching aromas and infusing creaminess on the palate. Our J. Schram Blancs is aged for eight years on the yeast in Schramsberg’s historic Diamond Mountain caves; each bottle is then riddled by hand and finished with an exceptional brut dosage.

Yeast: EC-1118, referred to as “prise de mousse”

“This 2015 J. Schram Blancs has generous aromas of golden apple, poached pear, and toasted almond, with layers of pineapple upside-down cake, lemon cookie, and vanilla custard. The palate presents flavors of Meyer lemon, Asian pear, candied orange peel, and juicy yuzu anchored with a bright center that finishes with long-lasting acidity.”
-Winemakers Sean Thompson, Jessica Koga and Hugh Davies