WINERY 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 The Schramsberg team and the Davies Family is thrilled to release the second bottling of J. Schram Noirs, our finest Pinot Noir brut offering. Labeled as the Schramsberg Reserve for decades, we started bottling our special limited Noirs blend in the J. Schram proprietary glass with the 2013 vintage. We now offer our ultimate sparkling wine tier with three selections: Blancs, Rosé, and Noirs. Representing 2% of our annual production, this richly flavored and fullbodied sparkler is made from only the finest base-wine lots produced each year. We release this finished sparkling wine nine years after the grapes are harvested, yet this fruitful, dry, toasty and creamy bubbly will age gracefully for decades to come.

The vineyards are in Marin at Skywalker, Stevens, and Redding Ranch vineyards; Mendocino at Juster vineyards; and in Sonoma at Nobles and Piedra Libre vineyards.

The 2014 vintage was preceded by an exceptionally dry winter. Substantial rain did arrive in late February and early March, relieving some stress and setting up the vines for a vigorous start to the growing season. A warm spring laid the groundwork for early budbreak, and the vintage ran ahead of schedule to an early harvest. Grapes showed an agile balance between ripe fruit and lively acidity, thanks to abundant sun and cool evening temperatures. Quality of the grapes was outstanding, with intense aromatics and depth of flavor.

Though primarily Pinot Noir, small amounts of select Chardonnay lots are added to the blend to lend additional backbone and length to the palate. Distinct barrel and malolactic fermented lots are also layered in to provide viscosity and depth. Each bottle is aged in contact with its yeast in our historic Diamond Mountain hillside caves for eight years, affording the development of seasoned, roasted and caramelized richness. The yeast is then removed and a finishing dosage, determined through extensive and comprehensive trials, is added to fine-tune the wine’s balance of flavor and structure.

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

“This 2014 J. Schram Noirs exhibits lively aromas of apricot, poached pear, and baked apple, along with hints of lemon curd, spun honey, and vanilla. The palate delivers a round and juicy entry of baked peach, leading to a tart center with flavors of ripe nectarine and kiwi. Hints of sourdough toast and custard carry to the finish.”
— Winemakers Sean Thompson, Jessica Koga and Hugh Davies