Reserve, North Coast – 2004
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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 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 a minimum of 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: Corby, Juster
Sonoma County: Saltonstall
Napa County: Hyde
Marin County: Stevens - County Composition: 33% Mendocino, 31% Sonoma, 19% Napa, 17% Marin
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Vintage Report
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Budbreak occurred earlier than many vintners could remember and the trend carried forward throughout the growing season. Heat spikes occurred in June and at scattered intervals throughout the summer season. Grapes completed veraison early and ripeness with well-developed sugars in all varieties was realized early. Growers held on as acid balance eventually caught up. Temperatures were steady into one of the earliest harvests in Napa Valley. Grape quality was very good with a crop that was smaller than average.
- Harvest Date(s): August 12-September 11
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Vinification
- Barrel Fermentation: 37%
- Aging: 6 years, 6 months
- Bottled: May 19, 2005
- Disgorged: November 2,2011
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 84% Pinot Noir, 16% Chardonnay
- Production (in cases): 3,336 cases (6/750ml)
- Alcohol: 12.5%
- TA: 0.80g/100ml
- p H: 3.1
- RS: 1.15g/100ml
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Tasting Notes
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The 2004 Reserve is an expressive wine showing profound aromas of ripe cherry and Mandarin orange that evolve into warm honey and marzipan. Not to be outdone, the palate is rich with flavors of raspberry, spiced apples and candied ginger. Crisp on entry and velvety in texture, the wine lingers in the mouth with a long, balanced acidity. Keith Hock and Hugh Davies, Winemakers
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Images
Reviews
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Reserve, North Coast – 2004 – 94 points – Wine Spectator
"Taking on weight and power as it ages, offering notes of raspberry, spice and nutty yeast. "
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Reserve, North Coast – 2004 – 91 points – The Tasting Panel
"Fresh and dense with juicy berry fruit and rich flavors; clean, complex and long with depth and charm."
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Reserve, North Coast – 2004 – 92 points – The Tasting Panel
“Deep golden color; rich and ripe with juicy acidity and dense Pinot fruit; toasty, yeasty, and rich with lovely acidity and a fine mousse; long and flavorful.”
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Reserve, North Coast – 2004 – 98 points, The Enthusiast 100 – #76 – Wine Enthusiast
“The opulence of this sparkling wine has to be tasted to be believed…The Pinot Noir brings a warm, raspberry- and cherry-sauce richness to Chardonnay’s limes and pears…an extraordinarily delicious toastiness pervades the whole…”