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2005 Amber’s Cuveé Sparkling Wine
Vineyards
The grapes for this wine come exclusively from the Legan Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Via CK Vines, the backyard vineyard installation and maintenance sister company to Clos LaChance Wines, the grapes for the 2005 Amber’s Cuveé were farmed specifically for sparkling wine production.
Winemaking
The 2005 vintage Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were harvested at 18 brix and whole cluster pressed. The sparkling base wine fermented at 50 degrees F over two weeks until dry, then filtered and prepped for triage bottling. A tirage syrup and acclimatized yeast culture was added to the base wine the morning of tirage bottling. The bottles were then laid down in specially designed wooden bins where the secondary fermentation took place –in the bottle – the traditional method of Champagne.
Once this fermentation was completed the wine remained in contact with the yeast lees for almost 2 years. In the Spring of 2008, the bottles were removed from the bins and riddled, the process which involves upending the bottles slowly each day until the bottles are upside down and all the yeast lees are collected in the neck of the bottle. At this time disgorging takes place. This is the final process which removes the yeast lees by freezing them in an ice plug. When the bottle is turned right side up and the crown cap removed the ice plug with the yeast lees shoots out leaving a clear dry wine in the bottle. The wine was then immediately topped up the dosage (a mixture of base wine and sugar that produces a syrup) resulting in a wine with a final RS of 1.4% which balances out the otherwise dry and tart sparkling wine.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes
Aromas of crisp green apples and Bosque pears with hints of almonds, gentle pantry spices and slight yeastiness, give this sparkling wine a great nose. The palate runs clean with acidity and is showered with green apples, grapefruit and lime juice with a slight doughiness. This is a great wine with fresh shucked oysters or some fresh cut strawberries and a delicate cheese.
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