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2016
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2021 and 2033 (based on 3 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.2 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 12 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Frank Murray III on 4/27/2024: I enjoyed this, although not as much as the last couple bottles. Pounded rock aroma, juicy with lime, which became very citrusy with more air. Snappy green apple, maybe a bit creamy at points but also a tonic quality this time. (335 views) | | | Tasted by Bjweiss on 4/12/2024 & rated 93 points: This will fool many as champagne in a blind tasting. It sure did for me. Outstanding wine with enough restraint to sense place. Really, really impressive wine and a benchmark for US quality sparkling wine. (599 views) | | | Tasted by Fatkidfromfl on 2/18/2024 & rated 95 points: Absolutely delightful. Tons of acidity. Green apple, lemon, slight toast. Finish just kept going and going. After a long event, we had 1/2 bottle left, so I Drank this straight from the bottle the way a good sparkling wine was meant to be drunk. (596 views) | | | Tasted by adnorthup on 9/9/2023: Acid, acid, acid (886 views) | | | Tasted by guillermo- on 5/12/2023 & rated 93 points: Same as before. Beautiful. (671 views) | | | Tasted by 5laton on 3/27/2023: Extremely closed and raw nose, very severe/austere palate. Was not pleasant to drink so most of the bottle was left for day 2.
2nd day. Emerging faint notes of lemon zest and toast on the nose. Compressed, barely-ripe lemon pith palate that is very much bound up in sour lemon juice acidity. This is far too young to drink for my preferences, but shows more potential today. Today, blind I might guess this was the NV Laherte Freres BdB Brut Nature.
This finally began to get interesting to me on days 3 and 4, but it still feels embryonic and fairly underripe. I'll admit I was disappointed after all the raves here on CT. While I drink a fair bit of zero dose, I do tend to prefer the riper ones, so this just may not be my style. (952 views) | | | Tasted by Frank Murray III on 3/25/2023: Tasted non-blind. Lemon and crushed yellow apple. No austerity here, in fact probably more elegant is the right way to say it. The palate shows some lemon peel, tart-ish apple and the acidity well balanced in to the wine. Finishes with a juicy note, along with the lemon peel and great balance. (1264 views) | | | Tasted by guillermo- on 3/25/2023 & rated 93 points: High pressure bottle at fridge temp (or maybe a bit hard to grab cork) made uncorking more than a hiss though not quite a pop. Standard cork. 12.68% ABV. No malolactic. Eight years sur lie before disgorgement (despite the label misprint). No oak. No dosage.
Ephemeral mousse but persistent bubbles. An initial whiff of sweet brioche on PNP gives way to a smell that reminds me first of Jolly Rancher and then of Strawberry Starburst candies, later returning to a deeper brioche with some citrus.
In the mouth, an acid attack of green apple and bitter orange. Tons of foamy, salivating action in the midpalate. The long finish at first reminds me of “dry,” chalky Orange Julius in a good way, but somehow separates into brioche and apples; and lingers on with a multi-mineral saltiness.
There is no way I would have guessed this was non dose if I had been blinded. And I’m fairly convinced that dosage would not have helped here.
My score of 93 reflects my view that drinking this brings twice the pleasure of drinking Laherte Frères BdB BN, which I use as benchmark for BdB BN. I’d put this at the same level as LF Grandes Crayères or vintage Roederer BdB (though those are both dosed). (971 views) | | | Tasted by River Rat on 3/19/2023: First look at this Brut Zero from Cabot. Pop n pour at cellar temp (48°). Spring flowers, green apple skin and wet stones on the nose. Lemon lime, great body with more green apple and brioche. There’s a sweetness to the fruit that rounds the palate out really well. Acid lovers unite! The finish builds and builds to a mouthwatering crescendo. I echo Brigs note that hands down this is the best Domestic sparkler I’ve ever tasted and it’s not even close. Our notes are pretty carbon copy too. Eerily so. (1029 views) | | | Tasted by Frank Murray III on 2/24/2023: First note! Honored to do it, John. I've heard about John's sparkling project for some time and last night, I got blinded on both the 2014 and 2016. Given our tasting group, I assumed that we had some Champagne in front of us, both because of how our group usually rolls with Champagne, but more importantly, how both vintages tasted. The flight has just these two wines, and no hints. It was only after we had guessed the varietal that Brig told us that we were guessing the wrong country. What was remarkable about these two wines for me, especially the 2014, was the similarity in energy and build to something low/sans dose out of Champagne. I was straight fooled on the 2014, pegging it as something out of the Aube. The 2014, a zero dose Chard from Anderson Valley, initially showed me thyme and mineral on first taste. I kept tasting, and then I found a core of grapefruit with some lemon oil. With more air, sour apple, tangerine zest and what I really thought was dried cherry/raspberry. Man, I enjoyed the 2014 and it really fooled me. As for the 2016, also zero dose from Anderson Valley, more characteristic of green apple with a distinct salinity/salt on first taste. Then, some toastiness appeared, followed by some lemon and the same green apple. Good concentration here and bit more rocky than the 2014. These are terrific sparkling wines, and that 2014 is the best US sparkler I have tasted. I do want to retaste them both, especially the 2016, to get another experience with them but as a first try, John has done some terrific work here. (1083 views) | | | Tasted by brigcampbell on 2/24/2023: The 2014 and 2016 were served side by side. First let me start by saying that these are the two finest sparkling wines outside of France and they're on par with the best grower champagnes.
Both vintages possess the same angularity and cut on the mouthfeel. They're medium plus acidity, if not plus plus. As Chris S said "this is a Frank Murray wine" along with another great call "these are boney". Perfect.
I really felt like lime, lemon rind and Granny Smith Apple we're the a predominant flavors for both but the 2014 showed a hint of some tropical or red fruit. That led some to believe that it might be a Pinot or blend.
Both had a nice foundation of minerals but the 2016 leaned more towards salinity. (840 views) |
| Cabot Vineyards Producer websiteChardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson North CoastThe North Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California, covering more than three million acres, includes Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and portions of Marin and Solano counties. (see The Wine Institute for more information)Anderson Valleyhttp://www.avwines.com/anderson-valley-appellation-map/
Anderson Valley stretches from Yorkville Highlands (located in a highland meadow straddling the upper Rancheria Creek and upper Dry Creek watersheds) through Boonville (located on Anderson Creek) and Philo (located on Indian Creek) to Navarro (located on Soda Creek). Rancheria, Anderson, Indian and Soda creeks are tributaries to the Navarro River, which flows north and west through the coastal range to the Pacific Ocean; Dry Creek flows south into the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. The main stem of the Navarro River begins less than a mile south of Philo at the confluence of Anderson Creek and Rancheria Creek. The mouth of the Navarro is 10 miles (16 km) south of Mendocino, California. Encompassing 315 square miles (816 km²), the Navarro River watershed is the largest coastal basin in Mendocino County.
Such unique geography results in a wide diurnal range, with daily high and low temperatures occasionally diverging 40 or 50 degrees. This enables Pinot Noir growers to keep acid development in line with sugar and flavor formation through long, warm Indian summers. It also makes for superb Gewurztraminer and Riesling, giving rise to the valley’s annual Alsatian Varietals and Pinot Noir festivals.
The climate in the Anderson Valley appellation is tempered by cool marine air. Steep hills and mountains surround rolling to nearly level alluvial terraces. The dominant natural vegetation is a mixed forest of Coast Redwood, various native oak varieties, and Douglas-fir. Elevation ranges from sea level to 2,500 feet (760 m). The average annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 80 inches (900 to 2000 mm). The average annual temperature is about 53 °F (12 °C), and the average frost-free season ranges from 220 to 365 days. Towards the coast the summers are cool and moist with frequent fog, while the interior Anderson Valley proper features a warm to hot summer climate similar to nearby interior regions, with daytime highs occasionally in excess of 100 °F (38 °C).
Visitors to the Valley should come prepared for cool evenings and warm days. Locals dress in layers year round. |
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