Wine Article
NV J Vineyards & Winery Cuvée 20
Last edited on 12/26/2010 by RedValues
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J Cuvée 20 Brut NV
The vineyards
Celebrating twenty years of winemaking excellence, J Cuvée 20 proudly displays an exceptional, stylish assemblage from the finest cool-climate vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley.
Processing
All grapes at J are hand-harvested into small quarter-ton bins and placed as whole clusters, without destemming, into our special Coquard press for a gentle pressing cycle. Grape juice from the various vineyard lots is fermented and kept separately until blending decisions are made in mid-November. The cuvée (blend) was assembled and cold stabilized to remove excess tartrates and then bottled in the spring. The cuvée included 25% oak cask aged non-vintage wines that were carefully selected for this blend.
Aging
After the secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle, the wines aged for more than three years in our cool cellar. The wines were carefully riddled to remove the yeast sediment responsible for the aging character. Following disgorging, a dosage liqueur of reserve wine and pure cane sugar was added to balance the wine. An additional six months of aging on the cork before release ensured a perfect balance of flavors.
Tasting Notes
The non-vintage J Cuvée 20 Brut gracefully opens up with crisp lemon peel, honeysuckle and delicate yeast aromas. Upon entry, these notes are followed by a mix of Fuji apple, grapefruit and a sweet hint of angel food cake. The mid-palate is interlaced with toast, caramel and almond flavors. The acidity adds just enough liveliness and the citrus zest leads to a lingering, warm pear and lush finish. This wine pairs beautifully with a Kumamoto oyster topped with Tsar Nicoulai Caviar in a J Cuvée 20 mignonette.
Winemaker:George Bursick
Appellation:Russian River Valley
Wine Alcohol:Alcohol 12.5% by volume
Wine Acid:8.60 grams per liter
Wine pH:3.07
Residual Sugar:1.50%
Final Blend:49% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinot Meunier
Production:22,800 cases
The vineyards
Celebrating twenty years of winemaking excellence, J Cuvée 20 proudly displays an exceptional, stylish assemblage from the finest cool-climate vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley.
Processing
All grapes at J are hand-harvested into small quarter-ton bins and placed as whole clusters, without destemming, into our special Coquard press for a gentle pressing cycle. Grape juice from the various vineyard lots is fermented and kept separately until blending decisions are made in mid-November. The cuvée (blend) was assembled and cold stabilized to remove excess tartrates and then bottled in the spring. The cuvée included 25% oak cask aged non-vintage wines that were carefully selected for this blend.
Aging
After the secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle, the wines aged for more than three years in our cool cellar. The wines were carefully riddled to remove the yeast sediment responsible for the aging character. Following disgorging, a dosage liqueur of reserve wine and pure cane sugar was added to balance the wine. An additional six months of aging on the cork before release ensured a perfect balance of flavors.
Tasting Notes
The non-vintage J Cuvée 20 Brut gracefully opens up with crisp lemon peel, honeysuckle and delicate yeast aromas. Upon entry, these notes are followed by a mix of Fuji apple, grapefruit and a sweet hint of angel food cake. The mid-palate is interlaced with toast, caramel and almond flavors. The acidity adds just enough liveliness and the citrus zest leads to a lingering, warm pear and lush finish. This wine pairs beautifully with a Kumamoto oyster topped with Tsar Nicoulai Caviar in a J Cuvée 20 mignonette.
Winemaker:George Bursick
Appellation:Russian River Valley
Wine Alcohol:Alcohol 12.5% by volume
Wine Acid:8.60 grams per liter
Wine pH:3.07
Residual Sugar:1.50%
Final Blend:49% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinot Meunier
Production:22,800 cases