1994 J Vintage Brut

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Winemaker's Notes
The winter of 1994 was fairly dry and an early warm spell in March brought fast fruit development in the vineyard. By mid-May, all the vines were in full bloom with a moderate to low crop size. Early summer heat ripened the grapes for sparkling wine relatively fast while retaining much of the natural grape acidity. The Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier varieties were exceptional in quality, displaying layered red-berry aromas and flavors. Chardonnays were somewhat lean; restrained yet elegant.

Processing
All grapes were hand-harvested into forty-pound lugs and hand loaded by whole clusters into our Coquard champagne press for a gentle pressing cycle. Vineyard lots and press fractions were kept separate until blending decisions were made mid-November. The cuvee was assembled in December of 1994, cold stabilized and bottled over the winter of 1995. After secondary fermentation in the bottle, the wines aged for three years at cool temperatures. A blend of reserve wines aged in casks and pure cane sugar was used to balance the wine at the time of disgorging. The wine aged for a minimum of six months before release from our cellars.

Tasting Notes
At release, the 1994 J displays layers of fruit aromas: berry, lychee, melon and apple, with slight hints of spice and ginger. With time, some smoky and toasty layers will become evident. The flavors are broad and long; apple, honey, fig and pear flavors are all enveloped by a soft acidity that keeps the overall impression delightfully fresh. The finish is clean and medium long with slightly nutty notes.

Harvest: August 10 - September 2, 1994

Harvest Analysis: Average sugar 19.5° Brix

Final Blend
100% Sonoma County
52.2% Chardonnay (Origin: 98.3% Russian River Valley | 1.7% Alexander Valley)
46.8% Pinot Noir (Origin: 95.5% Russian River Valley | 4.5% Alexander Valley)
1.0% Pinot Meunier (Origin: 100% Russian River Valley)