Merryvale Solstice Brut Sparkling

Sourced exclusively from our Stanly Ranch Estate Vineyard on the Napa side of Carneros, this non-vintage release of our Solstice Sparkling wine is a blend of 92% Pinot Noir and 8% Chardonnay drawn from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages.

WINEMAKING NOTES FROM JEFF CRAWFORD

“Here in Carneros we have no shortage of expressive fruit aromatics and flavors in the wines that we make. With this in mind, we decided to try our hand at sparkling wine. Having collected vin clair starting in 2018, by 2021 I had 3 vintages, 2 varietals, and many different lots to work with. The goal of the assemblage was to add complexity on the nose by blending tertiary aromas from the older vintage base wines with the fresh and fruity younger wines.

“This sparkling wine was made in the méthode champenoise, which means the bubbles are created by a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Since the first release, we made the stylistic decision to age the bottles sur latte for 26 months, which is 11 months longer than the minimum required by law for non-vintage Champagne.

“As a result, having spent over two years in bottle sur lie, there is a pleasant aroma of toasted hazelnut. The Pinot Noir portion anchors this wine with weight and roundness and flavors of sour cherry while the remaining Chardonnay in the blend adds a flinty mineral character to the blend. Inhibiting malolactic fermentation in the base wines and finishing the wine in a dry extra-brut style allows for bright acidity to balance the richness and weight found in the wine. Overall the result is an aromatically complex wine that possesses a beautiful balance between richness and freshness on the palate.”