2018 Cruse Wine Company, Sparkling Rosé Valdiguié, Pétillant Naturel, Deming Vineyard, Calistoga, Napa Valley.
Michael Cruse’s sparkling wines are some of the most sought after in California, from his super rare and luxurious Methode Champenoise Ultramarine to this absolutely delicious and fun Sparkling Valdiguié Pétillant Naturel “Pet-Nat” Rosé these are tasty and serious bubbly treats. This version, with its pop cap is no pretense, slightly fruity sparkler with pure Valdiguié character, giving its Gamay like flavor and easy quaffability with fresh red peach, strawberry, seeped violets, candied watermelon and a tangy blueberry/cranberry note along with a creamy vibrant mousse, adding a touch of leesy (yeast) notes and a touch of mineral, dried herb, citrusy sweet tart and a little bit of a confectionary element likeTurkish delights, without any cloying sweetness. This will be a huge hit with Thanksgiving and or Holiday meals with low alcohol, zippy acidity and fruity generosity it will go great with everything on the table, whether it be roast turkey or ham, sweet potato and or savory stuffing.
Cruse sourced the grapes for his Sparkling Valdiguié Pet-Nat comes from the Deming Vyd in Napa Valley’s northern warmer end in the town of Calistoga on loamy, deep soils, that Cruse says, allows this 60+ year old bush trained vineyard to be both organic and dry-farmed, which adds to the intensity of concentration and shows this varietal in its best light. Cruse continues noting that his Valdiguié was whole cluster pressed using the same slow steady cycle as for his traditional method sparkling wines. The wine was then fermented a small stainless steel tank with a touch of skin contact to achieve that light pink tint, finishing at about 10.5% natural alcohol. Towards the end of the fermentation the wine was bottled, stored, and then riddled, and disgorged for clarity, with Michael adding that there was zero additions made here, no yeast, no sugar, or sulfur added, it is pure, fermented, grape juice, and that is exactly what you taste in this delightful bubbly. There is time to order Cruse Sparkling Valdiguié for Thanksgiving, plus his Nouveau Valdiguié 2019 is ready too, check them out on his website and or your favorite wine store.
($32 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive