2018 Bare Necessity Vivio Vineyard Sparkling Rosé - Sosie Wines

Ripe strawberry, mint leaf, juicy orange slice. Crunchy raspberry, blooming cherry blossom, yellow nectarine. A bright and pure-fruited bouquet of Rainier cherry, fresh red berries, and grenadine erupts from the glass with surprising lift as floral notes of hydrangeas and rose water emerge to extend the high-toned delight. A tinge of white pepper and a light menthol note further complicate the aromatics while subtle impressions of gooey biscuit and cheese rind reveal delicate leesy complexity. Underlying stony minerality in the form of crushed gravel and broken granite is revealed on the palate framed by snappy crispness and fine, persistent bubbles. Precise, tightly wound, and nearly bone dry; packing incredible crunch thanks to refreshingly high acidity that keeps this mouth-filling and fuller bodied bubbly impressively focused. This 2018 "Bare Necessity" Vivio Vineyard Sparkling Rosé by Sosie Wines is a unique and delicious Méthode Champenoise beauty from Sonoma County.

Although Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine is one of the world's most rigid and tradition-steeped genres of wine production, there is still plenty of room for experimentation and exploration in the category. This bottling, crafted by Sosie Wines using 100% Syrah sourced from the Vivio Vineyard in Sonoma's Bennett Valley, is an excellent example of an unconventional yet serious expression of traditional method bubbly. Although it boasts wonderfully tight mousse, bright acidity, and mild autolytic charm this wine is significantly more fruit-driven than its old world cousins, yet it remains tremendously tart, focused, and precise in true Champenoise style. This is an extremely interesting and enjoyable small production sparkler shaped by a wonderful boutique producer.