Electric lemon, fresh croissant, crisp green apple. Grapefruit zest, white flowers, underripe peach. Incredibly energetic and driving pulses of white nectarine, citrus pith, and Bartlett pear radiate with beautiful tartness and tension as notes of freshly-baked bread, crushed straw, and crème fraîche provide absolutely captivating complexity and depth. Gentle wafts of daisies and baby's-breath emerge to expose a layer of dainty floral overtones carefully interlaced with hints of white mushroom, forest floor, and pretty tertiary development. A subtle dusting of cinnamon playfully reveals just a pinch of spice while impressions of chalk, stony minerality, and fresh salinity complete the attack with gorgeously integrated earthiness. Immensely intriguing, contemplative, and nuanced on the nose with a palate that is perfectly nervy and precise; exhibiting smooth yet scintillating effervescence within a presentation that is broad and texturally complex yet still remarkably edgy. Medium in body and carried by salvingly high acidity. This 2014 Brut by Lytle-Barnett is an astoundingly alluring and provocative sparkling wine from Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Although sparkling wine is widely known for being a fun and festive beverage, the greatest examples of this genre can be just as complex and serious as any other wine style on the planet. This bottling, crafted by Lytle-Barnett using a blend of 70% Pinot Noir/30% Chardonnay sourced from the Willamette Valley and made in Méthode Champenoise, showcases just how intriguing and impressive well made Oregon bubbly can be. This wine elegantly emits a wonderful range of highly energetic citrus and stone fruits complicated by gorgeous bready notes, chalky earthiness, and just a hint of flowers and spice. The three years it spent on its lees combined with some additional bottle age shine brightly here, and help shape a wine that is about depth and nuance far more than just primary fruit. Outstanding.