2017 Estate Blanc de Blancs - Riverbench Vineyard & Winery
Dried lemon peel, salted brioche, yellow apple skin. Grapefruit pith, crème fraîche, white cherry. Surprisingly expressive and intriguing bursts of citrus zest, nectarine, and Bosc pear lead a beautifully complex and contemplative display overlayed with heavenly autolytic notes of freshly baked bread and buttery croissant. Hints of dried rose petal, baby's-breath, and wild daisy gently provide a range of dainty floral qualities that playfully intersect with radiant terroir-focused impressions of chalk, sea spray, and saline minerality. Subtle suggestions of forest floor, wild mushroom, and straw expose flawlessly integrated tertiary charm enhanced by a pinch of cinnamon, coriander, and pleasant spices. Incredibly deep, layered, and nuanced on the nose with a palate that is equally complex yet still perfectly energetic and crisp; exhibiting an attention-grabbing and finesse-driven presentation that is bright, exciting, and incredibly characterful. Medium bodied and bone dry while backed by booming acidity. This 2017 Estate Blanc de Blancs by Riverbench Vineyard & Winery is an extremely compelling and unquestionably world class sparkling wine from the Santa Maria Valley.
Well known as the source of some of California's best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley also boasts terroir that is perfectly suited to the production of high quality Sparkling wine. This bottling, crafted by Riverbench Vineyard & Winery using Chardonnay sourced from their Santa Maria Valley estate vineyard and produced in Méthode Champenoise, is a breathtaking example of the prettiness, poise, and polish sparkling wine from this region can achieve. This elegantly exudes a tart citrus and orchard fruit driven profile interlaced with delicious bready notes, salty earthiness, intriguing spices, and a lightly creamy quality. Its mousse is consistent and fine à la first class Champagne, and its complexity and depth are also on par with top quality French bubbly. Wow.