Ratings and Reviews

This half-and-half blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is often referred to as California’s best. This year, it’s very dry, with nuanced flavors of citrus, peach and yeast. But it feels a little rough on the palate. This youthful scour should soften in a few years.

A great sparkling wine, one of the best from California, it has the classic structure, harmony and finesse of all but the best Champagnes. Light as a feather, this brut has delicate flavors and is very dry. Its youthful vigor suggests aging until 2003.

What is California’s best sparkling winery and wine? I vote for Roederer Estate and its prestige cuvée, L’Ermitage. When all of the Champagne houses were buying land in Napa to establish California outposts, Champagne Louis Roederer settled in cool Mendocino County. With its toasty, hazelnut flavors, L’Ermitage is closest of all the American sparklers to Champagne.

Creamy and complex, with rose petal notes, it sits delicately on the palate, with toasty, hazelnut flavors and a fresh citrus-and-herb finish.

Smooth, ripe and marked by crisp, tart apple and pear notes, turning complex and creamy on the finish. Well-crafted, rich, complex flavors.

A wonderful example of just how good California bubbly can be. Creamy and rich, a toasty wine with pear and hazelnut notes that keep singing on the finish. A graceful bubbly with style and plenty of flavor, a lot like a fine Champagne.