Schramsberg, J. Schram, North Coast, California, 2011

Overview of the Wine
From the inception of Schramsberg’s efforts in 1965, the winery has sought to achieve the greatest elegance and individuality possible in our sparkling wines. J. Schram epitomizes Schramsberg’s philosophy to create a wine in which no effort has been spared and no care has been omitted. Representing only 3% of the winery’s annual production, the Chardonnay-focused J. Schram blend is assembled from the very best base wine lots of the approximately 300 produced each year. This special bottling is dedicated to Schramsberg’s founder, Jacob Schram, and has been a great success since its premier 1987 vintage was released in 1992.
Cluster samples from over 115 cool-climate vineyard sources are pulled several times before the optimal pick date for each block is selected. Complexity within the wine is gained through both oak barrel and stainless steel tank fermentation. Additional layers are provided through small lots that undergo malolactic fermentation, enriching aromas and infusing creaminess on the palate. Our J. Schram is aged for over seven years on the yeast in Schramsberg’s historic Diamond Mountain caves; each bottle is then riddled by hand, and finished with an exceptional brut dosage.

J. Schram is quite appealing on its own as an apéritif or enjoyed with fresh shellfish, caviar on toast point, smoked salmon, tangy and sharp cheeses, seafood brochettes, cedar-planked lobster, mesquite-grilled quail, or Serrano ham & porcini risotto.

Grapes/Blend
90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir

Origin
North Coast, California

Tasting Notes
This sparkling wine opens with pleasant aromas of baked pear, lemon meringue and baked apple, enhanced by nuances of toffee and honey. The rich palate features fruitful elements of baked pineapple and Meyer lemon, layered with crystallized ginger. Good depth on the finish is driven by a backbone of lingering natural acidity.

95 Points - Connoisseurs' Guide 
90% Chardonnay; 10% Pinot Noir. The latest J. Schram from the 2011 vintage is, as always, a wine with richness to spare. It is, at every point, from its keenly autolzyed aromas to its seemingly unending flavors, a very deep and involvingly complex working with lovely integration of its manifold parts. It possesses terrific energy while displaying an uncanny sense of grace for a wine that is as uncompromisingly rich as it is, and, although on the one hand close to hedonistic, it is, on the other, a bottle that invites slow contemplation as it reveals more and more layering with each successive sip.

Product size: 750ml