Domaine Carneros – by Taittinger – 23
Sunday, February 20th, 2005
First off, a note about the appellation… Carneros is an oddity among appellations as it has vineyards and wineries in both Napa county and Sonoma county – it is the only appellation to break county lines. Consequently, there is Carneros Napa and there is Carneros Sonoma. I suppose if I weren’t trying to categorize my entries by County AND Appellation, I wouldn’t have this problem, but I do. On that note, a not-to-be missed winery in EITHER county is Domaine Carneros by Taittinger.
Domaine Carneros is the brainchild of the Taittinger family in France as their efforts to bring their sparkling wine skills to California. The building "was inspired by the historic and lovely Louis XV style Chateau de la Marquetterie in Champagne, France. The site of the Marquette was originally an abbey press house. In the 17th Century Frere Oudart, the abbey’s cellarmaster made significant contributions to refining the Champagne making process. Today the Chateau de la Marquetterie in France is the country home and estate of the Taittinger family."
We have this amazing replica of a French chateau but is it all hype? Not in my opinion. While not as exceptional as "real" French champagne, I think there is a great deal of brouhaha about folks not liking California sparkling wine because they compare it to the great houses in Europe, in many ways, there is much to be said for the sparkling wines produced in California. Besides, what I really like about Domaine Carneros is not their sparkling as much as the fact that they produce Pinot…
When you enter the grand building, you are greeted by a multitude of friendly servers and something of an anomoly in wine country tasting rooms: Sit Down Service. No bar to belly-up to here, just a scattering of tables with servers who pour, serve, and inform. When the weather is fair, that service extends to the terrace. Nothing can be nicer than sipping some bubbly while lounging over the span of vineyards in your view. Along with their alcoholic offerings, there is a menu placed before you with cheese trays and caviar. The cheese trays are wine-specific with both an offering for their sparkling service and Pinot service.
For my last visit, we opted for both the sparkling tasting and the Pinot tasting. The sparkling wine is served in appropriately-fluted glasses, but they are charmingly miniature in size, serving a perfect two-ounce pour in what looks like a full glass. There are also laminated cards where they place the glasses so you don’t mix up which wine is which. There are always some almonds along with the service as well. The servers work very hard to make sure there is not a long wait as many pull double duty, checking in on tables that have already been served. And the wines are pretty darned good too:
SPARKLING
2001 Domaine Carneros Brut Vintage – 65% Piont Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 3% Pinot Blanc. This wine comprises half of the winery’s entire production, about 3,000 cases worth. Bright and unassuming, thre are notes of citrus, melon, and a hint of toasted nut on the nose. Aged on the yeast for three years, it has even yeast structure and doesn’t overwhelm. $24.00
NV Domaine Carneros Brut Rose – 38% Chardonnay, 62% Pinot Noir, and 5% still Pinot (where the color comes from!). Creamy strawberry bouquet with a hint of peach. This is a winery-only wine which is elegant but I wish a bit more affordable. $34.00
1998 La Reve Blanc de Blanc – La Reve means "the dream" which is a reference to the entire establishment and what the Taittinger family had to go through to get the winery here in Napa. This sparkling is 100% Chardonnay is aged six years and is made in very small quantities. To me, it smells a bit too yeasty upon first whiff which belies its very long, creamy finish. $55.00
STILL
2003 Avant-Garde Pinot Noir – Clear, garnet color. Earthy aromas give way to a full, jammy nose. It is the lightest and fruitiest of the three tasted. Bright raspberries present in the mouth with a finish of orange peel. $27.99
2002 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir – Same garnet color, but a tad darker than the Avant Garde. This Pinot is made in 100% French oak. Huge cherry and vanilla bouquet. There is a peppery, cayenne-like spice which enters with first taste that is strong and acidic but gives way to a more elegant, layered cinnamon and clove spice. $27.00
2001 Famous Gate Pinot Noir – This is a winery-only Pinot and presents a tremendous bright raspberry bouquet with hints of orange underneath. A bit oaky, but not overly so. The initial mouthfeel is fruity with plum and brambleberry, but finishes with tobacco. $50.00
Domaine Carneros ~ 1240 Duhig Road ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 707-257-3020