One of the excellent Oregon producers of sparkling wine, Kramer Vineyards began in 1983 when Trudy and Keith Kramer acquired their 60 acre property in the Yamhill-Carlton appellation. They eventually planted 22 acres of vines for their estate vineyard. Now they have a range of varietals planted including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Müller-Thurgau, Carmine, Muscat, Pinot Meunier and Grüner Veltliner. The Kramer’s daughter and winemaker Kim Kramer, has been making wine for more than a decade. She has a wealth of experience in the industry, with previous stints in Burgundy as well as St. Innocent.
I have noticed the beautiful astringency in her sparkling wine bottles. I think that most of Kim’s wines will pair marvelously with seafood, and shellfish in particular. An awesome value at around $25.00 ice their NV Kramer Vineyards Brut Sparkling Wine (WWB, 90) which has lovely high tones despite the obvious heat of the past few vintages. My favorite sparkling wine that I sampled from Kramer Vineyards was their NV Kramer Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Brut (WWB, 91) which was a blend of the warm 2014 and 2015 vintages. This showed some brilliant range. Learn more about these great wines at kramervineyards.com Here are the great new release wines by Kramer Vineyards.
2015 Kramer Vineyards ‘Zero Dosage’ Brut- Like the name sounds, this is highly mineral driven, not given any dosage. The nose brings some nice brioche and wet stone tones. Bright and effusive, showing nice salinity, the wine yields some rich brioche, salted almond, and a touch of marzipan. Drink 2017-2022- 90
2015 Kramer Vineyards Brut- A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, this wine was blended in October 2016 and disgorged in September 2017. The mousse is exceedingly bright, with baked apple elements and buttered bread showing straight away. The balance is there, with lovely astringency. Baked pear, marzipan and brioche flavors impress. Drink 2017-2022- 90
2015 Kramer Vineyards Brut Rose- Showing off a very dark color, the wine begins with aromas of brioche, red raspberry and cranberry. This shows a wonderful astringency, with tension showing first fiddle. Citrus fruits mingle with tart red fruits on the palate. The tartness and acidity of this wine makes this a downright awesome pour for somms wanting to pair with shellfish. Drink 2017-2024- 90
NV Kramer Vineyards Brut- Disgorged in September 2017, the wine begins with aromas of melon and brioche. The palate has a wonderful brightness, showing citrus fruits and melon alongside wet stone. The balance is lovely here. Drink 2017-2022- 90
NV Kramer Vineyards ‘Zero Dosage’ Brut- This shows off lovely green aromatics with citrus blossom intermingled. The freshness is apparent, as is the lighter citrus and tree fruit tones. Drink 2017-2022- 89
NV Kramer Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Brut- The ‘Reserve’ Brut is a blend of the 2014 and 2015 vintages utilizing equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. The wine begins with aromas of brioche, Japanese pear and marzipan. This has a brilliant astringency and range as the wine reveals bright Gravenstein apple, green papaya and brioche flavors that sit alongside some lovely tension. Drink 2017-2025- 91