There is little doubt that Domaine Carneros is one of the amazing places to taste in the Napa Valley. Imagine tasting top sparkling wines with incredibly thoughtful food pairings on a terrace with sweeping views of the valley. Domaine Carneros literally towers over the valley, showcasing sweeping views for miles that you won’t find at any other winery. It is hard to believe that this house was started all the way back in the 1970s as Claude Taittinger, of famed Champagne house Taittinger, began his search for a good spot to make California Sparkling Wine. Finally in 1987 he selected a 138-acre parcel in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley. The spot he selected is truly unique, as it has a massive maritime influence being perched near the bay. The vineyard is quite windy and produces highly concentrated berries that are very small in size.
A few years back Domaine Carneros hired Remi Cohen to serve as CEO and director of winemaking. She took over Napa pioneer Eileen Crane, who had been crafting sensational, age-worthy sparkling wines in the Napa Valley for over 30 years. These are wines that age brilliantly as in the past year I have tried more than ten year old bottles of her ‘Le Reve’ which is one of the premier sparkling wines that you will find in North America.
Do not miss out on the 2016 Domaine Carneros ‘Le Reve’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 96) which is heady and intense, showing off the richness of this vintage., Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.domainecarneros.com Here are the new sparkling wines by Domaine Carneros
2018 Domaine Carneros ‘Brut Rose’ Sparkling Wine- The gorgeous 2018 Domaine Carneros ‘Brut Rose; Sparkling Wine is made from mostly estate Pinot Noir. This is deeply concentrated in the glass, showing white grapefruit blossom that combines with star jasmine, green apple and shades of crushed oyster shell. The palate offers racy acidity with bright red fruit flavors that coat the mouth. Enjoy now and love the next eight years to come. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2016 Domaine Carneros ‘Le Reve Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine- The outstanding 2016 Domaine Carneros ‘Le Reve Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine is another world-class release from this wine. This is deeply concentrated in the glass, showing white grapefruit blossom that combines with star jasmine, green apple and shades of crushed oyster shell. The palate offers racy acidity on the mouth with a beautiful, soft mousse and gobs of mouth-watering acidity. With more air the citrus oil flavors become more and more intense, alongside passion fruit and shades of white truffle, alongside nutty accents. This is hedonistic and complex sparkling wine that will cellar well for another fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2023-2038- 96
2021 Domaine Carneros ‘The Famous Gate’ Pinot Noir- Richly colored in the glass, the 2021 Domaine Carneros ‘The Famous Gate’ Pinot Noir offers ripe cranberry and strawberry tones on the nose alongside dill and shades of toasty oak. The palate is soft and refined with really good verve and flavor density, reveling in its pretty red fruit flavors. Finishing long, this is delicious wine to consume now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2023-2033- 93
2021 Domaine Carneros ‘Tula Vista’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 Domaine Carneros ‘Tula Vista’ comes from estate Pinot Noir vines. Juicy red raspberry, kumquat and anise tones combine with lavender and pomegranate seed flavors. Delicious now enjoy over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2023-2035- 93