Just Released: 2019 Brut Cuvée
To celebrate this year’s new release, the 2019 Brut Cuvée, Niner Wine Estates held a unique event giving attendees an in-depth education on Sparkling Wine. Winemaker Molly Bohlman led a tasting seminar of 4 vintages of bubbles followed by a delectable, seasonally inspired brunch from Executive Chef Jacob Burrell.
See more! There are over 80 sparkling wine producers in San Luis Obispo County.
Niner Vineyard Jespersen Ranch
Jespersen Ranch, located in the SLO Coast AVA, is a remarkable site that is well-suited for growing grapes for Sparkling Wine. With the foggy mornings and coastal influence at Jespersen Ranch vineyard, both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay develop exceptionally beautiful flavor profiles perfect for making complex sparkling wine. Niner farms Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier—all three varieties also grown in Champagne—and has been making an estate sparkling cuvée each vintage since 2015.
Winemaker Molly Bohlman has experimented with a variety of styles of Sparkling Wine through the years, though all are made in the Méthode Traditionnelle like in Champagne France. Bohlman oversees all winemaking at Niner for grapes grown in the SLO Coast AVA, or the cool-climate wines, for the winery. (Niner winemaker Patrick Muran oversees winemaking for wines from Paso Robles fruit.)
Méthode Champenoise is how sparkling wine is made in the Champagne region of France, also called méthode traditionnelle or classique. This is the highest-quality and most labor-intensive way to make sparkling wine. It involves bottling the still wine with additions of sugar and yeast after a first fermentation, ensuring a second fermentation happens in the bottle, trapping the bubbles inside. It then goes through aging (and periodic turning of the bottles to force the lees to the neck of the bottle), until it’s ready for dégorgement (to get these lees out) and dosage (to finish the wine).
When Niner Wine Estates began its Sparkling Wine program, Bohlman had been making still wine for about 20 years, but since her love affair with France began during a semester abroad in college, she always wanted to make Sparkling Wine. Niner’s initial goal was to keep all Sparkling Wines made from a single vineyard and all tasks done in-house.
Making Sparkling Wine is very labor intensive, and most wineries making traditional Sparkling Wine on the Central Coast of California outsource some of the tasks to sparkler facilities (most often riddling, disgorging, dosage, and bottling). But all Sparkling Wine tasks at Niner are done by hand, and on the Niner property. That makes Niner Bubblies a very artisan, crafted product, like Champagne has been made for thousands of years.
This is a labor of love for Bohlman, and also a reason for their medium level of production. Making 200 cases per year, or 2,400 bottles, keeps the ability to hand riddle all the bottles right here at home.
Niner’s Sparkling Wine Lineup
- 2015 Brut Rosé, 100% Pinot Noir
92 points, Vinous - 2016 Cuvee Brut Nature, 76% Pinot Noir, 24% Chardonnay (zero dosage, the most dry of all the Bubbles)
92 points, Wine Enthusiast & 92 points, Vinous - 2017 Blanc de Noirs, 100% Pinot Noir
90 points, Vinous - 2018 Blanc de Blancs, 100% Chardonnay
- 2019 Brut Cuvée, 51% Pinot Noir, 49% Chardonnay
The Restaurant at Niner Wine Estates
Niner Wine Estates has a full restaurant on-site, offering a seasonal lunch menu full of fresh, creative dishes designed to complement the wines. Executive Chef Jacob Burrell prepared a flight of small, paired bites to accompany the seminar tasting, as well as a family-style brunch paired with the 2019 Brut Cuvée.
Brunch Menu featuring 2019 Brut Cuvée:
- Sourdough focaccia, sweet miso butter
- Citrus salad, pistachios, robiola
- Farro salad, apples, red onion, celery, dill, poached salmon
- Whole mangalitsa pork loin, carved and dressed with a red currant mustard sauce.
See more! There are over 80 sparkling wine producers in San Luis Obispo County.
Moules Frites at Bell’s Los Alamos (and a Michelin star)
You must be logged in to post a comment.