Wine Reviews and Accessories

Rating: **TWO STARS 2000 Argyle Knudsen Vineyard Julia Lee’s Block Dundee Hills Blanc de Blancs ($40) Winemaker Rollin Soles let the fruit for this wine hang for a longer period than normal during the cool weather in 2000. Shy, delicate nose of fine talc-like mineral, fresh tangerine and vanilla cream with a floral hint. Opulent tree fruit notes. Moderate finish. Limited production, winery only.

Rating: ***THREE STARS NV Besserat de Bellefon Brut Champagne ($40) In 1843, Edmond Besserat founded his winery in Epernay. His namesake, grandson Edmond Besserat, married into the Bellefon family, creating Besserat de Bellefon. This wine has a nice leesy, almond-studded pastry dough aroma with apple, pear and mandarin orange. Assertive flavors of lemon, loam and a fresh, briny finish. Well defined, with good length and balance. (Importer: Winesellers)

Rating: **TWO STARS NV Dehours les Vignes de la Vallee Brut Champagne ($39) Lovely spice, baked apple, spice and stone on the nose. Dry, lean profile with an almost chewy texture on palate; tangy with sharp finish. Nice with food. Chardonnay, with 16 percent Pinot Noir and 20 percent reserve wine. Extremely limited. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)

Rating: **TWO STARS 2004 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Blanc de Blancs ($24) Gloria Ferrer – constructed in 1986 – is the U.S. operation of the Ferrer family, who also own Catalonia’s Freixenet. Pale color; slight yeast with lemon curd, green apple and citrus; slightly sharp aromas. Strong mousse under the creamy mouthfeel.

Rating: **TWO STARS 2004 Iron Horse Green Valley of Russian River Valley Classic Vintage Brut ($33) Iron Horse specializes in sparkling wine, offering eight different bottlings. This is its second most produced sparkler, which has sweet, warm bread aromas with touch of chalk while the citrus-focused palate offers lemon and lime peel. Made with 68 percent Pinot Noir, 32 percent Chardonnay.

Rating: **TWO STARS NV Monmarthe Carte Blanche Premier Cru Brut Champagne ($35) Toasted hazelnut, wet rock, apple, quince and white flowers with a cherry note on the nose. Refreshing palate with moderate citrus acidity. Forty percent each Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, plus 20 percent Chardonnay; aged for two years. Limited availability. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)

Rating: **TWO STARS NV Mumm Napa Valley Brut Rosé ($24) Fresh and crisp but a touch simple, with raspberry, sweet cherry and tangelo on the nose. A chalky mineral punch and bright citrus palate; slight plum skin on the finish.

Rating: **/TWO AND A HALF STARS NV Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut ($22) This Mendocino offshoot of the Champagne house delivers a remarkable wine for the money, outpacing many Champagnes. Widely available, this latest bottling is fresh and leesy, with green apple and crushed rock aromas. Buoyant acidity and squeezed orange flavors mix with wild berry. The bubbles are refined and the body is ample enough to avoid sharpness while maintaining a precise edge.

Rating: T**/WO AND A HALF STARS NV Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut Rosé ($27) The beautiful pale pink-orange in color is from 5 percent Pinot Noir. This wine has a fresh nose of white flowers, rhubarb and loamy musk. Orange and wild raspberry flavors with a chalky undertone; soft, evocative mousse. 60 percent Pinot Noir, 40 percent Chardonnay, of which 10 to 20 percent is reserve wine.

Rating: **/TWO AND A HALF STARS NV Scharffenberger Mendocino County Brut Sparkling Wine ($19) Scharffenberger’s wines keep getting better. Crisp and lively, with mushroom, toast and touch of fino sherry with a hint of brulee on the nose. Some plum skin and berry lift the palate. Made with 65 percent Pinot Noir, 35 percent Chardonnay.

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Schramsberg North Coast Blanc de Blancs ($35) Winemakers Hugh Davies and Craig Roemer added small lots of barrel- and malolactic-fermented wine, which Schramsberg first produced in 1965. Focused aromas of stone, pencil lead, sweet bread dough, lemon rind and hints of yeast. Ripe fruit palate with orange rind on the long finish. Widely available.

Rating: **TWO STARS 2005 Schramsberg North Coast Blanc de Noirs ($37) In 1967, Schramsberg pioneered the first Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine in the United States. This true blanc de noirs is has no color except a tinge of gold. Minerally, with bright lemon, orange, green apple and herb. Ripe fruit, with a slightly creamy palate. Pinot Noir with 10 percent Chardonnay; partial malolactic fermentation. Widely available. 

Read the full review at: sfgate.com

Wine Accessories