2018 Gratitude
Blanc de Blancs
Coming Fall 2026
Named Gratitude in tribute to our customers, this is a limited-release sparkling wine made from our famous Carneros Chardonnay. Having sat for several years on the lees, it is toasty, rich, and round, making it the perfect sparkler to share with loved ones for whom you are grateful.
Flavor Profiles
Complex aromas of apple tart, lemon curd, and brioche on the nose; starting to show a little development after seven years in the bottle on tirage. The palate is lively with a very fine mousse and notes of golden delicious apple, marzipan, and the bright freshness of the acidity.
Gratitude is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown in one of the oldest blocks of our Buchli Station Vineyard in the cool Carneros AVA. Due to the higher acid levels in the grapes from this block, Winemaker Richie Allen identified it as being ideal for Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine. “The Chardonnay here retains acid beautifully, with low sugar but plenty of fruit, perfect for this style of wine.”
We created Gratitude using the classic “méthode traditionnelle,” the labor-intensive technique used for all French champagnes. Following the primary fermentation, we bottled the wine and added the “liqueur de tirage”, a mixture of sugar and yeast, to create a secondary fermentation and the bubbles. We placed the bottles on riddling racks, turning them by hand to collect the lees (spent yeast cells) in the neck of the bottles. Eight years after harvest, we disgorged the bottles and added the final dosage, a mix of wine and sugar, to give the finished wine a slight sweetness.
- Appellation
- Carneros
- Harvest Date
- September 7, 2018
- Varietal
- Sparkling
- Brix at Harvest
- 20.1
- Alcohol
- 12.9%
- Cooperage
- 10% in Neutral French Oak, 90% in stainless tank for the base wine
