Wine Last Sold on: April 19, 2013
VML Winery
Featured Wine:
2007 Blanc de Noir
| Varietal: | Pinot Noir |
| Region: | California: Russian River Valley (Sonoma) |
| Availability: | Limited |
| Avg. Price: | $55.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $39.99 |
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SOLD OUT ALERT:
Are you looking for today’s Monopole Blue Top Premier Cru? That wine has sold out. In its place, we are very pleased to bring you a beautiful sparkling wine from our dear friends at VML winery. Their 2007 Blanc de Noir is a stunning, elegant and exciting sparkling wine.
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
Mission Codename: Mother's Little Bubbly
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Send Agent Red to investigate VML’s first-ever sparkling wine. If the wine is superb, secure every available case - and ship in time for our Operatives’ Mother’s Day celebrations.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Virginia Marie Lambrix
Final Assessment
Today’s bubbly masterpiece has a lively, energetic mouth feel - with an elegant finish and an intriguing flavor profile. Flavors are light, but not restrained or even subtle. Instead, the wine presents its unique flavors in layers that evolve as you sip.
On the nose, the wine shows off lovely fruit, with unique, soft aromas of tea and subtle spice. Overall, there is a complexity and elegance to this wine that captivated us - from start to long finish.
2007 was a remarkable vintage for Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley, with Robert Parker giving the entire 2007 vintage a decade-high 96 points for California reds. In the hand of winemaker, Ginny Lambrix, it is no wonder that today’s wine - made from red Pinot Noir grapes - is so exceptional.
Happy Mother’s Day, dear Operative!
Tasting Profile
An energetic cascade of fine bubbles spiral to the top of the glass through light golden wine. There, a fine layer of pure-white mousse covers the wine.
Sweet and fresh on first sniff, the wine shows off lovely aromas of fresh white peach, white acacia flower, wild strawberry and dried apricot. As the wine warms, even slightly, it reveals subtle aromas of citrus peel, white cherry, white tea and a hint of nutty vanilla.
On entry, fine bubbles glide across the front of the palate. Almost instantly, bubble bloom onto the mid-palate, creating a lovely mousse that feels creamy but still light-weight.
Flavors of skinless red apple, citrus zest, white cherry, wild strawberry and acacia flower take the lead on the palate. As the wine warm, just slightly, it opens to reveal apricot, white peach and pear, with an intriguing hint of white chocolate.
Very long and very flavorful, with citrus giving way to white flowers and hints of white minerals. The creamy finish persists, long after the bubbles have subsided.
What the Winery Says
Tasting Notes
Alpine Strawberry. Bergamot. Cardamom. Toasted Almond. White Peach. Apricot. Pomegranate.
Wine Specs
Vintage: 2007
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Varietal Composition:
85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay
Case Production: 700 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
RS: 5 grams/liter
Cellaring: Méthode Champenoise
About the Winery
Early in winemaker Virginia Marie Lambrix’s career, the Russian River Valley served as her laboratory for developing an interest in the fruit and farming there. While winemaker and viticulture specialist for Truett Hurst in the Dry Creek Valley, Virginia expressed her fascination by making a little Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The label distinction was made by using her initials, VML. After convincing one of her partners, Phil Hurst, to take a walk through some of the Russian River Valley vineyards she was familiar with, the notion of getting more deeply entrenched in the region came to pass.
As fate would have it, Bill Hambrecht, longtime Russian River Valley grape grower and vintner, was looking to breathe new energy into both his vineyards and winery in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley. The joining the team at Truett Hurst and these stellar properties was the foundation of VML Winery in the spring of 2011.
VML’s Single Vineyard series wines are meant to capture the imagination by highlighting unique and beautiful pieces of terroir within the Russian River Valley. Virginia explains that the beauty of wines from the Russian River Valley is how they reflect the specific vineyard sites. The winemaker should stay out of the way of what the terroir expresses – guiding the fruit and resisting the temptation to manipulate the wines. The wines at VML let the vineyard sources speak for themselves. Despite the trend to tone down Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs, a force of nature in our vineyards delivers wines that are big, bold, and full flavored.
