Bountiful black-cherry flavors and good balance make this full-bodied wine difficult to resist. Black-fruit flavors are rich and well concentrated, backed by a light touch on the oak spices that emerge on the finish and add nice complexity Producer Information Schramsberg Vineyards is one of the oldest wineries in the Napa Valley, located in the Calistoga AVA (American Viticultural Area). It was established in 1862 and today, produces predominately sparkling wine from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It was Jacob Schram who planted the estate vineyards and initiated the construction of Napa's first hillside caves to store and age wine at Schramsberg. It was throughout the early 20th Century that Schramsberg became famous for its sparkling wines, made in the methode traditionnelle, which have been served at official functions by every US Presidential administration since Richard Nixon in 1972. The inaugural vintage of current proprietors was in 1967, composed of a Blanc de Noirs labeled "Napa Valley Champagne". By the 1980s, Schramsberg had added a vintage-dated Blanc de Blancs and a prestige cuvée, J. Schram, to its portfolio. Nowadays, there is also a rosé, a crémant demi-sec, an extra brut, and several sparkling wines from specific North Coast appellations. Schramsberg produces its sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Flora sourced from multiple cool-climate vineyard sites in Napa, Sonoma, Anderson Valley, and in Marin County. There is also 17 hectares (41 acres) of vines in the Napa appellation of Diamond Mountain planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, used for the production of still wines under Schramsberg's Davies Vineyards label. In the cellar, Schramsberg has a library of base wines aged up to 10 years in barrel to provide richness in the final blend. The wines spend a minimum of two years aging on the lees at the property's historic underground caves before disgorgement.
