Argyle Sparkling Wine- Blanc de Blancs Knudson Vineyard
From the winery -
This 2006 Blanc de Blancs has all the wonderful aromas one would like to experience in a great Blanc de Blancs. Look for an abundance of soft aromatics of yeast biscuit and fresh-baked brioche. Fruit kicks in with lovely Anjou pear and a hint of Pink Lady apple. Framing this set of aromas is an expectation of creamy, succulent flower honey. The flavor has beautiful balance of fruit and minerality. Nashi pear and honey mid-palate blends with a feeling of sunshine, while a classic sense of smokey, stony, flint minerality kicks in, followed by abundant fresh fruit in the length, with a hint of Myer lemon zest sailing into a long lively finish.
The 2006 vintage was a very comfortable vintage with very little drama. Spring brought plenty of sunshine and heat. This is quite a contrast to 2004 and 2005 poor fruit set vintages. 2006 had the third highest heat units since 1983. Interestingly, 3 of the top 5 highest heat summations of the last 23 growing seasons occurred in this new millennium. Has our transition into the ‘New Millennium’ led to warmer summers? September brought us a bit of a scare with a week of precipitation accumulation of about 0.6 inches and cool temperatures, but the rain backed off and we saw temperatures in the mid 80's F, with a very desiccating east wind. A most glorious "Indian Summer" ensued throughout the Northwest USA. Wineries and vineyards were able to spread their operation into a smooth steady pace without the usual threat of inclement weather.
Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
From the winery: "This is a deeply complex Pinot Noir based sparkling wine. The fruit aromas are plum and apple with a creme brulee and toasted wheat bread bouquet from bottle ageing on yeast. The flavors are mouth-filling. Look for apple tart with a hint of yellow plum. The yeast age is expressed as toasted wheat kernel. A creamy texture is enhanced by vanilla and caramel spice. The bubbles are tiny and last well into the long, long flavor finish."
