Wine Specs
Vintage
2003
Varietal
Sparkling Wine
Sugar
1.1 g/100mL
PH
3.07
Aging
6 years, 6 months
Bottling Date
April 21, 2004
Tannin
0.86 g/100mL
Alcohol %
12.7%
Schramsberg Reserve is our top Pinot Noir-focused brut sparkling wine. Typically representing about 3% of our annual production, this richly-flavored and full-bodied sparkler is made from only the finest base-wine lots produced each year. Six years old upon release, this fruitful, yet dry, toasty and creamy bubbly will age gracefully for a good 20 years beyond the vintage date.
More than 80 cool-climate vineyard sites in Carneros, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma and Marin coastal areas are managed each year to achieve the best possible fruit for our sparkling wines. Hand-picking, early-morning harvesting, and light pressing are critical. Small amounts of select Chardonnay are included in the blend to lend additional backbone and length to the palate. Distinct barrel and malolactic fermentation lots are layered in to provide viscosity and depth.
Extensive tasting is conducted over the winter months, with as many as 200 base wines being taken into consideration. Following bottle fermentation, each bottle is aged in contact with its own yeast in our historic Diamond Mountain hillside caves for a minimum of nearly five years. The finishing dosage is the result of comprehensive trials to fine-tune balance of flavor and acidity.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
“The 2003 Reserve has youthful aromas of red apple and juicy pear, which is followed by
Rainier cherry. The fruit is accentuated by holiday spices, such as nutmeg and clove, as
well as warm pie crust. Upon first taste there is generous fruit flavors of Satsuma orange,
candied pineapple and strawberry, in addition to some peach. The palate is elegant and
concentrated, with a quenching acidity and a long and lingering finish.”
– Winemakers Keith Hock and Hugh Davies
Vineyard Notes
Varietal Composition: 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay
County Composition: 33% Mendocino, 31% Sonoma, 19% Napa, 17% Marin
Principal Pinot Noir Blocks:
Mendocino County: Corby, Juster
Sonoma County: Saltonstall
Marin County: Stevens
Appellation: North Coast
Harvest Dates: August 30, 2003 - September 22, 2003
Production Notes
The unpredictable nature of the 2003 growing season began with a series of early heat spikes in March, followed by the wettest April on record. A long, cool summer allowed the fruit flavors to evolve beautifully ahead of the sugar accumulation. Heat
spikes in September helped move the harvest forward after many felt it would be a late year.
Winemaker Notes
"The 2003 Reserve has youthful aromas of red apple and juicy pear, which is followed by Rainier cherry. The fruit is accentuated by holiday spices, such as nutmeg and clove, as well as warm pie crust. Upon first taste there is generous fruit flavors of Satsuma orange, candied pineapple and strawberry, in addition to some peach. The palate is elegant and concentrated, with a quenching acidity and a long and lingering finish." – Winemakers Keith Hock and Hugh Davies
Other Notes
Disgorge Dates: November 2, 2010
Release Date: April 1, 2011
Cases Produced: 1,467
