Forbes contributor Tom Hyland recommended Iron Horse Vineyard Wedding Cuvée 2016, Champagne Ayala Rosé Majeur and Champagne Bollinger Rosé NV in a roundup of the best sparkling wines to enjoy this Valentine’s Day.

Hyland offers readers background on Iron Horse Vineyard’s cool climate terrain and stylistic details on the wine, before delving into tasting notes. He describes the almost orange-hued Wedding Cuvée 2016 as having very small bubbles and “delicate aromas of orange zest, lemon peel and orange poppy.” Continuing, “medium-full, this has a graceful feel on the palate, very good acidity, impressive persistence and notable complexity. I love the subtleties and finesse in this wine; this is beautifully realized.” He also offers pairing recommendations.

Moving into the Champagne category, Ayala Rosé Majeur offers “beautiful aromas of pink roses, persimmon and orange zest. Medium-full with impressive ripeness, rich, juicy fruit, good acidity, notable complexity and excellent overall harmony.” In addition to offering details on the grape varietals, he strongly suggests trying this wine with Thai food.

Last, but certainly not least is Champagne Bollinger Rosé. He starts off with a bit of background on the estate and this particular blend before noting that he has “yet to try any cuvée from this house that is less than first-rate.” Positioning this as “ultra impressive for a non-vintage,” he experiences “aromas of ripe oranges, tangerine, plum and orange poppy. Full-bodied and very ripe, this is a seductive Rosé Champagne with distinct red spice notes, very good acidity and a powerful finish.” Read the full story HERE

Wine writer Laurie Daniel featured Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée as the wine of the week on her blog, Laurie Daniel On Wine. Published ahead of Valentine’s Day, Daniel said this exudes romance in both its name and the wine itself .

Daniel offers background on the winery, explaining it is based in “a lovely spot in the cool Green Valley of Russian River Valley in Sonoma County.” The aromatic, Pinot Noir dominant blend offers “flavors of strawberry, golden raspberry and citrus, and a fine texture. There’s a touch of creaminess, but this exuberant wine is more about fruit, freshness and energy. Truly a wine of celebration.” Read the full write up HERE

The Washington Post shed light on the current Champagne shortage in the U.S., providing context on the supply chain, reduced harvests and increased demand. Wine columnist Dave McIntyre spoke with VINTUS CEO Alexander Michas, who weighed in on the situation as well for Champagne Bollinger. The story goes into much greater detail on how these factors, when combined, have created “the perfect storm” for the shortages in the U.S. leading into the holiday season.

The trickle down effect goes beyond Champagne sales, as other sparkling wines are facing similar issues (without some of the same issues caused by the harvest). Michas added that people shouldn’t “forget domestic — even local — bubbles. They may not depend so much on container shipping, but they are enjoying high demand.” He continued by noting that we can’t keep Iron Horse Vineyards sparkling wine in stock.

Read the full story HERE

The Press Democrat included Iron Horse Vineyards in a story about the best wines produced in Sonoma County. The winery’s Wedding Cuvée 2017 and limited release Gratitude 2017 are two of only seven sparkling wines highlighted in the story.

The writer notes that while Iron Horse produces more than 12 Champagne-style sparkling wines, the flagship Wedding Cuvée, “year after year, ticks all the refreshing and elegant boxes.” As far as the profile, “Pinot noir (73%) is expressed as strawberry and raspberry (and the salmon color), while Chardonnay lends tangy citrus and green apple, and four years aging on the spent yeast adds a complex brioche nuance.”

The Gratitude release is a limited edition bottling that the Sterling family produced “to recognize and thank those who suffered from, and responded to, the October 2017 fries that decimated many neighborhoods in Sonoma County. Five dollars from each bottle sold goes to the Redwood Empire Food Bank; not just a charity wine, it’s a serious, delicious sparkler with marzipan, baked apple, citrus and blood orange complexity.” Read the full story HERE

Sunset reported on the unfortunate global “Champagne Shortage” that we are facing. Due to limited inventories, the writer explains that it may be difficult to ring in the New Year with bubbles from the Champagne region. Without missing a beat, the story emphasizes that there are still fabulous sparkling wines to enjoy and highlights domestic wines to welcome 2022 with, including Iron Horse Vineyards Classic Vintage Brut.

The article explains that the 2018 vintage is the newest release “of what Iron Horse considers its flagship bubblies. A specialized aging process gives the wine extra richness, while the vineyard’s grapes grown in California’s Green Valley give it a distinct fruit flavor that is signature to Iron Horse wines.” Read the full story HERE

Sonoma Magazine selected Iron Horse Vineyards as a must visit sparkling-focused winery to visit in Sonoma this holiday season, adding that the winery is one of the “power players” on the local sparkling wine scene.

The writer paints a detailed picture of what one can experience at Iron Horse, along with a couple of the tasting options. “The tasting room at this Sebastopol sparkling wine superstar has an east-facing view of its vineyards, the Mayacamas mountain range and Mt. St. Helena. Fog seeps into this Green Valley of Russian River Valley site morning and evening, refreshing the grapes, yet the days can be gloriously sunny for sipping Champagne-quality bubblies and taking in the visuals. As outstanding as the Sterling family’s sparkling wines are – and there are more than a dozen of them, some with charity fundraising ties – tastings ($30) are reasonably priced and outdoors, casual and non-fussy, and staged in front of a redwood barn-style building. Spitting sampled wines down the hill is not only OK, it’s encouraged for those driving, although it’s so very difficult to not swallow these elegant, refined wines. Seated tastings in a gazebo are also offered.” Read the full story HERE

Wine Enthusiast included Iron Horse 2017 Classic Vintage Brut in a story about the best sparkling wines in Napa and Sonoma. Reviewer Virginie Boone includes background about Iron Horse in the beginning of the article, stating that the Sterling family has owned the property since 1976 and “makes estate-grown bubbles that get better and better each year. A slew of 2017 vintage cuvées prove this point, offering diversity in style and outstanding value.”

The Classic Vintage Brut received 97 points from the publication and is described as “stunning,” with “layers of stone fruit, hazelnut liqueur and marzipan. Mineral-driven and sharp in acidity, it stays fresh and focused in citrus and oyster shell flavors.” Read the full story HERE

The Press Democrat selected Iron Horse Vineyards 2017 Green Valley Winter Cuvée as its wine of the week, describing it as extraordinary. The wine is featured in two distinctive articles, with Michele Anna Jordan saying “I cannot imagine a better wine to take us through the end of this challenging year. Think of it as our reward for surviving.”

Continuing, she adds, “The wine is everything a sparkling wine should be: Tiny bubbles tickle your nose as you lift the glass to your lips. The first sip is pure delight, with a subtle hint of yeast, bright acidity and a swirl of delicate flavors that you don’t need to parse if you don’t want to. Just enjoy this beauty.” You can read the rest of her story HERE

Writer Peg Melnik adds, “It’s a gorgeous sparkler with a melding of flavors — green apple, brioche, peach and a hint of almond. The Iron Horse has complexity, an intriguing intensity, balance and a nice mousse. It snagged the top spot in our list of sparkling wines $29 and up because of its caliber at this price point.” You can read the rest of her review HERE

The Press Democrat included Iron Horse Vineyards 2018 Classic Brut Sparkling as a wonderful, domestic bubbly to enjoy this Fourth of July holiday weekend. The writer notes that the wine, from the Russian River Valley’s Green Valley, is “a striking sparkler” that is complex and refreshing.  Continuing, she adds, “it has notes of ripe apple, strawberry and a kiss of vanilla. This bubbly — 50% pinot noir and 50% chardonnay — has a great mouthfeel with a creamy texture and a lively mousse. It’s pretty.” Read the full story HERE

The Robb Report included Le Macchiole Messorio Merlot 2016 in its compilation of “Best Spanish, Complex Blend, White Burgundy, Italian and Red Burgundy”. As BEST Italian, the author says “If one single wine can revive Merlot’s distressingly poor reputation in the minds of wine drinkers, it may be Le Macchiole’s 2016 Messorio from Bolgheri, the home of Super Tuscans. While many of her neighbors blend varieties native to Bordeaux to produce their iconic wines, Le Macchiole proprietor Cinzia Merli focuses on single-varietal expressions in her top-tier bottlings. Made with only Merlot, Messorio, first produced in 1994, was one of the earliest mono-varietal wines in this coastal Tuscan region. Partial fermentation in cement allows for a fuller expression of fruit, while aging for 19 months in lightly toasted oak adds structure to the Merlot, which has naturally softer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc. The result is a wine that shows refinement and restraint, with flavors of black cherry and dark plum and notes of roasted fennel bulb that coalesce in a graceful, lingering finish.”

Read the full story HERE

La Macchiole_Robb Report_6.15.22