Sojourn has long been one of my favorite, off-the-radar pinot and chardonnay producers in California. They work with some simply fantastic vineyards, making craft, small-lots of killer juice that almost always competes directly with wines two or three times the price. I’ll rattle off a handful of the vineyards they work with, so you know the pedigree of these wines: Durell, Gap’s Crown, Lucky Well, Sangiacomo, Riddle, Rueling, and Thomas Rivers Brown/Fred Schrader’s new Ridgetop vineyard out on the northern Sonoma Coast…

Those are some Cali-pinot and chardonnay heavy-hitters, friends – each renowned for producing highly sought after and supremely rare wines hounded fiercely by collectors. After one glass of this inaugural release Brut sparkling, we think it just may command a similar attention in the coming years!

The cuvee clocks in at 46% chardonnay, 46% pinot noir, and 8% pinot meunier from a selection of their vineyard partners throughout Sonoma. After a traditional method secondary fermentation in bottle (a la Champagne), this wine ages on the lees for a total of 33 months before a minuscule dosage of 0.8 grams/liter following disgorgement. The result is round, toasty, and penetrating – with a fine and delicate mousse that carries aromas of pear, brioche, and lemon zest in a warm and pleasing mouth of golden apples, toasted hazelnuts, and pear tarts. 92 points! First Release! Go ahead and count us as fans. Your turn!