Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs

Product Description

In 1826, in the small town of Pfeddersheim Germany, along the Rhine River, Jacob Schram was born. He came from a winemaking family. When he was sixteen, the young Schram immigrated to New York. He was educated in the trade of barbering, and in 1852 sailed across the Caribbean, crossed-over the Panama Isthmus, and continued up to San Francisco. He spent the next several years barbering, eventually moving his way north, to the Napa Valley. In 1859 he married Annie Christine Weaver, also from Germany, and they started a family. For several years he continued to barber full time. Never far from his thoughts were his homeland and his roots in the vinelands of Germany. In 1862, Jacob purchased a large piece of land on the mountainsides of the Napa Valley. He was going to be a part of the emerging efforts by many fellow German countrymen in the Napa Valley to make wine; thus Schramsberg was born. The Schramsberg estate is tucked into the densely forested slopes of Diamond Mountain, a few miles south of the town of Calistoga, and is home to the oldest hillside vineyards in Napa. It totals 218 acres with 43 acres planted to vines. The estate, a registered historic landmark, has been painstakingly restored by the Davies family. The Victorian house, the lower winery, the barn and the caves remain largely unchanged since Jacob Schram’s days. Schramsberg has also played a role in world history. The Blanc de Blancs was used for President Nixon’s 1972 “Toast to Peace” with China’s Premier Zhou Enlai. Schramsberg’s sparkling wines have been served at official State functions by every U.S. Presidential administration since.

Fruitful aromas of fresh lime and Granny Smith apple, accentuated by nuances of juicy pineapple and lemon grass, are complimented by notes of honeycomb and hazelnut from the years of aging en tirage. On the palate, the Blanc de Blancs enters crisp and tangy, unfolding with flavors of lime, pineapple and exotic tropical fruits. Delicious and layered flavors of lemon custard and fresh-from-the-oven brioche follows. The palate finishes with a delicate sweetness and a generous acidity that is long and quenching.