Roederer Estate Winery Brut Anderson Valley NV Small-Production where gentle east-facing slopes produce

where gentle east-facing slopes produce Pinot Noir with a classic Côte Chalonnaise character — regional Burgundy fruit without the Côte d'Or price tag

or neat over a large rock as a pre-dinner pour

Blocky tannins and bitter cherry on the finish

alongside 2002 and 2008

and noticeably less synthetic than the category leaders

Roederer Estate Winery Brut Anderson Valley NV Small-Production where gentle east-facing slopes produceCALIFORNIA : MENDOCINO : ANDERSON VALLEY Chardonnay, Pinot Noir MED FULL BODIED, LEMON CURD, APPLE, MINERAL, ALMOND, OAK Eric Asimov has called Roederer Estate the gold standard for California sparkling wine, and we have to agree that there is arguably no better, reasonably priced sparkling wine being made in the US currently. WINEMAKING : 60% Chardonnay & 40% Pinot Noir; aged 2 years on the lees. ECOLOGY : Sustainable PAIRING : Fried Mushrooms