Schramsberg J. Schramm Blancs 2016

Jacob Schram, a German immigrant, bought 200 acres on Mt. Diamond in Napa Valley in 1862 and planted 30,000 vines. He had Chinese laborers dig Napa’s first hillside caves for wine aging and storage. His winery, Schramsberg, gained fame after the author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about it in his 1883 book, The Silverado Squatters. The wine became so popular that the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, served it in the White House at official functions.

After Schram died in 1905, the property languished until Jack and Jamie Davies purchased it in 1965. Jack and Jamie Davies weren’t following a trend. They were resurrecting a pre-Prohibition hillside estate carved into volcanic rock — and choosing to focus on the most technically demanding category in wine – sparkling wine. They decided to focus on making sparkling wine in the Champagne style using the traditional “méthode champenoise” (aka “méthode traditionnelle”) to great success.

Their 1965 Blanc de Blancs would be the first commercial use of Chardonnay in American sparkling wine.

Reviving the Harrison tradition, every President since Richard Nixon has featured the company’s sparkling wine at the White House or some official celebration.

For example, in 1972, their sparkling “Blanc de Blancs” wine was served as part of the “Toast to Peace” during the visit by then-President Richard Nixon to China — a symbolic and historic diplomatic moment.

The winery preserves a large portion of forested land on the estate, and from the beginning of the Davies’ ownership, they adopted sustainable and preservation-oriented practices — both for the land and the winemaking legacy.

In 1996, Hugh Davies, the youngest son of Jack and Jamie Davies, joined the winery full-time. Hugh had earned a master’s degree in enology from the University of California, Davis. Hugh, coincidentally, was born in 1965, the year that the Davies family purchased the Schramsberg property. The winery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Jack Davies died in the spring of 1998 and in 2008, Jamie Davies also died. Today, Hugh Davies serves as CEO of Schramsberg.

Schramsberg J. Schram Blancs 2016

Many argue this is America’s finest Blanc de Blancs. A blend of 81% Chardonnay and 19% Pinot Noir, this wine saw 47% barrel fermentation and eight years of aging on the lees. Vineyard sources include 51% Sonoma, 32% Napa, 13%, Marin, and 4% Mendocino.

The wine pours a rich gold. with a mousse that feels intentional, not aggressive. The nose is quite subtle. with hints of citrus oil and baked apple.
The palate, however, blooms with green apple, pear, Meyer lemon, and a bit of lychee. It carries a creamy mouthfeel layered over precise acidity. Toasted brioche and crushed hazelnuts. It is California’s answer to Champagne’s most prestigious Blanc de Blancs.

Note: Some years ago, I learned that the cage on sparkling wine bottles are always untwisted with six turns. This is regardless of country of production, and held true with every bottle I have sampled since. Except this one, which is five turns. Go figure.

 

Image belongs to Stephen Hawk. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use it.