Last week I had the great privilege to join Hugh Davies at Schramsberg Vineyards to taste wine at his private table with his associates.  I felt a little bit like Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings when he enters the circle of trust in Rivendell.  To some this might seem only as a wine tasting but for me it was pretty epic.  About this time every year, the great minds at the winery gather together in the Tower Room and conduct a very thorough blind tasting of their past and present wines to gain new perspectives for blending their next release.

Participating in this annual event was CEO / President / Winemaker Hugh Davies, Winemakers Keith Hock and Sean Thompson, Assist. Winemaker Rebecca George, Lab Technician Jeff Cole, CFO / Vice President Fred Zammataro and Wine Educator Lindsey Newbill.

THE PROCESS

Following a blind competitive flight of finished domestic sparkling wines and Champagnes, together we joined forces and began what is known as a blind tasting of a “natural” flight (sans dosage) of their fruitful Blanc de Noir.  Neatly placed in front of us were six champagne flutes of perfectly chilled sparking wine, all Schramsberg Blanc de Noir, but different vintages ranging from 2003 to 2008.  Our job was to study each wine for it’s aroma and palate, and rank them accordingly.  My strategy, as a consumer, was to narrow down my top three favorite wines and go from there.

HIGHLIGHTS

The 2004 and 2003 vintages were by far my favorite.  I personally think they matured very well over time and showed great characters of toasty oak, apple pie, hints of cinnamon and tropical fruit.  I also really enjoyed the 2007, which had rich flavors of pear in the aroma and palate with a creamy finish.  Definitely a wine that’s ready to drink now and more so in the future.  Although the ’03 and ‘04 are only available on limited release from time to time, the 2007 vintage is expected for release in late Spring of 2010.

AFTER THOUGHTS

I would like to thank Matthew Levy and Hugh Davies for inviting me to taste at their private table.  For me the experience was very educational and inspiring.  I have a greater appreciation for the Schramsberg brand now that I’ve seen first hand how thorough and passionate everyone is at the winery. I highly recommend that my readers get a case of the 2007 vintage when it’s released next Spring and cellar a few bottles for Christmas in 2014.  You’ll thank me later.

Here are two great videos from Schramsberg that help express the excitement and joy I experienced at the winery.  Cheers!