In 1965, Jack and Jamie Davies founded Schramsberg and set out to make world-class sparkling wine in the true méthode traditionelle style on the property originally established in 1862 by German immigrant Jacob Schram. Theirs was the first California winery to provide a Blanc de Blancs in 1965 followed by a Blanc de Noirs in 1967. Quality focus drives all aspects of wine production starting with access to over 120 cool-climate sites in Napa, Marin, Mendocino and Sonoma. Now their son, Hugh Davies, leads the winery’s management and winemaking team.

Blanc de Noirs (white from black) is the counterpart to Blanc de Blancs (white from white). Made primarily from the red grape Pinot Noir, this is a complex, medium-bodied, brut sparkling wine. The wine is aged on the yeast lees in the bottle for two to three years prior to disgorgement.

Tasting Notes

“The 2017 Blanc de Noirs has generous aromas of Honeycrisp apple, apricot, white peach and candied ginger. Its vibrant and fresh nose is complemented by notes of orange zest, honey and sugar cookie. On the palate, there are juicy flavors of Asian pear, pineapple, white grapefruit and honeysuckle, with soft touches of meringue cookie, cinnamon and toasted almond. The quenching long finish is fresh, with a bright clean acidity.”

93 Points Tasting Panel – “The fruit sourced for this blend of 83% Pinot Noir and 17% Chardonnay hails from Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, and Marin counties. It’s a lovely, medium-bodied brut with aromas of late-spring fruit: fresh and succulent apricot and crisp apple with a spark of gingerbread. The perfume continues as honeyed tropical fruits and Asian pear chime in on the palate.”