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: 2017 Iron Horse "Ocean Reserve" Green Valley of Russian River Valley Blanc de Blancs

2017 Iron Horse "Ocean Reserve" Green Valley of Russian River Valley Blanc de Blancs

SKU #1558498 97 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark With a lemony mousse and slate-like, acid driven freshness, this Chardonnay-based sparkler is deliciously dry and complex. Stone fruit, lime and grapefruit combine around an effortless midpalate of light, bright structure and beautiful aromatic accents. (VB) Inner quote mark (11/2021)

K&L Notes

Ocean Reserve is a special, limited edition sparkling wine created in partnership with National Geographic to benefit the ocean. For every bottle you purchase, Iron Horse will donate $4 to establish marine protected areas and reduce overfishing around the world.

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2017 Iron Horse "Ocean Reserve" Green Valley of Russian River Valley Blanc de Blancs

Price: $39.95

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WE: 97

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Product Reviews:

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 11/28/2021 | Send Email

Iron Horse is one of the top producers of domestic sparkling wine in the nation. Their prime estate in the cool Green Valley sub-region of Russian River Valley is perfectly suited for growing pristine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their expertise and long traditional bottle fermentation means the wines perfectly capture the purity of fruit and rich, toasty, yeasty notes that make top quality sparkling wines so irresistible. The 2017 Blanc de Blanc is full of white blossom, crunchy Granny Smith apple, citrus peel, freshly baked bread, and sea spray minerals. The bubbles are energetic, fine and persistent. This wine was already a staple for us at K&L but when the huge score dropped on the 2017 we secured as much as we could get our hands on. This is a brilliant bottle of Blanc de Blanc to celebrate the holidays with. It also contributes to the truly worth cause of ocean conservation. In the words of Cousin Eddie - "It's the gift that keeps on giving."

By: James Knight | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 10/24/2021 | Send Email

Although I haven't tasted this specific vintage, I just wanted to say that the Iron Horse Ocean Reserve has been, for me, a sparkling wine of very consistent character from this Sonoma County producer in terms of satisfaction and, well, consistency--it's always a little bit toasty, like a crunchy, buttery croissant, but a little bit salty, like sea spray; and a fairly dry-finishing bubbly. On one level, sure, the "saline" quality could be suggested a bit from the label; on another level, it's possible that the blender of this cuvée had that in mind, already. Lean, saline, and hinting at richness, this is always my favorite Iron Horse sparkler.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Chardonnay

- It's hard to believe that up until about 30 years ago, this extremely popular varietal hid behind the veil of geographical names like Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Now grown all over the world and bottled by its varietal name, Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate where it's grown and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp and minerally with apple and lemon notes to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones, Chardonnay runs the gamut. In France's Burgundy, Chardonnay is the source of the prized wines of Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Mâcon, Meursault and Montrachet. It also the foundation of exceptional Champagne, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier or vinified on its own into Blanc de Blancs. It is also extremely popular in California, and is gaining popularity in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Alexander Valley/Russian River

- Among Sonoma County's northernmost appellations, the Alexander Valley AVA acts as a gateway to neighboring Napa to the east and Mendocino to the north. It is a sprawling appellation, with pockets of distinct microclimates and soils, and as such, is home to a variety of wine grapes and styles. Nearly everything grows in the Alexander Valley, though Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the most widely planted grapes. The Russian River Valley lies to the south of Alexander Valley, and is marked by much cooler temperatures and frequently heavy fog. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown here are some of the state's finest and most sought-after. Aromatic whites like Gewürztraminer and Riesling can also be successful, and sparkling wine production has a long history in the area.